Information Provided By UMass Lowell Sports Information


LOWELL – Ted Priestly, who recently capped his 12th season as head coach of the UMass Lowell men’s soccer program, accepted the head post at the College of the Holy Cross Friday, UML Director of Athletics Dana Skinner announced.

Priestly’s departure ends a 12-year reign which has seen the program reach spectacular heights, including four NCAA Tournament bids in the past six years and two trips to the Tournament quarterfinal.

Over the course of his tenure, Priestly compiled a 131-76-28 record (.557), including a 119-76-28 in his last 10 seasons (.607).

"Under Teddy's leadership, UMass lowell developed into one of the most successful and respected soccer programs in the country," said Skinner. "We were fortunate to have him for twelve years. Holy Cross is getting a special coach. We are grateful for his remarkable accomplishments and wish Ted and his family well."

Priestly inherits a Holy Cross squad which finished with a 9-5-5 record (4-1-2 in the Patriot League/third place) and advanced to the Patriot League Tournament Championship where it fell to Colgate (2-1).

“I feel honored to have been chosen to lead the Men’s Soccer team at Holy Cross," Priestly said. "Throughout the selection process, I have begun to understand some of the things that make Holy Cross such a special place. From Mr. Regan (Director of Athletics Dick Regan) and his staff to the players and alumni that I have come in contact with, I have been welcomed with open arms, and I cannot help but feel privileged that I have been invited to become a part of the Crusader tradition.

“With opportunity comes responsibility," Priestly added. "It is my intention to continue to build a program that best reflects the ideals and mission of Holy Cross: one that is successful on the soccer field, in the classroom, in the community and beyond. “

He leaves a UMass Lowell team which returns 20 players and six starters from a stellar 2008 season. He guided the River Hawks to a 13-4-4 clip (9-1-3 in the Northeast-10 Conference), a share of the NE-10 regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Conference Tournament.

UMass Lowell moved on to secure the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament East Regional, where it defeated No. 5 Molloy (3-2) and No. 1 Southern New Hampshire (2-1) before falling to No. 2 Dowling (1-0) on a late goal in double overtime in the East Region final/quarterfinal.
Priestly’s commitment to the University ran far deeper than the men’s soccer program. In June of 2008, he spearheaded the first production of “Opening the Door to College Sports,” a symposium designed to educate high school students, coaches and administrators on the rigors of adapting to college athletics.

“I have enjoyed a very special twelve years at UMass Lowell, but this is such a fantastic opportunity for myself and my family to be a part of a winning soccer tradition at one of our nation’s finest colleges," Priestly noted. "I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that Dana Skinner gave me, and I have made some wonderful lifelong friends at UMass Lowell. I would like to thank the River Hawk Family for everything that they have done for me, and I wish them all the very best in the future.”

In Priestly’s first two seasons, UMass Lowell compiled a record of 12-26-1, but he led the River Hawks to an 11-8-0 clip in 1999 – the team’s first winning season in 20 years. He was named the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League (NEISL) Coach of the Year.

In 2000, he helped UMass Lowell to a 10-7-3 clip and the first of eight straight postseason bids. In only UMass Lowell’s third year in the NE-10, he guided the River Hawks to the NE-10 Tournament final, where they suffered a 1-0 overtime heartbreak to eventual NCAA finalist Southern New Hampshire.

Since, the River Hawks moved on to capture NE-10 Tournament championships in 2003 and 2004 as well as NCAA Tournament bids, highlighted with a quarterfinal appearance in 2003.

In 2007, Priestly led UMass Lowell to a 12-4-4 record and the NCAA Tournament second round where the River Hawks fell to eventual NCAA Champion Franklin Pierce. He was named the 2007 NE-10 Co-Coach of the Year.
Priestly was a three-year standout defender at UMass Amherst, graduating in 1993. Prior, he enjoyed a storied career at Westford Academy.

A native of Westford, MA, Priestly lives in Chelmsford, MA, with his wife, Melanie, son Luke and daughter Madeline.