Orange All-American and lacrosse Hall of Famer Gary Gait has developed the Syracuse program into a perennial challenger for the national championship. Since taking over the helm of the program, Gait has led SU to an overall record of 150-48, two appearances in the national championship game, seven entries in the national semifinals and one trip the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. In addition, the Orange has claimed six conference regular-season titles and three conference tournament crowns.
Gait is a 10-time NCAA champion, having won three titles as a player for the Orange (1988-90) and seven as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at the University of Maryland (1995-01).
As a player, Gait enjoyed success at every level. While at Syracuse he helped the Orange to three straight NCAA titles, earned first-team All-America honors three times and received the Player of the Year award twice. Gait’s dominance continued at the professional level as he earned league MVP honors in both the National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse. On the international scene, Gait has been recognized as one of the sport’s best players, earning International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) All-World Team honors.
Gait’s success as a coach might only be surpassed by his accomplishments as a player. He has won every major collegiate, professional and international championship in the sport during his career. In addition to his three NCAA championships with the Orange, Gait has won three NLL titles (1991, 1994-95), three MLL titles (2001-02, 2005), three Mann Cups (1991, 1997, 1999), which are awarded to the senior men’s lacrosse champions of Canada, the Heritage Cup (2004), which goes to the winner of the international box lacrosse tournament every two years, and the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship (2006).
Gait has coached and recruited some of the greatest players in the history of the women’s game, including NCAA career scoring leader and 2001 Tewaaraton Trophy winner Jen Adams, four-time All-American and 1995 National Defensive Player of the Year and 1996 National Offensive Player of the Year Kelly Amonte, and 2008 national scoring champ and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Katie Rowan. In all, Gait has mentored 36 All-Americans and nine players who at one time earned national player of the year honors.