RMU's Denniston retires after 23 years as men's soccer coach

A coaching tenure that stretched to more than two decades came to an end Tuesday as Bill Denniston announced his retirement as coach of the Robert Morris men’s soccer team.

Hired in the spring of 1997, Denniston served 23 years at the helm of the Colonials and is one of just three coaches in the history of RMU athletics to coach at least 20 years with one program.

“It’s been a pleasure and honor to serve the student-athletes for the men’s soccer program at Robert Morris,” Denniston said in a release. “Watching them develop both on the field and off, I’m proud to have played a small part in their development. As I move into the next chapter of my life, I look forward to seeing how the program continues its progression as it enters a new era.”

Stability and consistency were two words RMU Senior Associate Athletic Director Marty Galosi used to describe the men’s soccer program under Denniston’s guidance.

Denniston led the Colonials to the 2001 Northeast Conference regular season championship and the 2005 NEC tournament title and a trip to that year’s NCAA tournament.

“His passion and attention to every aspect of the program are the reasons why it was legitimately in the running for a conference championship year after year,” Galosi said.

“That’s somewhat rare these days for that long a period of time. Bill was able to adapt to the changing landscape each season and keep our teams in contention. Above all, he constantly kept his student-athletes as the No. 1 priority. Bill leaves RMU men’s soccer in firm footing, and we thank him for all he’s done.”

In addition to team accomplishments, Denniston coached 20 players who earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region accolades. That list includes forward Neco Brett, a three-time NEC Player of the Year honoree (2013-15) who was selected 40th overall in the 2016 Major League Soccer draft and played the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Devon Williams, an RMU player from 2011-14, played for the Jamaican National Team and helped both the New York Red Bulls II (2016) and Louisville City FC (2017 and 2018) win United Soccer League titles.

Two other players under Denniston, Jason DeFranco (1998-01) and Rhian Dodds (1998-02), are in the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame. DeFranco was a three-year captain for the Colonials, while Dodds earned NEC Player of the Year recognition in 2002.

“We want to thank Bill for his years of dedication and service to RMU, and I truly respect his decision to move onto the next phase of his life,” RMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris King said. “Coach Denniston cares deeply about this university and the men’s soccer program, and he has had a lasting impact on the lives of past and current student-athletes.”

A national search will begin to find the next men’s soccer coach.

RMU men’s soccer, as well as several other Colonials fall sports teams, are on hiatus after the Horizon League on Aug. 13 announced the postponement of all competitions to at least 2021 because of safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.