Syracuse to Immortalize Roy Simmons Sr. and Jr. with Statue
8/30/2017 1:55:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Event to unveil will be on Oct. 14 in front of Ensley Athletic Center
Two coaching legends with immeasurable impacts on the sport of lacrosse and Syracuse University will be forever immortalized on the SU campus this fall with a joint statue set to be unveiled on Oct. 14.
Roy Simmons Sr. and Roy Simmons Jr., a father-son tandem who combined to coach the storied Syracuse men's lacrosse program from 1931-1998 and transform it into a national power, will have a statue erected outside of the Ensley Athletic Center to immortalize the two iconic men and coaches.
"The Simmons family is the first family of American lacrosse," said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. "The lineage starts with Roy Sr., who won three National Championships as a lacrosse student-athlete and was a the head coach for Syracuse's National Championship boxing team and an assistant coach for the 1959 National Championship football team. The impact Roy Jr. had on student-athletes through the breadth of his intellect and how he educated his student-athletes in so many creative and impactful ways far transcends how many games and championships he won."
The statue dedication is the culmination of a fundraising campaign, kicked off during the 100th year of men's lacrosse. Brett Jefferson '88 established the Men's Lacrosse Coaches Endowment to name the head coaching position after Roy Simmons Jr. This endowment allows us to recruit and retain the best coaches in the country and ensure that SU continues as the gold standard of lacrosse programs.
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To make a gift, contact Matt Palumb '91 at mhpalumb@syr.edu or 315-952-4817. Any donor who makes a gift of $25,000 or more to this campaign will be recognized for their generosity on the base of the statue.
The statue's unveiling will take place on Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. in front of the Ensley Athletic Center, following the annual men's lacrosse alumni game. The event is open to the public.
Both members of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Simmons Sr. and Simmons Jr. combined to coach 21 fellow Hall of Fame members, 201 USILA All-Americans and amass 543 career wins. Both were presented with the USILA Frenchy Julien Service Award for their contributions to the sport of lacrosse.
Simmons Sr. was the Syracuse Lacrosse head coach from 1931 to 1970. His 1957 lacrosse team, which included Jim Brown and former SU head coach and son, Roy Simmons Jr., is considered one of the greatest lacrosse teams of all time. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1964. Simmons and his son are the only father-son combination to be inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame. He coached 70 All-Americans and nine players now in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and compiled a 253-130-1 record.
Simmons Jr. played lacrosse at Syracuse under his father, where he was the second leading scorer behind Jim Brown in 1957 and twice earned Honorable Mention All-America honors. He is better known for his outstanding 28 years of coaching at Syracuse. He ranks third on the NCAA Division I Winningest Coaches of All-Time with a record 290-96. He was the first coach to win six NCAA Division I National Championships (1983, '88, '89,'90, '93 and '95) and he is one of two coaches to have won three consecutive NCAA Division I National Championships. He coached 131 All-Americans and five National Players of the Year. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991.
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Roy Simmons Sr. and Roy Simmons Jr., a father-son tandem who combined to coach the storied Syracuse men's lacrosse program from 1931-1998 and transform it into a national power, will have a statue erected outside of the Ensley Athletic Center to immortalize the two iconic men and coaches.
"The Simmons family is the first family of American lacrosse," said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. "The lineage starts with Roy Sr., who won three National Championships as a lacrosse student-athlete and was a the head coach for Syracuse's National Championship boxing team and an assistant coach for the 1959 National Championship football team. The impact Roy Jr. had on student-athletes through the breadth of his intellect and how he educated his student-athletes in so many creative and impactful ways far transcends how many games and championships he won."
The statue dedication is the culmination of a fundraising campaign, kicked off during the 100th year of men's lacrosse. Brett Jefferson '88 established the Men's Lacrosse Coaches Endowment to name the head coaching position after Roy Simmons Jr. This endowment allows us to recruit and retain the best coaches in the country and ensure that SU continues as the gold standard of lacrosse programs.
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To make a gift, contact Matt Palumb '91 at mhpalumb@syr.edu or 315-952-4817. Any donor who makes a gift of $25,000 or more to this campaign will be recognized for their generosity on the base of the statue.
The statue's unveiling will take place on Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. in front of the Ensley Athletic Center, following the annual men's lacrosse alumni game. The event is open to the public.
Both members of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Simmons Sr. and Simmons Jr. combined to coach 21 fellow Hall of Fame members, 201 USILA All-Americans and amass 543 career wins. Both were presented with the USILA Frenchy Julien Service Award for their contributions to the sport of lacrosse.
Simmons Sr. was the Syracuse Lacrosse head coach from 1931 to 1970. His 1957 lacrosse team, which included Jim Brown and former SU head coach and son, Roy Simmons Jr., is considered one of the greatest lacrosse teams of all time. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1964. Simmons and his son are the only father-son combination to be inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame. He coached 70 All-Americans and nine players now in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and compiled a 253-130-1 record.
Simmons Jr. played lacrosse at Syracuse under his father, where he was the second leading scorer behind Jim Brown in 1957 and twice earned Honorable Mention All-America honors. He is better known for his outstanding 28 years of coaching at Syracuse. He ranks third on the NCAA Division I Winningest Coaches of All-Time with a record 290-96. He was the first coach to win six NCAA Division I National Championships (1983, '88, '89,'90, '93 and '95) and he is one of two coaches to have won three consecutive NCAA Division I National Championships. He coached 131 All-Americans and five National Players of the Year. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991.
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