John Danowski

John Danowski
Sport(s) Lacrosse
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Duke University
Record 299–158
Biographical details
Born March 12, 1954
Place of birth Bronxville, New York
Playing career
1973–1976 Rutgers
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1982
1983–1985
1986–2006
2007–present		 C.W. Post (asst.)
C.W. Post
Hofstra
Duke
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • 2010 NCAA Division I national championship
Awards

As coach:

John Danowski (born March 12, 1954)[1] is an American lacrosse coach who has been the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team since the 2007 season. Previously, he had spent 21 seasons as the head coach at Hofstra. Danowski coached Duke to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Lacrosse Championship in 2010, and an appearance in the national championship game in 2007. He is a two-time winner of the F. Morris Touchstone Award as the NCAA men's lacrosse coach of the year, earning the honor in 1993 and 2010.

Contents

Early life and college

Born in Bronxville, New York, Danowski attended Rutgers University and played for the school's men's lacrosse team for four seasons, from 1973 to 1976.[1][2] He led the team in assists three times and, as of 2011, is Rutgers' record-holder for assists in a season, having assisted on 54 goals during the 1973 season. That year, Danowski also set the team record with 13 assists in a game against Penn State, and in 1974 he compiled a school-record 14 points in a game. Danowski graduated from Rutgers in 1976, and gained a master's degree in 1978 at C.W. Post.[1]

Coaching career

C.W. Post

In 1982, C.W. Post hired Danowski as an assistant coach for its men's lacrosse team, under Tony Seaman.[1][3] The following year, he was promoted to head coach. Danowski spent three seasons as head coach for C.W. Post, compiling a 27–16 win–loss record.[1]

Hofstra

Danowski became the head coach at Hofstra before the 1986 season. In the year before Danowski joined the school, the team had a 3–11 record. Hofstra improved under Danowski, and by 1988 the team had reached the top 15 in national polls.[4] That year, Hofstra earned the East Coast Conference championship, and added another in 1989. In 1993, Hofstra reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 21 years,[1] defeating three teams ranked in the top 10 during the season. Hofstra won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game before losing to Syracuse in the quarterfinals.[5] Danowski was honored as coach of the year in the NCAA's Division I.[4]

The 2006 season was Danowski's last coaching at Hofstra. The team went on a 17-game winning streak, tying the record for most wins by an NCAA men's lacrosse team in a season.[4][6] Hofstra achieved a national ranking of number two, but was unable to advance past the quarterfinals of that year's NCAA Tournament. In his 21 years with Hofstra, Danowski's teams were 192–123, appeared in the NCAA Tournament eight times, and won as many conference titles.[4]

Duke

In 2006, as the Duke lacrosse case played out, the university's head coach, Mike Pressler, resigned after being in the position for 16 seasons.[4] The team was suspended from competition by Duke's president,[7] but in June 2006 the suspension was lifted. The following month, Duke hired Danowski to fill its vacancy at head coach.[2] At the time, one of his sons, Matt, played for the school.[6] The first season for Danowski at Duke saw him lead the team to a 17-win season, the fourth in NCAA men's lacrosse history.[8] Duke reached the championship game in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, losing 12–11 to Johns Hopkins.[9] Danowski won the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year award.[1] In 2008, Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as the top-seeded team, only to lose again to Johns Hopkins, this time in the national semifinals.[10] Duke lost again in the semifinals of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, falling to Syracuse 17–7.[11]

Danowski won his first national championship as a head coach in the 2010 season, his fourth at Duke, in which the team posted a record of 16–4.[3] In the title game, Duke defeated Notre Dame in overtime, scoring the winning goal five seconds after the start of the extra period. The championship was the first for Duke in men's lacrosse.[12] Following the season, Danowski again was named Division I Coach of the Year.[13] Danowski's Duke team again reached the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, but lost in that round against Maryland.[14]

Family

Danowski is married and has two children. His father was Ed Danowski, a National Football League player who was a quarterback for the New York Giants.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "John Danowski Bio". Duke University. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1385205. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b Wentworth, Bridget (May 21, 2009). "Duke lacrosse coach John Danowski used soft touch to get program back on track after scandal". The Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2009/05/duke_lacrosse_coach_john_danow.html. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b Preston, Mike (May 31, 2010). "Duke's Danowski shows nice guys can finish first". The Baltimore Sun. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-05-31/sports/bs-sp-preston-column-0601-20100531_1_duke-coach-john-danowski-matt-danowski-mike-pressler. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c d e Litsky, Frank (July 22, 2006). "Duke Picks Ex-Hofstra Coach to Join Son". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/sports/othersports/22duke.html. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  5. ^ Albanese, Jeanne (May 23, 1993). "Syracuse overpowers Hofstra". The Baltimore Sun. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-05-23/sports/1993143130_1_hofstra-syracuse-riter. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  6. ^ a b "Duke hires Hofstra's Danowski as men's lax coach". ESPN. Associated Press. July 21, 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2525922. Retrieved September 7, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Duke Lacrosse Team Sidelined". CBS News. March 29, 2006. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/29/sportsline/main1454607.shtml. Retrieved September 10, 2011. 
  8. ^ Beard, Aaron (May 28, 2007). "Danowski showing the right touch". The Times-News. Associated Press. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=umpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yyUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6735,6168693. Retrieved September 9, 2011. 
  9. ^ Lopresti, Mike (May 29, 2007). "Duke's against-the-odds run ends in 'emptiness'". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2007-05-29-lopresti-duke_N.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2011. 
  10. ^ Thamel, Pete (May 25, 2008). "Duke Falls Short in Comeback Bid, but Syracuse Succeeds". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/sports/othersports/25men.html. Retrieved September 9, 2011. 
  11. ^ Timanus, Eddie (May 24, 2009). "Syracuse routs Duke, Cornell shocks Virginia in lax semis". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/lacrosse/2009-05-23-mens-semifinals_N.htm. Retrieved September 9, 2011. 
  12. ^ Thamel, Pete (May 31, 2010). "Suddenly, Duke Ends Long Road to a Title". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/sports/01lacrosse.html. Retrieved September 11, 2011. 
  13. ^ "USILA Names Danowski, Boyle, Daly Coaches of the Year". Lacrosse Magazine. October 27, 2010. http://www.laxmagazine.com/college_men/DI/2010-11/news/102710_usila_names_coaches_of_year. Retrieved September 10, 2011. 
  14. ^ "Terps keep rolling, face Virginia in final". ESPN. Associated Press. May 29, 2011. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=6604029. Retrieved September 10, 2011. 
  15. ^ Vecsey, George (June 1, 2010). "Coach Follows His Father While Leading His Way". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/sports/02vecsey.html. Retrieved September 7, 2011.