With John Desko “Hall” call, all four Syracuse lacrosse coaches are in HoF
By Neil Adler
John Desko, on the sidelines for 11 Syracuse lacrosse national championships, is appropriately headed to the Hall of Fame.
Syracuse lacrosse may not dominate the sport as convincingly as it did in years past, but the program, led by the now-Hall of Famer John Desko, is still doing magical things.
The Orange finished the shortened 2020 campaign ranked No. 1 in the polls and would have proven a favorite to capture the NCAA title, even if some commentators are skeptical.
The ‘Cuse continues to set the standard in the Major League Lacrosse Draft, with two-time All-American Nick Mellen the most-recent Syracuse first-round selection.
And on Thursday, word came that Desko, who has served as the Orange’s head coach since 1999, is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame 2020 class.
Both the ‘Cuse athletics department and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame announced this exciting news. With Desko’s induction, all four head coaches of the most-successful squad in college lacrosse history – Laurie Cox, Roy Simmons Sr., Roy Simmons Jr., and Desko – have reached Hall of Fame status.
That’s tremendous, although not particularly surprising, given Syracuse’s track record over the past few decades. Following Desko’s enshrinement, an impressive 29 former Orange players and coaches will have advanced to the HoF, including a dozen guys that he coached, per cuse.com.
As both an assistant and head coach at Syracuse, Desko is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to reside on the sidelines for 11 national championships. He has claimed five such titles as a head coach, and his .750 winning percentage is the best among active coaches.
John Desko is one of eight new inductees for the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Desko and his seven colleagues in the 2020 class are slated to get inducted Saturday, Oct. 17, in Hunt Valley, Md., according to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s press release, which provides bios for Desko and the other new HoF members.
More than 400 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located at the US Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md.
A ballot committee develops the list of annual nominees, and a 21-member voting group finalizes the HoF selections. Voters include present Hall of Famers, current or former U.S. National Team players and coaches, other elite high school or college coaches, officials, and individuals who have contributed to the sport’s growth.
A huge congratulations to Desko and the rest of the 2020 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame class!