Happy trails, Bill Tierney.

A lacrosse legend is retiring — after one more go-round with the Denver Pioneers.

Tierney, the University of Denver coach for 13 years, a college coach for 42 and a lacrosse coach for 48, announced Thursday he will retire after the 2023 season with the Pioneers.

DU opens the season Jan. 29 at Johns Hopkins in an exhibition, followed by the regular-season opener vs. Utah on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium at DU. The Pioneers then play at Air Force on Saturday, Feb. 11.

For a man who evolved, expertly taught and popularized the sport of lacrosse, expect a standing ovation at each of Denver’s stops in Tierney’s final season.

Tierney shows a record of 429-147 overall and 157-54 at Denver. He’s guided teams to 30 NCAA tournaments, 28 at the Division I level. The two-time national coach of the year also won 14 Ivy League titles with Princeton and nine total Big East titles.

Tierney has guided teams to nine Division I title games and a record seven national titles.

One of Tierney’s favorite sayings explains his approach: “When I go to my grave, I don’t want them putting on my headstone how many national championships I had. I want them to put on my headstone that I loved my players.”

Tierney helped DU to the 2015 national title and four appearances in the national semifinals.

“They say, ‘When you know, you know,’ and as my career draws to a close, I’m at peace with this decision,” said Tierney, who thanked, among others, his wife, Helen.

During his time at Princeton and Denver, Tierney has coached two national players of the year and 38 first-team All-Americans.

“A true pioneer and leader in his sport and beyond, Coach Tierney has made a tremendous difference in not only our University of Denver lacrosse program but lacrosse programs across the country,” said former vice chancellor for athletics Peg Bradley-Doppes, who helped lure Tierney away from Princeton in 2009.

Tierney expanded the sport and moved lacrosse west. The Pioneers in 2015 became the first western program to win the NCAA title. Heading into his final season, the No. 13 Pioneers again are the highest-ranked team west of Ohio State.

Said Jerry Price, the senior communications adviser and historian for Princeton athletics: “I cherish every day of the 20 years that I spent with Bill Tierney at Princeton. To me, he is without question the greatest lacrosse coach of all time and one of the greatest coaches any sport has ever seen.”