Ian Hennessy

{{short description|Irish footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ian Hennessy

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1967|1|10}}

| birth_place = Cork, Ireland

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| collegeyears1 = 1986–1989

| college1 = Seton Hall

| years1 = 1984–1985

| years2 = 1990–1991

| years3 = 1993–1994

| years4 = 1995–1996

| years5 = 1996

| years6 = 1997

| years7 = 1998

| clubs1 = Cork City F.C.

| clubs2 = Boston Bolts

| clubs3 = New York Fever

| clubs4 = New Jersey Stallions

| clubs5 = → MetroStars (loan)

| clubs6 = Connecticut Wolves

| clubs7 = Reading Rage

| caps1 =

| caps2 =

| caps3 =

| caps4 =

| caps5 = 8

| caps6 = 17

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| goals3 =

| goals4 =

| goals5 = 1

| goals6 = 1

| goals7 = 0

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 = North Jersey Imperials

| manageryears2 = 2001

| managerclubs2 = Rutgers (assistant)

| manageryears3 = 2002–2005

| managerclubs3 = Boston College (assistant)

| manageryears4 = 2006–2021

| managerclubs4 = Delaware

}}

Ian Hennessy (born 10 January 1967) is an Irish soccer coach and former professional player who was most recently the head coach of the University of Delaware.{{cite web|title=Bio – Ian Hennessy|url=http://www.bluehens.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29100&ATCLID=209133374|publisher=Blue Hens|accessdate=27 July 2014}} He came to the United States after being rejected by Arsenal,{{cite web|last1=Maher|first1=Gareth|title=Hennessy keeping eyes open for next big US star|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/hennessy-keeping-eyes-open-for-next-big-us-star-261201.html|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=27 July 2014|date=7 March 2014}} then returned to Ireland, playing for Cork City in their inaugural season in the League of Ireland during 1984. He also played for the Ireland youth team.{{cite web|last1=Davidson|first1=Gary|title=Hennessy hopes to end Delaware losing streak as new coach|url=http://www.soccertimes.com/ncaa/2006/mnews/jan24.htm|publisher=Soccer Times|accessdate=27 July 2014|date=24 January 2006}}{{cite news|last1=Mastro|first1=Kevin|url=http://issuu.com/udreview/docs/issue_13/29|title=Coach responsible for success|accessdate=27 July 2014|publisher=The Review (The University of Delaware's independent newspaper)|date=23 November 2010|page=29}}

He was an All-American and twice named Big East Most Outstanding Player whilst with Seton Hall, winning three Big East titles. He then went on to play professional soccer with the Boston Bolts, the New York Fever, the New Jersey Stallions, the Connecticut Wolves, the Reading Rage, and as part of the MetroStars squad under manager Carlos Queiroz in Major League Soccer (MLS) first season in 1996.

Hennessy holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Columbia University in New York City and a bachelor's degree from Seton Hall.

He has worked as a state and regional coach for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and served as an assistant to Bob Reasso at Rutgers University in the Big East and Ed Kelly of Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). As well as coaching at the University of Delaware, he works as a scout for the United States Soccer Federation(USSF). He was the coach of the Blue Hens until 2021 when he was fired.{{cite web|url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/2021/11/09/hennessy-who-coached-delaware-3-ncaa-soccer-berths-replaced/6348168001/|title=Hennessy, who coached Blue Hens to three NCAA soccer berths, to be replaced|website=delawareonline.com|publisher=USA Today|first=Kevin|last=Tresolini|date=9 November 2021|access-date=13 April 2022}}