John Desko

John Terry Desko is a retired lacrosse head coach. Desko coached the men's lacrosse team at Syracuse University for 22 seasons from 1999 to 2021. Desko took over as head coach in 1999 from Hall of Fame coach Roy Simmons Jr.[1]

John Desko
John Desko in 2016
Current position
Record258–86 (.750)
Biographical details
Born (1957-08-10) August 10, 1957
Union, New York
Playing career
1976–1979Syracuse
Position(s)Midfielder/Defenseman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1980–1998Syracuse (assistant)
1999–2021Syracuse
Head coaching record
Overall258–86 (.750)
Tournaments34–15
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
Medal record
Head Coach for  United States
men's national lacrosse team
World Lacrosse Championship
Silver medal – second place2006 Ontario, Canada

Early life

The Desko family grew up in Camillus, a suburb of Syracuse.[2] He played high school lacrosse at West Genesee, the 15-time state champions.[3][4]

College career

Desko started out in the midfield but was switched to defense by assistant coach Jay Gallagher.[1][2] He earned All-America honors as he helped Syracuse to a 10–5 record in 1979 and the school's first NCAA playoff berth.[5] His two younger brothers, Dave and Jeff, were also All-American lacrosse players at Syracuse.[6][7][8][9]

As Coach

Simmons offered Desko an assistant job when assistant coach Jay Gallagher decided to leave Syracuse. Desko made only $1,000 a year as a coach, and waited tables in his spare time. He stayed on as an assistant for next 19 years.[1] After taking over the top job from Roy Simmons Jr. in 1999, he became the first person outside of the Simmons family to coach Syracuse lacrosse since 1931.[1]

Desko won five NCAA Championships as head coach and six more as an assistant coach.[3] In his first eleven years as head coach, he coached the Syracuse lacrosse team to seven NCAA finals appearances and nine Final Fours. The most recent championship came in May 2009, when Desko led the Orange to their 10th National Championship with a 10–9 overtime comeback victory over Cornell.[10][11]

Under Desko, Syracuse won 4 straight Big East championships from 2010 to 2013.[12][13] After joining the ACC in 2013–14, Syracuse won back-to-back ACC Tournament championships in 2015 and 2016. Syracuse was also the regular season champion in 2018.[14]

Desko also coached Team USA to a runner-up finish at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship.[15][16]

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,[17] replacing Desko, who retired after 22 seasons as head coach.[18]

Awards

Desko was named USILA Division I Coach of the Year for 2008 after guiding the Orange to a title over Johns Hopkins.[19]

He was the ACC coach of the year for the fourth straight season from 2015 to 2018.[14][20][21]

Desko was inducted into the Upstate Chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame as of 1997, Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2008,[22] and the Camillus/West Genesee Hall of Fame in 2011.[23][24] He was the FieldTurf Coach of the Year in 2013.[25]

Desko was elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in May 2020.[26][27][28] Desko is the third Syracuse head coach to be inducted into their respective sport's hall of fame after Jim Boeheim and Gary Gait.[3]

Personal life

Desko resides in Syracuse with his wife, Cindy, and their four children; Tim (Timothy), Nicole, Casey and Ryan.[2] Three of his four children attended Syracuse University (Nicole attended Hobart & William Smith Colleges). Tim played on the lacrosse team for 5 years, the first being a redshirt season (winning back-to-back national titles in 2008 and 2009), and has been a lacrosse coach at several colleges, including Rollins College.[29]

References
  1. Hensley, Jamison (April 10, 1999). "Desko fits in as coach at Syracuse; He's first non-Simmons with job since 1931". Baltimore Sun. Syracuse NY. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  2. Passan, Jeff (23 April 2002). "Desko and lacrosse: perfect together". The Daily Orange. Syracuse, NY. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. Tamurian, Niko (21 May 2020). "John Desko gets call to US Lacrosse Hall of Fame". WSTM. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. "About the Wildcats". HomeTeamsONLINE. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. "1979 Men's All-Americans" (PDF). USILA. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. "1983 Men's All-Americans" (PDF). USILA. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. "1984 Men's All-Americans" (PDF). USILA. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  8. "1985 Men's All-Americans" (PDF). USILA. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. "1986 Men's All-Americans" (PDF). USILA. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  10. Boaz, Calvin W. (25 May 2009). "Miracle On Grass:Syracuse Defeats Cornell In OT 10-9 For Championship". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  11. O'Neil, Dana (25 May 2009). "O'Neil: Storybook ending for Jamieson, Syracuse lacrosse". ESPN. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  12. John Paquette, ed. (2014). "Big East Media Guide" (PDF) (Press release). The BIG EAST Conference. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  13. Sara Naggar, ed. (28 May 2013). "Big East Men's Lacrosse Report" (PDF) (Press release). Big East Conference. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  14. "2019 ACC Men's Lacrosse Media Guide" (PDF) (Press release). Atalantic Coast Conference. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  15. "John Desko Named Head Coach for 2006 U.S. Men's Lacrosse Team". Syracuse University Athletics. Baltimore. December 10, 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  16. "U.S. Men History - Rosters". teamusa.uslacrosse.org. US Lacrosse. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  17. "Gary Gait to be Named Next Syracuse Men's Lacrosse Coach". Sports Illustrated. June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  18. "Report: John Desko retiring, Syracuse women's lacrosse coach Gary Gait taking over men's team". SB Nation. June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  19. "John Desko Named USILA Division I Coach of the Year". LaxPower. July 1, 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  20. "This week in ACC Men's Lacrosse". ACC. May 3, 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  21. Kramer, Lindsey (2 May 2018). "Syracuse lacrosse's John Desko named ACC's top coach for fourth-straight year". syracuse.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  22. "John Desko: Enshrined 2008". hall-of-fame. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  23. "USL Upstate Chapter Hall of Fame". usl-upstate.website.sportssignup.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  24. "John Desko, Kevin Donahue To Be Inducted Into West Genesee/Town Of Camillus Hall Of Fame". Lacrosse Playground. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  25. "Syracuse's John Desko Named FieldTurf Coach of the Year". insidelacrosse.com (Press release). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  26. Lindsey, Kramer (21 May 2020). "Syracuse lacrosse coach John Desko 'almost embarrassed' to be elevated to all-time great". syracuse.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  27. Ohanian, Paul (May 21, 2020). "US Lacrosse announces national lacrosse hall of fame's class of 2020". US Lacrosse (Press release). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  28. "John Desko will be inducted in National Lacrosse Hall of Fame". WSYR. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  29. "Rollins Adds Tim Desko as Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach". Rollins Sports (Press release). Winter Park, FL. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2020.


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