Gary Gait’s name is synonymous with lacrosse excellence. As a player he has dominated the sport for nearly two decades, and as a coach and mentor he has guided others to greatness.

When the Colorado Mammoth arrived in Denver in the summer of 2002, Gait’s name brought instant attention to the Mile High City’s newest team. In three seasons Gait led the Mammoth to two division titles and three consecutive playoff appearances before announcing his retirement at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

The former Mammoth captain traded his familiar No. 22 jersey for the suits and ties he now wears behind the bench as the team’s head coach. The Mammoth introduced Gait as the third head coach in team history on June 21, 2005, and he made his National Lacrosse League coaching debut at Pepsi Center as the Mammoth began a new season on Dec. 30, 2005.

Gait’s legend as a player is well documented, but his success as a coach has helped him make an even bigger impression on the sport. In four seasons as coach of the Baltimore Bayhawks Gait led the Major League Lacrosse team to four consecutive playoff appearances, three division titles and the 2002 and 2005 MLL championships. Gait also spent nine seasons as assistant coach of the women’s team at the University of Maryland (1994-2002). During his tenure at Maryland, the Terrapins won seven consecutive NCAA championships.

In his first season of coaching the Mammoth Gait rallied the 5-5 team to win five of its last six regular season games for a 10-6 record and second-place finish in the NLL’s West Division. Gait then guided the Mammoth to a pair of divisional playoff victories at home before leading the team to a win on the road against the Buffalo Bandits in the league championship game.

A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Gait had an immediate impact on lacrosse in the United States when he arrived at Syracuse University in the late 1980s. He was a first-team All-American three times, two-time national player of the year and led the Orangemen to national championships in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He left Syracuse as the school’s all-time leading goal scorer with 192, a record that stands today.

Gait began his 15-year professional indoor lacrosse career in 1991 with the Detroit Turbos, capturing rookie of the year honors while leading the team to the league championship. He also won league championships with the Philadelphia Wings in 1994 and 1995. He was an All-Pro every season in which he played and was named the league’s most valuable player a record six times.

Gait won his sixth MVP award in 2003, his first of three seasons with the Mammoth. He broke his own single-season scoring record that year with 61 goals, a mark that still stands, and became the first player in league history to score 500 career goals. He led the Mammoth in scoring in each of his three seasons with the team and was given the NLL’s Sportsmanship Award for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. He retired in 2005 as the NLL’s all-time leader in goals (596) and points (1,091). He is also the league’s most prolific playoff scorer with 66 goals in 22 career postseason games.

Gait was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, 2005, and into the NLL Hall of Fame as one of five charter members on Feb. 23, 2006.

Gait lives in Lone Tree, Colo., with his wife, Nicole, and their two children. In addition to his coaching responsibilities with the Mammoth, he is also president of NDP Lacrosse, a national lacrosse development and education program.