Syracuse, N.Y. -- The lineage of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse head coaching job has strayed ever so slightly from the program’s family tree.
And that’s perfectly fine with the men whose last name is most closely associated with that dynasty.
Gary Gait was earlier this week named as the fifth head coach in team history. He replaces John Desko, who had run SU since 1999 and guided it to five national titles.
“I’m extremely excited about it because I think we’ve all been talking about it over the years and saying, ‘Geez, I hope we can find the right person, somebody in the family to do this job,’’' said Roy Simmons III, a longtime SU assistant whose father and grandfather earned statues on campus as a tribute to their Syracuse coaching careers. “And I wasn’t sure that Gary, he built such a great thing with the women’s program, that he was willing to walk away from it. I was so happy to hear that Gary jumped on the opportunity. He is part of the family.”
Gait certainly has the requisite Orange ties for the job. He was an all-time great player at the school, leading it to three national titles and earning acclaim as one of the most dominant players in the history of college lacrosse. He had remained a fixture on campus a coach of the successful women’s team.
But Gait was never a coach in the SU men’s program had worked at many other lacrosse jobs, including as assistant coach for the Maryland women. All of his predecessors as SU men’s coach had a virtual DNA claim on the spot.
Laurie D. Cox was the Orange’s first coach, from 1916-1930. He was replaced by his assistant, Roy Simmons Sr., who called the shots from 1931-1970. His son, Roy Simmons Jr., was elevated from his assistant’s position and ran the show from 1971 to 1998, coaching Gait among many other All-Americans. When Simmons Jr. left, the whistle was handed directly Desko, who had been an assistant at the school since his Orange playing days had ended 19 years earlier.
Roy Simmons Jr. is now 85 and recovering from what his son said was elective surgery. Simmons III said Tuesday that his dad had been moved out of the hospital and to a rehabilitation facility. The younger Simmons said when he told his father about the smooth coaching transition, it lifted his spirits.
“He was very, very, I think happy in a lot of ways to hear that John’s stepping away and Gary’s stepping in. He couldn’t be more excited about that. And maybe that’s what is getting him out of the hospital today,” Simmons III said. “I think he knows that the time’s come. This is a year, you look back at it and say, (North Carolina basketball coach) Roy Williams walks away from an unbelievable career. And then Coach K (Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski) he’s going to do one more year before retiring. You’ve got people who love what they do and they’re great at what they do. And they’re saying it’s just time.”
Simmons Jr. coached the Orange to six national titles. The program hasn’t claimed one since 2009, however, and like many fans he’s a little impatient. Simmons III said he tries to explain to him the evolving landscape of the sport since he last paced the sidelines.
“You look at it, he hasn’t been the head coach in almost 22 years. And the game has changed dramatically,” Simmons III said. “And I try to explain to him what’s going on these days and he just kind of shakes his head. He can’t really wrap his head around how much recruiting has changed and how much the schoolboy lacrosse has become such a big thing with tournaments, and everything like that. He just doesn’t really understand it, I don’t think, as well as he used to understand the game that he coached.”
The older Simmons may still have enough sway to keep the family name associated with the program a little longer, however. Simmons III, who has worked on the staff for 31 years, said he told his dad he planned on retiring himself this season, but Simmons Jr. wants to discuss that. Simmons III said he might reconsider his decision.
“He has more to say to me. As I left him yesterday, he said ‘We need to sit and talk’ because I think he’s concerned that I was going to walk away,” Simmons III said. “He wants me to stay. He doesn’t want the Simmons thing to end at this point.”
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