Gary Gait
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.
Gait in 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Head Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Syracuse Orange | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 5, 1967 Victoria, British Columbia Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Syracuse University | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Syracuse Orange (NCAA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Detroit Turbos (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Philadelphia Wings (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Baltimore Thunder (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Pittsburgh CrosseFire (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Long Island Lizards (MLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Washington Power (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Baltimore Bayhawks (MLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Colorado Mammoth (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Hamilton Nationals (MLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2006 | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attack/Midfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2001 | Maryland (Assistant, women's) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Colorado Mammoth | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2021 | Syracuse (women's) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Hamilton Nationals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021-present | Syracuse (men's) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inducted in 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NLL Hall of Fame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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.
He and his brother are credited with popularizing behind-the-back passing and shooting. His signature move is the "Air Gait".