Duke University Men's Lacrosse

Danowski was introduced as Dukes eighth head mens lacrosse coach on July 21, 2006 and quickly led the Blue Devils to some of the most successful lacrosse seasons in school history and to three NCAA Championships in five seasons. In November of 2015, Danowski joined another fraternity, being named the U.S. Lacrosse Men's National Team Head Coach. He will coach the United States in the 2018 Lacrosse World Championships.  In Danowskis nine years at the helm of the Blue Devils lacrosse program, he has compiled an impressive 140-38 record in leading Duke to seven ACC regular season titles and four ACC tournament titles, eight straight appearances in the national semifinals from 2007-14, four in the NCAA title match and ultimately to the 2010, 2013 and 2014 national titles. The 2014 NCAA crown put Danowski, a winner of 359 career games, among a small group of nine coaches to win three national titles and among eight to capture consecutive crowns. Meanwhile, Dukes run of eight straight NCAA semifinals rank as the second most of any program since 2000 with Syracuse. A winner of nearly 80 percent of his games at Duke, the individual awards Blue Devil players have garnered is equally impressive. In only nine seasons, Danowski mentored 57 All-America selections, 28 All-ACC choices, two Tewaaraton Trophy winners, a pair of USILA Attackman of the Year honorees, a USILA Defenseman of the Year, two USILA Midfielder of the Year award recipients and 16 USILA Scholar All-America picks. While the success on the field is unsurpassed in Duke lacrosse history, the student-athletes excellence in the classroom also is unrivaled. The Blue Devils consistently lead the ACC in All-ACC Academic picks as well as players on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. This past season, Duke had a program-high 38 players over 80 percent of the team achieve a 3.0 grade point average for the entire academic year, while Will Haus garnered Scholar All-America honors. Dukes 2015 squad was an inexperienced group, featuring an entirely new close defense, a pair of first-year attackmen and a host of other Blue Devils seeing increased minutes for the first time in their careers. The Blue Devils, playing a demanding schedule, finished the year 12-6 and advanced to the ACC Championship game before losing to Syracuse by a single goal. Myles Jones headlined the Blue Devils offense with a Duke midfield record 77 points. His efforts earned him the Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award as the nations top midfielder. Deemer Class and Will Haus also garnered All-America and All-ACC honors as the Blue Devils finished the season ranked eighth in the final Inside Lacrosse poll. The 2014 campaign was a memorable one as veteran Blue Devils shined and new stars emerged. Senior Jordan Wolf, a first team All-American, headlined Dukes high-powered offense with fellow attackmen Josh Dionne and Case Matheis. Dukes newest first midfield line of Deemer Class, Myles Jones and Christian Walsh quickly answered any questions about the Blue Devils at the midfield becoming arguably the most dangerous midfield in the country. Class captured All-America first team honors in his first season as a starter, while Jones was a second-team All-America pick. Returning after a breakout season at the faceoff X, Brendan Fowler was a third team All-America choice, while defenseman Luke Duprey and Chris Hipps both earned their first All-America awards. The Blue Devils finished 17-3 overall and captured a share of the ACC regular season title en route to winning their third NCAA title in five seasons and second consecutive. Duke defeated Denver in the NCAA semifinals 15-12 to set up a 2010 NCAA title game rematch with Notre Dame. After Duke grabbed a big lead early, Notre Dame rallied to pull within one goal in the fourth quarter. However, after key plays from Dukes defense, Brendan Fowler at the X and attackmen Kyle Keenan and Wolf, the Blue Devils emerged with the 11-9 victory over the Fighting Irish. Duke finished 2013 with a 16-5 record and a share of the ACC regular season title after starting the year 2-4 and falling out of the rankings. Under Danowskis expertise, the Blue Devils righted the ship and won 14 of its final 15 games of the season. The longtime head coach also became the first coach to lead his team to seven consecutive championship weekend appearances in his first seven seasons at the helm after Duke upended Notre Dame, 12-11. Duke landed seven players on the USILA All-America squads with Fowler and David Lawson leading the way with first team honors. Fowler also garnered the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the ACC in