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Delaware men’s head coach Ian Hennessy not returning after 16 seasons

Hennessy took over the head job with the Blue Hens in 2006

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Delaware men’s soccer is undergoing a national search for a new head coach after the announcement that Ian Hennessy will not be returning after 16 seasons.

Hennessy led the Blue Hens to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011, 2013 and 2016 and to Colonial Athletic Conference tournament titles in 2011 and 2016.

“I want to thank Ian for his commitment to the University of Delaware and the men’s soccer program,” Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Chrissi Rawak stated in a news release. “Our men’s soccer student-athletes have excelled in the classroom and in the community during Ian’s tenure at UD. At this time, we felt it was necessary for us to provide new leadership for our program.”

Hennessy was the third longest tenured Division 1 men’s coach in the region behind Dean Koski at Lehigh (since 1991) and Dennis Bohn at Lafayette (since 2001). During his tenure he coached a number of all-conference players, All-Americans Evans Frimpong and Guillermo Delgado and MLS draft picks Delgado, Frimpong and Thomas de Villardi.

He also grew a coaching tree during his time in Newark that includes Philadelphia Union scouting director Jon Scheer, Philadelphia Union Academy head of scouting Roberto Gimenez, Charlotte FC Academy head of recruitment Abdul Chibsah and current La Salle men’s soccer head coach Taylor Thames.

Born in the Republic of Ireland, Hennessy attended college at Seton Hall and played in MLS for the MetroStars in the first season of MLS in 1996. He worked as an assistant at Rutgers and Boston College before taking the helm at Delaware in 2006. Hennessy has also served as a scout for U.S. soccer and as technical director at Delaware FC.

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now / Brotherly Game. He's covered soccer at all levels for many years in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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