Beyond X's and O's: Gary Gait's Approach to Excellence

The following was originally published at Inside Lacrosse, and can be accessed in its original format here.

Gary Gait is headed into his fourth season as the women's coach at Syracuse. In listening to him talk it’s hard not to confuse his tone with the laid back twang of a California surfer – maybe a guy who walks the beach in unbuttoned flannel shirts and flip-flops. There’s no rush, no worry, and even his direction seems to amble, but there’s no mistaking where he’s going. He’s on his way to the next championship in a string that is unrivaled. And here may be the most fascinating intersect in Gait’s personality, the piece that leaves you puzzled yet intrigued, the moment where you think something doesn’t add up.

He’s coached 11 championship teams from the collegiate, professional and international level, and as a player he has 14 rings from NCAA, NLL, MLL, Mann Cup and international titles. He’s won two titles with the MLL’s Baltimore Bayhawks as a player/coach, seven while assisting Maryland’s women’s team, and two indoor titles (one with the Mammoth & one with Canada’s National Indoor Team).

He’s the most decorated figure in the history of lacrosse, and arguably the most significant. He’s been the face of the game since he leapt from behind the goal in the 1988 NCAA semi-finals at the Carrier Dome, putting home a goal that is too often used as the symbol of the most comprehensive career in our sport. Yet, with all that he’s done, Gait stands as something of a paradox: a dominant and physically imposing player who has found a comfortable home as mentor to both young men and women. Of all his accomplishments, his coaching prowess is rarely profiled, yet he’s arguably one of the most accomplished coaches in lacrosse. Of all his dominance in the men’s game, he’s settled in as the head coach of the Syracuse women’s team. In a sport that draws definitive lines between indoor and outdoor, the efforts of men and women, the differences between the varying games, Gait doesn’t seem to care – he just keeps winning.

Talking with Gait about his approach, his philosophies, his efforts to build teams is an insightful exercise. It’s calculated and calm with a focus on relationships and teaching. In asking him about his coaching, you get the sense that it’s like asking someone how he breathes. For as much as he knows, so much more is simply reflexive, simply what he does. For Gait, winning seems to be part of his DNA, but he takes time to talk through his process, pausing, thinking, laboring to capture everything in his head in digestible sentences.

“To start with, we want to create an environment where players are comfortable and can learn at a high rate." He then turns to the importance of developing relationships, the one-on-one meetings, the encouragement, the welcoming of questions and creativity. He then breaks down the goal setting process, the differences between team and individual, the desire to “challenge them all the time to learn something new and get better.” As he talks he shifts gears slightly, beginning to focus a little more specifically on tactics: leadership development, mentoring, sports hypnosis, visualization . . . “It’s a constant process,” he concedes, “eventually most of them buy-in.”

For Gait the process of “creating championship caliber teams” can be distilled down to three phases. First, “got to get the team to believe in you, buy-in.” To do this, he “sits down with every player on a constant basis” to get to know them and build a relationship of trust and understanding. He works to develop a nurturing environment where players and coaches share goals and work toward achieving them together. Second, “got to get them to want to be the best, want to win championships.” Here Gait’s personality shines through: “I can say a couple words and evoke an ‘I should be working harder feeling’ rather than scream at the top of my lungs.” He talks with players, challenges them to be the best they can be, and holds them accountable. Third, “put the players in the right position and develop the right scenarios to allow them to be successful.” Circling back to the importance of relationships, Gait wants his players to succeed, but needs to know them. He puts a great deal of stock in “evaluating players, finding roles, and keeping everybody positive.” Through this formula he’s filled his sock drawer with more rings than Mr. T, and he may be adding to his collection soon.

In three seasons at Syracuse the team has a 47-15 record with Gait as the coach. They’ve won two Big East regular-season titles, a conference tournament championship, a trip to the quarterfinals and two semifinal appearances. The Orange are asserting themselves as a national contender, and with Gait at the helm, it’s likely that they’ll be wrapping their arms around a trophy soon. Gait has won at nearly every level. He could presumably do whatever he wants in the sport that has become synonymous with his name. He’s chosen to be the head coach of a woman’s team, and that decision is proof that nearly 25 years after the “Air Gait” he’s still the same guy. He’s a creative, risk-taker who will do anything to advance his team and the sport. He’s his own person, genuine and true to himself. He’s the greatest figure we have in this game, and he’s simply not done breaking down barriers and taking lacrosse to new heights.