faceoffs and ground balls, while Lawson and Wolf joined him on the All-ACC squad. It marked the second straight season Duke had won the Defensive Player of the Year honor. After starting the year 2-4 and with reigning NCAA Champion Loyola and perennial power North Carolina on the horizon, the Blue Devils won nine straight to move back into the top 20. The win streak was stopped by a hot North Carolina team in the ACC Tournament semifinal, but Duke caught fire again in winning the seasons final five games of the year. The NCAA Tournament started with a thrilling 12-11 double overtime win over 2012 NCAA Champion Loyola. Duke followed that with the one-goal win over the Fighting Irish to advance to Philadelphia for a chance to take home the ultimate prize. Against Cornell in the semifinals, the Blue Devils opened a big lead in the third quarter and held off a furious comeback by the Big Red for the 16-14 win. Duke found itself playing on Memorial Day for the third time under Danowski against top-seeded Syracuse. After getting off to a slow start against the Orange, Fowler took over at the faceoff X in winning 13 straight draws to spark a 13-2 run that put Duke ahead 13-7. Fowler won 20-of-28 faceoffs overall and was named to NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player. Wolf, Jake Tripucka and Lawson joined Fowler on the All-Tournament Team. Danowskis efforts were recognized nationally as he was picked as one of five nominees for the 2013 ESPY Coach of the Year. Dukes 111 wins since 2007 are the most by any program in that span. In addition, Danowski is just one of five active coaches to have won at least two NCAA titles in his career. The 2012 campaign was a memorable one for many reasons. The year saw Duke capture its fourth ACC Tournament title in six years, advance to the NCAA semifinal for the sixth consecutive season and Danowski win his third ACC Coach of the Year honor. The Blue Devils finished the season with a 15-5 record and earned both the ACC regular season and tournament crowns. Despite starting the season 3-3, Duke went 10-1 in the months of March and April to enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Duke upened perennial power Syracuse in the opening round before cruising past Colgate in the quarterfinal to earn a berth in the NCAA semifinals for the ninth time in program history and making Danowski just the second NCAA Division I mens lacrosse coach in history to advance to championship weekend in each his first six seasons at the helm of a program. The individual accolades flowed in for the Blue Devils as well in 2012 as CJ Costabile catpured a myriad of ACC and national awards. The long stick midfielder was named the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, captured the Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award as the nations top midfielder and became Dukes first winner of the Lowes Senior CLASS Award. Senior Robert Rotanz etched his name in the Duke records book, becoming the first midfielder in program history to register 40 goals en route to earning USILA All-America first team honors. In addition, Jordan Wolf joined Costabile and Rotanz on the All-ACC team to become the first Duke player to garner All-ACC honors in his first two seasons. Overall, Duke landed five players on the All-America squads, while Costabile and Rotanz both earned Scholar All-America recognition. Always excelling in the classroom, Duke led the ACC once again with 14 All-ACC Academic selections. Under the keen eye of Danowski in 2011, the Blue Devils advanced to their fifth straight and seventh overall national semifinals and finished with a 14-6 overall record. Duke captured the ACC regular season title, going 3-0, which included a win over future NCAA Champion Virginia. The Blue Devils defeated Notre Dame, 7-5, to move into the NCAA Semifinal against Maryland. He was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after capturing the regular season crown. Danowski mentored two All-ACC selections in Costabile and Jordan Wolf, while six Blue Devils captured All-America recognition. Justin Turri earned second team honors and Costabile, Zach Howell and Tom Montelli garnered third team accolades. Wolf and Robert Rotanz both brought in honorable mention nods. Off the field, Duke once again was the leader in the ACC. The Blue Devils led all squads with 14 players on the All-ACC Academic Team. Overall 27 players were named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll, nearly twice as many as the next closest ACC mens lacrosse program. Howell and Montelli both were selected as USILA Scholar All-Americans, marking the fifth straight year Duke has had at least one recipient of the