Longtime Maryland men’s lacrosse coach Bud Beardmore, who led the program to its only two national championships in the 1970s, died of complications related to Parkinson’s on Wednesday morning in Severna Park. He was 76.
Tributes for Beardmore poured in shortly after his passing, including from Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson, who credited the coach for transforming Maryland “into one of the signature programs of college lacrosse, developing a culture of excellence that brought honor and prestige to our University” during his tenure.
Beardmore won national championships in 1973 and 1975 and led the school to nine consecutive Final Four appearances between 1971 and 1979. He also coached the Terps to seven outright Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
But while Beardmore leaves a legacy as one of the winningest coaches in program history, he also will be remembered as an old-school coach who pushed his players to reach their potential both on and off the field.
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“He coached with vinegar and not honey; he expected things to be done a certain way and done the first time,” said Jake Reed, a former all-American goalie who played for Beardmore between 1974 and 1977. “You had to do it his way. And if you did things his way, there was a lot of freedom.”
Reed didn’t believe he was good enough to attend Maryland after he graduated from Dulaney High School in Baltimore County in 1973, even though Beardmore had recruited him relentlessly. But Beardmore had a way of instilling confidence and getting the most out of his players, and Reed said his decision to join the program “changed my life.” He was introduced to strict discipline for the first time and watched as Beardmore continued to build a culture of accountability.
“Because of him I was a school teacher and a lacrosse coach for over 30 years,” Reed said. “It was really because of him.”
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Beardmore also was remembered as an innovative mind. He valued athleticism just as much as stick skills. He would take his team to Florida over spring break to have new conditioning experience and to practice and scrimmage out-of-state teams over spring break.
“He stressed the details from everything from the way we traveled as a team to the way we dressed to the way we approached practice,” said Mike Farrell, a three-time all-American in the 1970s. “We were the first program that I felt took weight training and conditioning serious … considered to the standards back then. That’s where he was very innovative.”
A graduate of Annapolis High School, Beardmore started playing lacrosse in the mid-1950s and later played at Maryland from 1960 through 1962, where he was a three-time all-American and set a school record for points by a midfielder with 108. That record was eventually broken by one of his own players, Frank Urso, who was a four-time, all-American with the school in the 1970s.
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After a successful two-year stint as the lacrosse coach at the Severn School, Beardmore began his college coaching career in 1967, when he took over at Hobart College. He was hired by Virginia the following year, where he served as head coach for two seasons and led the Cavaliers to an Atlantic Coast Championship in 1969.
Beardmore guided Maryland’s program for 11 seasons after returning to College Park in 1970, going 91-26 in that span, including 28-4 in ACC competition. Along with the school’s national championships in 1973 and 1975, Maryland also made appearances in the national championship game in 1974 and 1976. Beardmore coached 76 all-Americans in his 11 seasons at Maryland before resigning in 1981 to enter the private business sector. Beardmore was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1980 and the University of Maryland’s athletic hall of fame in 1988.
“Coach Beardmore was a legend in the game of lacrosse and will go down as one of the all-time greatest coaches,” current Maryland Coach John Tillman said in a statement. “I have always admired the incredible impact and love that he shared with his players.”
Beardmore is survived by his wife, Phyllis, three children, and eight grandchildren.
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