Ian Hennessy
Head Coach 8th Season Seton Hall ‘90
Ian Hennessy, a former All-American soccer player at Seton Hall who served as an assistant coach at Boston College for four seasons, was named the new head coach of the University of Delaware men’s soccer program on January 23, 2006. Hennessy, who replaced Marc Samonisky, became the 11th head coach in UD men’s soccer history - which dates back to 1926 - and only the third since 1963. His seven-year record at Delaware stands at 42-72-18 entering the 2013 campaign, his eighth at the helm. During the 2011 season, Hennessy led the Blue Hens to a dramatic post-season run as Delaware captured the CAA Tournament championship with three victories in four days. The Blue Hens posted a pair of penalty kick victories over Northeastern and James Madison, before edging 18th-ranked Old Dominion, 2-1, to win the team’s first CAA title. Delaware traveled to Virginia, the 2009 national champion, in its first round game, and stunned the Cavaliers when John Dineen scored the lone goal of the match with 4:14 left in the second overtime period. The Blue Hens then headed to fourth-ranked and eventual Final Four participant UCLA, where they battled the Bruins before falling 1-0 on a goal with just 6:44 remaining. Following their remarkable season, the Blue Hens were selected the 2011 Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association Delaware Team of the Year. Evans Frimpong was named a second team NSCAA All-American, was a first team All-South Region pick, and was selected the league’s Player of the Year. Roberto Giménez was a second team All-South Region selection and earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors, while O’Connor was selected to the third team All-South Region. In 2010, Hennessy guided the program to its first-ever appearance in the CAA tournament, earning the No. 4 seed. In the semifinals, the Hens forced double overtime against top-seeded
for the Hens under Hennessy, going 5-4-2, the first winning conference schedule for Delaware since 1996. In his first season at Delaware, Hennessy made big strides in helping the Blue Hen men’s soccer team return to respectability in the Colonial Athletic Association. His 2006 team posted an overall record of 6-8-2, the most wins by a UD team since 2001, and placed ninth in the CAA standings with a mark of 4-7, the program’s best CAA finish since joining the league in 2002 and most league wins since 2001. Along the way, the Hens defeated long-time CAA powers William & Mary and James Madison for the first time in school history and captured the season-opening Towson Tournament in September with wins over Loyola and Adelphi. Of the team’s eight losses, five were by one goal or less. In 2007, the Blue Hens posted a record of 3-132 and placed ninth in the CAA with a mark of 3-7-1, but the season consisted of six one-goal losses. Among the victories was a 2-0 win late in the season over league champion Old Dominion, which advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and was ranked No. 19 nationally in the final NSCAA/Adidas Top 25 poll. The 2008 season yielded similar results as Hennessy’s Hens produced a record of 3-13-3 and 2-8-1 in the conference. Again Delaware was a competitive team despite its record. The team lost eight games by one goal and played in six overtime games. Among those overtime games was a 1-0 victory over conference-foe Virginia Commonwealth - the program’s first victory in seven all-time meetings. In 2009, Hennessy led his squad to a 7-12 season and a 4-7 CAA mark to place the Hens eighth in the 12-team league. The eighth-place finish was Delaware’s highest finish since joining the conference in 2002, while the Hens’ 23 goals scored served as the most since UD found the back of the net 25 times in 2004. Of UD’s 12 losses, six times the Hens fell by one goal. Hennessy coached Darren Christie to a first team All-CAA accolade, while Kyle Davis earned ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America second team honors. A native of Cork, Ireland, Hennessy earned his bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University in 1990 and earned his doctorate in molecular biology from Columbia University in 2001.
William & Mary, which was also ranked No. 12 at the time, before falling 1-0. Delaware, which finished with a record of 6-9-3, landed a record four players on the all-conference team, including two second team selections in Jon Scheer and Frimpong. O’Connor earned a third-team nod while freshman Vincent Mediate was tabbed as the programs first All-CAA Rookie honoree. The 2010 season also marked the most conference wins
He began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Rutgers in 2001, leading the Scarlet Knights to a 15-7-3 record, a No. 9 final national ranking, a No. 1 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic region, and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16. He then moved on to Boston College where he served as an assistant to head coach Ed Kelly for four seasons. While at Boston College, the Eagles posted a combined record of 42-26-8, won the 2002 Big East title, advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2002, and moved on to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2004. Boston College spent numerous weeks in the national Top 20 during his tenure and
University of Delaware Men’s Soccer Media Guide
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