When Clarkson fans think of the modern era of Golden Knights’ Men’s Hockey, many point to the influence of Bill O’Flaherty and the winning culture he helped create.

O’Flaherty began attending Clarkson in 1967 and played two seasons under legendary coach Len Ceglarski. Upon graduation in 1971, O’Flaherty transitioned immediately to coaching, spending eight seasons as an assistant coach, first for one year under Ceglarski, and remaining with the program for the next seven campaigns with Jerry York. O’Flaherty was the natural choice as York’s successor for the Golden Knights’ head coaching position, taking on the role in the 1979-80 season.

O’Flaherty had immediate and consistent success with the Golden Knights, winning 21 games in his first season and continuing that trend for his entire time behind the bench at Walker Arena. In his second and third seasons, the Golden Knights won 26 games in each season, as O’Flaherty guided the Green and Gold to back-to-back ECAC hockey regular season titles, which helped send the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in over a decade. In six seasons behind the bench, O’Flaherty posted five 20-win seasons, with an overall record of 134-59-12 (.683 winning percentage), three NCAA tournament berths, and two ECAC regular season titles. The most impressive accomplishment of all came in 1981 when “Billy O” was selected for the Spencer Penrose Award as national Coach of the Year.

After his coaching career, O’Flaherty became Clarkson University’s Athletic Director and held the position for more than a decade, where he would oversee the continued success of the Golden Knights’ Men’s hockey program and the growth of the school’s other athletic offerings. 

O’Flaherty moved to the NHL to serve as Director of Player Personnel for the Los Angeles Kings. Alongside Clarkson alum Dave Taylor, the general manager of the Kings, O’Flaherty helped build the framework for a team that would win two Stanley Cups in the 2000s. 

O’Flaherty’s eye for the detail of the game would help him earn positions with other NHL teams as well. He served as a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006-07 and then moved on to become the Director of Pro Scouting for the Florida Panthers from 2007-2010.