PHILADELPHIA — When he came to Denver, in the summer of 2009, Bill Tierney rationalized the decision as an early retirement plan. He was in his late 50s, and most of his kids had already moved west. Colorado seemed like a nice place for him and his wife, Helen, to settle down.
Six years later, at 62, Tierney has instead reclaimed the mantle as lacrosse’s pre-eminent coach and tactician, earning his seventh career national title on Monday, his first since leaving Princeton and taking charge of the University of Denver Pioneers, who had never won an N.C.A.A. tournament game before his arrival.