Ned Harkness, a former NCAA coach who won NCAA championships in ice hockey and lacrosse, died Friday, his 89th birthday.  He had recently suffered a stroke.

Harkness won ice hockey championships with Rensselaer in 1954 and Cornell in 1967 and 1970. The 1970 team held a 29-0 record, the only unbeaten, untied national championship team in NCAA hockey history.

He also coached at Union (New York) and, later, the Detroit Red Wings. He was the first president and CEO of the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority.

“Ned Harkness was a true legend,” said Jim Knowlton, Rensselaer’s director of athletics. “The things he and his teams accomplished are nothing short of amazing. Most importantly, however, he was a leader who used innovative techniques to teach and inspire with passion and intensity.”

Harkness rebuilt the Rensselaer men’s ice hockey team in the early 1950s and also coached the school’s men’s lacrosse team, leading the Red to a national championship in 1952. He is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

“We are all truly saddened by the passing of Ned Harkness, the founding father of Rensselaer lacrosse,” said current lacrosse head coach Jim Townsend. “Ned was a true champion, instilling confidence, pride and perseverance into his teams. His legacy will never be forgotten.”

A service will take place in Glen Falls, New York, October 11.