Gary Gait

Gary Gait
Gait in 2006
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamSyracuse Orange
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Biographical details
Born (1967-04-05) April 5, 1967 (age 57)
Victoria, British Columbia
 Canada
Alma materSyracuse University
Playing career
1987–1990Syracuse Orange (NCAA)
1991–1992Detroit Turbos (NLL)
1993–1997Philadelphia Wings (NLL)
1998–1999Baltimore Thunder (NLL)
2000Pittsburgh CrosseFire (NLL)
2001Long Island Lizards (MLL)
2001–2002Washington Power (NLL)
2002–2005Baltimore Bayhawks (MLL)
2003–2005Colorado Mammoth (NLL)
2009Hamilton Nationals (MLL)
2009–2011Rochester Knighthawks (NLL)
1990–2006Canada
Position(s)Attack/Midfield
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1995–2001Maryland (Assistant, women's)
2005–2007Colorado Mammoth
2007–2021Syracuse (women's)
2011Hamilton Nationals
2021-presentSyracuse (men's)
U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2005
Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame
NLL Hall of Fame
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's lacrosse
World Lacrosse Championship
Silver medal – second place 1990 Perth
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Bury
Silver medal – second place 1998 Baltimore
Gold medal – first place 2006 London

Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, he was named the Interim Commissioner of the United Women's Lacrosse League.[1] He played collegiately for the Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team and professionally in the indoor National Lacrosse League and the outdoor MLL, while representing Canada at the international level. Gait has been inducted into the United States Lacrosse National Hall of Fame and the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame.

He was a four-time All-American for the Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team from 1987-90 (including first-team honors from 1988 to 1990), and was on three NCAA championship-winning teams. He twice won the Lt. Raymond Enners Award, given to the most outstanding college lacrosse player, in 1988 and 1990. Gait holds the Syracuse career goals record at 192 and the single-season goals record at 70, an NCAA record until 2008. In 1997, the NCAA Lacrosse Committee named Gait, along with his twin brother and Syracuse teammate, Paul, to the 25th Anniversary Lacrosse team.

He played in the NLL for 17 years, winning Rookie of the Year in 1991, earning league MVP honors for five straight years, from 1995 to '99 and winning All-Pro honors each season. Gait led the league in points and goals seven times, won three league championships and finished his indoor career with 1,091 points, a league record at the time. Gait also played five seasons in MLL from 2001 to 2005, winning the league title three times and co-MVP honors in 2005. He helped Canada win the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship, the country's first world championship since 1978, by scoring four goals in the final against the United States.

Gary Gait is widely considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] He and his brother are credited with popularizing behind-the-back passing and shooting. His signature move is the "Air Gait".

  1. ^ "UWLX Appoints Gary Gait as Interim Commissioner". UWLX. 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Jeremy (2017-07-28). "The Greatest Athletes Of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  3. ^ Orsenigo, John (2021-06-16). "Syracuse men's lacrosse creates super staff to bring it back to prominence". Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  4. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (2022-12-11). "Lacrosse legend Paul Gait recovering from surgery after fall". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  5. ^ Gait, G. (2022-02-17). "Gary Gait went from 'never heard of it' to Syracuse-great". NEWS10 ABC. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  6. ^ Gait, G., & DeGrandpre, M. (2022, April 6). Syracuse legend Gary Gait 'happy' to play at UAlbany lacrosse. The Times Union. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Syracuse-legend-Gary-Gait-happy-to-play-at-17062612.php
  7. ^ Kramer, Lindsay (2021-06-16). "Now coaching teammates, Gait, Pietramala built legacy as rivals: 'It was the greatest matchup ever'". syracuse. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  8. ^ McAllister, Mike (2021-06-07). "Syracuse Officially Announces Gary Gait as 5th Men's Lacrosse Head Coach". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  9. ^ Fernandez, Roshan (2022-02-10). "'RETURN TO DOMINANCE': Gary Gait rekindles SU's storied past in hopes of returning program to glory". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  10. ^ Orsenigo, John Nunes (2016-05-31). "Gait Calls Treanor Greatest Player in SU History". Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician. Retrieved 2024-05-15.