1. John Desko took over as head coach in 1999 from Hall of Fame coach Roy Simmons Jr.
14 Facts About John Desko
1. 2.
The John Desko family grew up in Camillus, a suburb of Syracuse.
3.
John Desko played high school lacrosse at West Genesee, the 15-time state champions.
4.
John Desko started out in the midfield but was switched to defense by assistant coach Jay Gallagher.
5.
John Desko made only $1,000 a year as a coach, and waited tables in his spare time.
6.
John Desko stayed on as an assistant for next 19 years.
7.
John Desko won five NCAA Championships as head coach and six more as an assistant coach.
8.
Under John Desko, Syracuse won 4 straight Big East championships from 2010 to 2013.
9.
John Desko coached Team USA to a runner-up finish at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship.
10.
On June 6,2021, Syracuse Women's Lacrosse team head coach Gary Gait was named as head coach of the Syracuse Men's Lacrosse team, replacing John Desko, who retired after 22 seasons as head coach.
11.
John Desko was the ACC coach of the year for the fourth straight season from 2015 to 2018.
12.
John Desko was the FieldTurf Coach of the Year in 2013.
13.
John Desko was elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in May 2020.
14.
John Desko is the third Syracuse head coach to be inducted into their respective sport's hall of fame after Jim Boeheim and Gary Gait.