This past Sunday, Coach Bill Cahill, head coach of the women’s ice hockey team, died of a heart attack. His death has come as a surprise to many across campus—he was only 53 years old and in good health.
Cahill was a resident of Worcester, Mass., and earned his bachelors and masters from Norwich University.
“He was just one of the best,” recalled men’s hockey Head Coach Dan Fridgen, “…he knew the game of hockey, but that wasn’t his main strength…he was an amazing person. He had a heart of gold. [He was] very kind, very caring, always very supportive—just a fantastic person and coach.”
He was the assistant coach for the men’s ice hockey team under Coach Dan Fridgen, as well as with coaches Mike Addesa and Buddy Powers. Beyond RPI, Cahill spent five years on the coaching staff for the men’s ice hockey team at Norwich University as well as coaching for two years at the New Hampton School and for three years at Assumption College. At Assumption, he compiled the highest winning percentage in the school’s history (.652).
In addition, Coach Cahill was a clinician at several hockey camps, which included acting as the on-ice director of the Milton Academy for Girls camp as well as as an evaluator of the USA Hockey Select Camp for 18-19 year olds in Lake Placid, NY.
Cahill’s most recent stint, however, was as the head coach for RPI’s women’s hockey team. He has served as the head coach for three seasons, each marked by more wins than the year before. In the 2002-2003 season, he led the women’s hockey team to a 20-7-0 record, 17-3-0 in the ECAC East. This was the school’s record for wins in a season that earned him the title of Coach of the Year by the ECAC East.
“He was very proud of the women,” commented Coach Fridgen. “He had very strong relationships with each of them.”
Captains Deanna Dougherty and Katie Woodward and assistant captain Maj Nixon recall Cahill as their coach. “We loved the spirit and support he had for us. We loved the desire to win that he shared with us. We truly admired him.”
“He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word, in addition to being a great teacher and coach,” said Ken Ralph, director of athletics.
One of the most powerful strengths that Cahill possessed was his even-headedness. “In times of pressure and stress he was always even-keeled,” said Fridgen. He “would always bring in a different perspective that would make you step back and see that things really weren’t that bad.”
One of the other things that Cahill will always be remembered for is his light-heartedness. He was “always busting chops. Always having fun,” said Fridgen.
Even when he was thrown out of the Manhattanville game last year for “disagreeing with the referee ... he laughed his way out of the ice rink,” recall Dougherty, Woodward, and Nixon.
This sense of humor was just one facet of his general love of life. “He always gave you something to make you appreciate life—he loved life,” said Fridgen.
Cahill’s loss will be felt deeply by the entire athletics department. The women’s team, however, is “determined to be successful this year and be the team that [Cahill] would have wanted us to be.”
In addition to wearing a black patch on the left shoulders of their jerseys commemorating Tom Cavosie, who died over the summer, the team will also be wearing special patches commemorating Coach Cahill.
