Roy Simmons Jr. - Minor Controversy
Simmons would have had six national championships under his belt, but Syracuse was required to relinquish its 1990 title due to two minor infractions. Because Simmons' wife, who the NCAA deemed a representative of the team, co-signed a car loan for a player and because the school paid a $13.80 hotel room-service bill for two other players, NCAA officials ruled in 1995 that Syracuse must vacate the 1990 title.
USA Today reported in 1998 that Simmons "bitterly resented" the NCAA action.
Controversy aside, Simmons's accomplishments are particularly noteworthy because, when he inherited the team, lacrosse was a sparsely funded sport, which made recruiting difficult and, consequently, his early years of coaching less statistically memorable. By 1989, though, he was coaching a team regarded by many as the greatest in the history of the game. Led by twins Paul and Gary Gait, the Orangemen boasted a 13-0 season that year and captured the national championship, the Orangemen's third under Simmons' guidance.
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