CLARKSON'S O'FLAHERTY TO TAKE POSITION WITH
NHL'S LOS ANGELES KINGS
 
Clarkson University's Chair of Intercollegiate Athletics, Bill
O'Flaherty has announced that he will be resigning from his
position at the University in mid-August to accept the position
of Director of Player Personnel with the Los Angeles Kings of
the National Hockey League.
 
A native of Toronto, Ontario, O'Flaherty has been associated
with Clarkson through four decades since arriving in Potsdam
as an undergraduate in 1966.
 
"This is a tremendous opportunity, but obviously I have mixed
feelings," stated O'Flaherty. "Clarkson has been a
tremendous part of my life. Everything that I have I owe either
to my family or Clarkson. I have been affiliated with the
University for close to 30 years in one capacity or another. I
have nothing but great feelings for the school. It is a great
place with a lot of great people and I am going to miss it. But
I am going to attempt to work this new position out of
Potsdam, so I will be around."
 
A member of Clarkson's physical education faculty since
1972, O'Flaherty served as an assistant coach for the Golden
Knights for seven years, before becoming head coach of
Clarkson's Division I hockey team in 1979. For six years,
through the 1983-84 campaign, O'Flaherty compiled a
134-59-12 overall record for one of the best winning
percentages among college hockey coaches at .683. A past
recipient of the Spencer R. Penrose Memorial Trophy as the
University Division I Coach of the Year in 1981, he guided the
Golden Knights to two first-place finishes in the Eastern
College Athletic Conference (ECAC) regular season. Under
O'Flaherty's direction, Clarkson qualified for the ECAC
playoffs in each of six seasons and advanced to the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) playoffs
three times. Seven Golden Knights earned All-America status
during his tenure.
 
O'Flaherty held the joint appointment of head hockey coach
and athletic director in 1984 and assumed the duties of
athletic chair in 1986. Clarkson athletics enjoyed tremendous
success during O'Flaherty's tenure as chair of the
department. Clarkson has sent many teams to postseason
play in recent years, including NCAA playoff appearances by
the hockey, the men's soccer, women's basketball and men's
lacrosse squads.
 
This past April at the American Hockey Coaches Association
(AHCA) convention in Naples, Florida, O'Flaherty was
presented with the John MacInnis Award. Established by the
AHCA in 1982 to honor former Michigan Tech hockey coach,
John MacInnis, O'Flaherty became the 15th recipient of the
award. The award recognizes those people who have shown a
great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. The
recipients have had high winning percentages, as well as
outstanding graduating percentages among their former
players. The winners have helped young men to grow, not
only as hockey players, but more importantly as men.
 
A 1971 graduate of Clarkson with a bachelor of science
degree in humanities, O'Flaherty played three years of
hockey for the Knights' varsity team and participated in the
1970 NCAA Hockey Championship in Lake Placid.
 
In his new position with the Kings, O'Flaherty will be involved
with the evaluation of players at all levels. He will recommend
who Los Angeles should sign and draft along with evaluating
the depth and talent that other teams have.
 
At Los Angeles, O'Flaherty will join fellow Clarkson graduate
Dave Taylor on the Kings' administrative staff. The new
General Manager of Los Angeles, Taylor played four seasons
(1973-77) at Clarkson, while O'Flaherty was the assistant
coach, and is the Knights' all-time leading scorer with 251
points. Taylor played 17 seasons with the Kings (1977-1994)
and was a four-time NHL All-Star.
 
Also on the Kings' staff is former Clarkson assistant coach
Greg Drechsel. Drechsel, who was a Clarkson coach for four
seasons (1989-93), begins his second year as a scout for
Los Angeles.
 
Former Clarkson head coach Cap Raeder (1985-88), served
as an assistant coach for Los Angeles for nine seasons
(1988-95).
 
O'Flaherty is a past president of the ECAC Hockey Executive
Committee. O'Flaherty and his wife, Patricia, who have two
daughters, Shannon and Katharine, will still reside in
Potsdam.
 
END OF RELEASE
===
Personally, this was a shock.  Flapper will be missed by the
school and by we alumni.  I wish him the best of luck.  and I
think he's right.  Given a choice between LA and Potsdam, I'd
stay in Potsdam.  Life might not be as exciting, but at least
Potsdam won't be falling into the ocean.
 
Any ideas, thoughts, on who will be the new AD?
 
Joe LaCour
Clarkson '77
 
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