Gary Gait loves a lacrosse challenge.
Since his All-America days at Syracuse 20 years ago, Gait has made an indelible mark on the sport at every turn.
He revolutionized the men's game with his stick skills and acrobatic attack moves, winning more than a dozen championships on the college, pro and international levels.
In 1994, he brought that same innovation and creativity to the women's game as an assistant coach at Maryland, inspiring a style of play that fueled a record seven-year run as NCAA Division I champion.
Gait, 41, also has coached and owned professional teams, designed sticks and is developing a line of lacrosse clothing.
When his alma mater presented another challenge last year, Gait was up for it. He returned to Syracuse as coach of the Orange women.
Since leaving Maryland in 2002 after being turned down for the head men's lacrosse job, Gait coached several pro teams, including the Baltimore Bayhawks, led Canada to its first world title and spent a lot of time with his children, Taylor, 14, and Braedon, 11.
"I didn't think I'd ever go back to college because there's so much time involved in being a college coach," he said. "I was very happy coaching pro, but everything fell into place perfectly for this job. It's a great opportunity and my kids are at the right age."
Eyes on Orange
Now, everyone's waiting to see if Gait will bring the next big thing in the women's game to Syracuse, which is 17-2 and the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Division I tournament.
Northwestern currently holds center stage as the Wildcats go for their fourth straight national title. Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, a four-time All-American who played for Gait at Maryland, turned the Wildcats into champs after resurrecting the program from club status in 2002.
If Gait has something up his sleeve, he's not telling.
"Sticks have evolved so the skill of the players is all pretty similar now," he said. "The way the high schools are teaching, the way the players are coming out, I think everybody's on the same page there, so there's not a lot of room in that area to take it to the next level. What Kelly did, she did with a style of play and with athleticism, but I don't know what the next big thing is."
Although the Orange boasts Division I's most prolific attack, averaging 18.8 goals per game, Gait hasn't changed a lot. He inherited a strong 11-year-old program that Lisa Miller built into a Big East champion before departing for Harvard last year.
