Men's lacrosse

Statues of Roy Simmons Sr. and Jr. planned on Syracuse campus

Courtesy of Syracuse Athletics

Roy Simmons Sr. and Jr. led the Syracuse men's lacrosse team for a combined 67 years, the latter winning five national titles along the way.

UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 4:21 p.m.

The hall of fame father-son pairing of Roy Simmons Sr. and Roy Simmons Jr. are slated to be enshrined with a statue on Syracuse’s campus, SU Athletics announced on Wednesday.

The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 14. at 5 p.m. in front of the Ensley Athletic Center.

“The Simmons family is the first family of American lacrosse,” SU director of athletics John Wildhack said in a press release.

The Simmons’ most notable contribution is coaching the SU men’s lacrosse team from 1931-98, 67 years in total. When Simmons Sr. retired in 1970, he had coached 70 All-Americans and compiled a 253-130-1 record.



Simmons Jr. took the reigns and guided the Orange to five national titles, excluding the vacated 1990 championship. During his tenure, SU went 296-90, reached the NCAA tournament 16 straight times and Paul and Gary Gait brought their talents to Syracuse.

Both Sr. and Jr. played for the Orange, the former being named an All-American in 1924. Both men have been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame — Simmons Sr. in 1964 and Jr. in 1991.

This post has been updated with a photo and a revised headline.





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