By Ed Morrone

To better understand Seth Tierney’s journey through the college lacrosse world, perhaps it’s best to borrow a line from The Grateful Dead:

What a long, strange trip it has been.

Really, there’s no other way to put it. The second-year Hofstra men’s lacrosse head coach has dedicated his entire life to a sport that is virtually unknown outside of the Mid-Atlantic region, and he has enjoyed a large amount of success in the process. However, the most remarkable thing is not Tierney’s contribution to the sport-that much is undeniable. Rather, it’s the way that he has arrived at this juncture, as a head coach celebrating Hofstra lacrosse’s first ever win over a top-ranked opponent the way he was able to do after Saturday’s 8-7 nailbiter over Tierney’s alma mater, Johns Hopkins.

You see, if the Hofstra success story seems familiar to Tierney, that’s because it is. As an assistant coach at Hofstra between 1995 and 2000, Tierney was part of six consecutive winning seasons with a combined overall record of 61-28 (a 29-2 mark in conference play). As a member of John Danowski’s staff, Tierney helped the Pride win five league titles, receive five top 15 national rankings and play in four NCAA Tournaments, all before his 32nd birthday.

When a similar position opened up at Hopkins following the 2000 season, Tierney couldn’t pass it up. He spent the six subsequent seasons in Baltimore directing the Blue Jays offense, which became one of the most explosive units in the nation. After two years as associate head coach under current Hopkins leader Dave Pietramala, Tierney found himself back on Long Island after Danowski left the program after 21 years to accept the head coach position at Duke.

And now here Tierney was, more than 18 months after returning to Hempstead, celebrating a win over his alma mater and former employer while coaching his current employer. Who just so happens to also be a former employer.

Still with us? If not, that’s OK, as long as you understand the intrigue of Tierney’s trek. Throw in a win in the national championship game, and you could have a movie script in the works.

“Hopkins is a tremendous team,” Tierney said after Saturday’s victory. “I’ve got a lot of relationships there, and we wish them well.”

The soft-spoken Tierney possessed his normal calm demeanor after beating Hopkins, not wanting the “side stories” to overshadow what his players accomplished out on the field. But it was hard not to be impressed by the circumstances, a sentiment echoed by his former boss.

“I certainly don’t feel good about being anyone’s first of anything,” Pietramala said in reference to Hofstra’s first win over a No. 1 opponent in five tries. “But I take my hat off to Hofstra. They are well-coached with a great passion and desire to win. Seth is a friend and I love him. I don’t love losing to him, but they played a hell of a game.”

On Pietramala’s way out of the Margiotta Hall press room, he and Tierney shared a warm embrace. It was one of mutual respect between one man that helped another get to this point, and Pietramala was more than happy to let his former protégé enjoy the moment. And make no mistake about it: Pietramala misses Tierney on his staff.

“When he got the job, I was disappointed because I wasn’t going to see my friend every day anymore,” he said. “But he got a tremendous opportunity at Hofstra.”

Tierney has taken that opportunity by the horns in his first two seasons. He has successfully taken a team that had an eye-popping seven one-goal losses in 2007 and turned it into one that now clearly possesses the conviction that it is capable of beating any team in the country, regardless of national rank. Come to think of it, maybe the gap between the two teams wasn’t as wide as fans may have thought.

On Saturday, a reporter asked Tierney if this win carried more significance than any other, considering the opponent, and the coach thought for a moment before replying.

“I’m probably going to disappoint you with this answer,” he said. “But it’s just another win. My ties with Hopkins will always be there, but that’s not what I am anymore.

“I’m the men’s lacrosse coach at Hofstra University.”

Thankfully for Hofstra and its lacrosse program, Tierney’s long, strange trip has finally found its rightful resting stop.