Crimson Assistant Named Head Hockey Coach

William J. "Billy" Cleary '56, one of the greatest players in Harvard hockey history and a member of the Crimson coaching staff for three years, was named Wednesday to succeed Cooney Weiland as Harvard hockey coach.

Director of Athletics Robert B. Watson, making the announcement at a 2 p.m. press conference, termed it "the happiest moment in all my many years of association with Harvard."

In accepting the post, Cleary said, "It's a fantastic feeling-the culmination of my career. To be coaching at my alma mater is a dream come true."

Cleary was assistant coach this past season and ran the practices for Harvard's ECAC championship team. During the two previous seasons, he coached the Crimson freshmen to a cumulative record of 38-4.

Newly-elected hockey captain Tom Paul said of the popular Cleary. "Speaking for myself and the rest of the team, I can say we all would have been very disappointed had Billy not gotten the job."

Great Playing Career

A native of Cambridge. Cleary had a great hockey career as an undergraduate at Harvard in the mid-1950's, finishing eighth on the all-time Crimson scoring list with 103 points in only one and a half years of varsity competition. As a junior, he said and NCAA singleseason scoring record of 89 points and landed a berth on the 1954-55 All-American team.

Cleary played on the U.S. national hockey team from 1956 through 1960 and was the leading scorer on the U.S. Olympic team which won a gold medal at Squaw Valley. Calif, in 1960. Watson called him "the greatest amateur hockey player I've ever seen."

In discussing the prospects for next year's team, Cleary noted that it will be hard to equal this season's 18-8-1 performance, mainly due to the loss of the prolific senior line. "But," he said, "with our sophomore line and a few good freshmen, we'll present a definite problem to anyone we play."

Cleary said he favors a "hard checking" game of hockey, yet termed himself a "stickler on penalties." "I've yet to see a fellow who can score from the penalty box," he added.

Discussing distant goals, Cleary said, "It will be a few years before I am even close to Cooney's 300-victory mark. I just hope to be somewhere around that total some day."