Last June, 23-year Syracuse head coach John Desko announced his retirement, sealing the end of a hall of fame career in Central New York. Although it was a sad day for many who associated the program with the former player, assistant coach and head coach of the Cuse, it opened the door for another SU favorite to step in and lead the charge.
It took under a week for Syracuse to look no further than its women’s program and shift Gary Gait over to the team he captained 30 years prior. The Syracuse alum won three national championships from 1988-1990, garnering first-team All-America honors three times and received the Player of the Year award twice.
“Gary’s accomplishments in the sport have been well-chronicled by many, he is universally recognized as the greatest player in the modern era,” said Athletic Director John Wildhack in Gait’s introductory press conference. “He is the Michael Jordan of lacrosse.”
These accolades highlight Gary’s impact in Central New York as a player, which is further emphasized by those who watched him day in and day out.
“Lacrosse is his life, whether you want to use the word commitment or passion, he’s completely immersed in the game,” said Pat McCabe, 1990 NCAA Defensive Player of Year for the Orange and Gait’s teammate from 1987-1990.
Even with an uncanny love for the sport, Gary’s focus and intrigue in the game stood out during his everyday life. McCabe believes Gait’s mind never wavered from lacrosse and that SU’s new head coach always had a piece of his brain dedicated to the sport in some capacity at all times.
This created a passion for the sport that spans far beyond trophies, awards and records.
“While he achieved amazing things and his records are undeniable, (his) work ethic and commitment to the game was just amazing to watch,” said McCabe. “He was the hardest working guy in practice, he was the guy who was there first, he was the guy who left last.”
But even with a lacrosse-first mindset and a nact for finding ways to improvise and grow the game, McCabe didn’t believe it would translate to a coaching career after Gait’s playing days were over. That was in part due to Gary’s quieter approach to leadership. His selflessness and attitude amplifies a “lead by example” approach, which doesn’t directly pair with being a vocal leader of a college or professional team.
However, following Gait’s illustrious playing career at Syracuse, Gary was introduced to the world of coaching thanks to the athletic department at Maryland. The Terps offered Gait an assistant coaching role with their women’s lacrosse team, which he was shocked by, not previously aware that coaching constitutes a career path.
“His coaching success as an assistant at Maryland, and the head coach of our women's program, places him amongst the very best coaches in the sport,” said John Wildhack.
That success resulted in seven national championships at Maryland, upping his NCAA championship total to ten (as a player and coach). It led to an opportunity to lead the women's program at his alma mater, Syracuse, as the Orange’s second ever head coach in 2007. A role that Gait thrived in to the tune of three national championship appearances and a stretch from 2012-2016 of five straight trips to championship weekend.
“His knowledge and his passion for the sport of lacrosse is unrivaled,” said Wildhack. “He’s an innovator and a motivator.”
These ideals were well on display in Gait’s role as the SU women’s lacrosse head coach, and so much so that even his former players can attest to them.
“There were multiple times during my five years that the NCAA women’s lacrosse committee changed rules simply because Gary was too smart,” said Asa Goldstock, Syracuse women’s lacrosse all-time saves leader and a player under Gait from 2016-2020. “He would figure out ways to change the game in ways that helped Syracuse.”
This innovative spirit started when Gary was 12, learning from former Hall of Fame canadian lacrosse player Ron McNeil, who coached Gait and taught him how to learn and teach the game. That translated to a coaching role for Gary and his twin brother, Paul, when the two were just 15 years old, which speaks to Gait’s elongated knowledge of the game from a hands-on participant.
“All the time he put in, whether it be the connection piece off the field, the belief and all that stuff, and the skills work,” said Goldstock. “There was never a time where he wanted us to take a day off.”
From an uber-skilled athlete that transcended the game on the field in the late 1980s, to a brilliant mind that continues to transcend how the sport of lacrosse is played while on the sidelines, Gait’s involvement in lacrosse was imminent, but his path was far from predictable. From coaching 12-year-olds at the age of 15, to rising in the ranks of the women’s game, to leading the charge in a program he revolutionized, Gait has the opportunity to thrive in his new role and is the perfect lacrosse mind to revitalize the standard of men’s lacrosse at Syracuse.