award. In 2010, Danowski and the Blue Devils etched their names in the NCAA record book when they captured the programs first NCAA Championship with a 6-5 overtime victory over Notre Dame. With the departure of many top players, Duke followed 2010 with a thrilling 2011 season. The preseason No. 1 pick in 2010, Duke finished with a 16-4 overall record, winning 14 of its final 15 games. Under Danowskis leadership in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils outscored their opponents 55-32 and outlasted both Virginia and Notre Dame in heart-stopping one-goal victories on championship weekend. Much as he had done the previous three seasons, Danowski masterfully guided the 2010 squad through the ups and downs of a season and tutored some of the top players in Division I lacrosse. Under his watchful eye, senior attackman Ned Crotty cemented himself as one of the top Blue Devil players in program history en route to winning the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, the top prize in college lacrosse, and being selected No. 1 in the Major League Lacrosse draft. In all, Danowski coached five All-America selections in 2010 with Crotty taking home first team honors for the second straight seasons. The Blue Devils landed three players on the All-ACC squad and five on the NCAA All-Tournament Team under the longtime coachs tutelage. In the annual Major League Lacrosse draft, Duke set a benchmark with three players going among the top four picks as Crotty went No. 1, Max Quinzani at No. 3 and Parker McKee in the No. 4 spot. Arguably, one of Danowskis best coaching performances came in the 2009 season after the departure of the NCAA leading scoring duo of Matt Danowski and Zack Greer. The Blue Devils surprised some as they ran their way to a 15-4 record, an ACC title and a bid to the NCAA Semifinals. Under the guidance of Danowski, Crotty introduced himself as one of the top attackers in the country as he garnered the USILAs Attackman of the Year award as well as the ACC Player of the Year honor. Danowski mentored five All-Americas, two All-ACC honorees as well as the USILAs pick for attackman of the year in 2009. The squad was also highly successful in the classroom as 12 players earned a place on the All-ACC Academic Team. Twenty-eight players overall achieved a 3.0 grade point average for the 2008-09 academic year to lead all ACC lacrosse programs and Max Quinzani picked up his second career ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America award. In 2008, he guided the team to an 18-2 overall record, the ACC regular season and tournament championships and the squads second consecutive appearance in the national semifinals. He coached nine All-Americas, including three first-team honorees, the USILA Player of the Year as well as the USILAs picks for attackman and defenseman of the year. The Blue Devils achieved an equal amount of success in the classroom under Danowskis watch as 15 players earned a spot on the ACC All-Academic Team and Quinzani collected ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Duke also garnered the ACC Sportsmanship award during the 2008 season. In his first year at the helm of the Blue Devil program, Danowski guided Duke to the finest season in school history. The Blue Devils went 17-3, captured both the ACC and regular season championships, earned the programs first number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the national title game. For his efforts, he was named the ACC Coach of the Year as well as the Person of the Year by US Lacrosse. The 2007 campaign yielded four first team All-America honorees while attackman Matt Danowski was the consensus national player of the year. A veteran coach entering his 25th season as a collegiate head coach in 2007, Danowski spent 21 campaigns (1986-06) at Hofstra, compiling an overall record of 192-123 (.609) with eight conference championships, eight NCAA Tournament bids and 17 final national rankings among the top 20 teams in the nation. Danowskis impact on the Duke program was immediate as the Blue Devils posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.45 in his first semester at the helm. In addition, the team provided over 500 hours of community service during the semester, continuing Danowskis philosophy of college student-athletes taking advantage of the full experience. The coach-player relationship lasts a lifetime - so much more than two hours every afternoon, said Danowski, the 1993 NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year who led Hofstra to eight conference championships. It would be a disservice to the young men in the Duke program if we didnt care about their futures. To take advantage of the