Former Hobart College Head Lacrosse Coach Clayton A. "Bud" Beardmore Jr. died on Jan. 20 due to complications related to Parkinson's disease. He was 76.
 
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30 at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, Md.
 
Beardmore led Hobart to a 9-5 record in 1967. He left Hobart after that season to lead the men's lacrosse program at the University of Virginia, where he compiled a 14-9 record in two seasons. Over the next 11 seasons, Beardmore led the University of Maryland program, compiling a 91-26 record, winning the 1973 and 1975 NCAA Championships. He was inducted into the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in 1980.
 
Beardmore was just 26 years old when he began his first collegiate head coaching job with the Statesmen in January of 1967 following the death of Francis L. "Babe" Kraus '24. A first season is always a challenge, but taking over for a coaching legend like Kraus, might have been overwhelming for the wrong person. Beardmore made the transition seamlessly.
 
The 1967 Hobart team tied for first in the Laurie Cox Division with Syracuse. The Cox Division also included Colgate, Penn State, and Hofstra. The Statesmen bested the Orange 11-8 in Syracuse, the Raiders 6-5 on Boswell Field and the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley 6-5. Only the Pride prevented the Statesmen from winning the Cox championship outright, eking out a 7-6 win.
 
A 1962 graduate of Maryland, Beardmore was still an active player on club teams when he joined Hobart. The three-time All-American (including first team honors in '61 and '62) would join his players on training runs around campus, hanging near the back of the pack until the squad got to one of the steep hills on St. Clair St. or Jay St. Beardmore would attack the hill and any player that didn't beat him to the top had to do extra drills in practice.
 
Current Hobart Director of Athletics Mike Hanna '68 was a junior midfielder on Beardmore's Hobart team.
 
"Over my 40-plus years in college lacrosse coaching and athletic administration, I have benefitted in many important ways from Buddy Beardmore's teaching, mentoring and friendship," Hanna said. "He was among the best clinicians I have ever known in college coaching and he created a wonderful teaching camp at the University of Maryland, where hundreds and hundreds of young players learned both the fundamentals of lacrosse and of life."
 
Beardmore is survived by his wife, Phyllis, three children and eight grandchildren.