opportunity to teach life lessons is a goal of ours. I have learned the importance of adapting to the talent you have on the field, Danowski said. You cant put a square peg into a round hole. I am a firm believer in taking what you have and finding the best way to be efficient with that group. The 2006 season marked Danowskis best in a successful tenure at Hofstra as the Pride matched an NCAA single-season record with 17 victories against just two defeats. In addition, Danowskis squad captured the Colonial Athletic Association championship, finished the regular season ranked number two in the national poll and advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The 17 wins and .895 winning percentage also set Hofstra single-season team records. Danowski guided the Pride to East Coast Conference crowns in 1988 and 1989, and he was honored as the NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year in 1993 after leading Hofstra to the national tournament for the first time since 1978. The 1995 and 1996 seasons yielded North Atlantic Conference titles for Hofstra, and Danowski then led the Pride to America East Conference championships in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Having directed the Pride to a record of 71-16 in regular season conference games with nine league MVPs and 90 all-conference picks, Danowski is the only lacrosse coach in Hofstra history to win an NCAA Tournament game (4-8 record), including a 2001 first round contest in which the Pride rallied from an 11-7 deficit with seven goals in the fourth quarter against Virginia en route to a 15-14 overtime win over the Cavaliers. Hofstras first tourney win was in come-from-behind fashion as well as the Pride outscored Massachusetts 6-3 in the second half for a 9-8 victory in 1993. The Danowski Era at Hofstra produced 34 USILA All-America selections including first team choices Brian Spallina (2000), Doug Shanahan (2001), Nicky Polanco (2002), Brett Moyer (2006) and Chris Unterstein (2006). In addition, Shanahan was the recipient of the Tewaraaton Trophy as the nations top player in 2001. As well, Hofstra has sent 30 players to the annual North-South All-Star Game since 1986, with Shanahan (2001) and Moyer (2006) earning game MVP honors. Former Hofstra standout Blake Miller, a member of the 1998 United States squad that captured the world title and the 2004 MLL Offensive Player of the Year, Polanco and Shanahan are currently playing for the United States squad at the International Lacrosse Federation World Championships in Ontario, Canada. Polanco is a two-time MLL Defensive Player of the Year (2004 & 2005) while Shanahan was the MVP of the 2002 ILF World Championships in Perth, Australia. Prior to his stint at Hofstra, Danowski spent three seasons as the head coach at Long Island University-C.W. Post, helping the Pioneers to a 27-16 (.628) ledger from 1983-85. He received his start in coaching in 1982 as an assistant coach at LIU-C.W. Post in 1982. With four conference coach of the year awards to his credit, Danowski was inducted into the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001. He is a three-time winner of the Joseph Frenchy Julien Sportsmanship Award (1988, 1989 & 1994) presented by the Metropolitan New York Officials Association and received the James Adams Sportsmanship Award from the National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials Association in 1994. A 1976 graduate of Rutgers University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science/education, Danowski was a four-year letterman in lacrosse and continues to hold several Scarlet Knight records. He established school single-game records for assists (13 vs. Penn State, 1973) and total points (14 vs. Penn State, 1974) and a single-season standard for assists with 54 in 1973. He currently ranks second on Rutgers all-time list for assists (120) and is eighth in total points (177). Danowski, who helped the Scarlet Knights to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1973 and 1974, was a three-time recipient of the programs Sasser Award, an honor presented annually to the teams leader in assists. Born March 12, 1954 in Bronxville, N.Y., Danowski went on to earn a masters degree in counseling/college student development from LIU-C.W. Post in 1978. Danowskis father, Ed, was an All-America halfback on the gridiron at Fordham in 1932 and 1933 who later starred for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The elder Danowski led the NFL in passing in 1935 and 1938, earning All-NFL honors in both of those seasons, and guided the Giants to league championships in 1934 and 1938. He later served as the head football coach at his alma mater from 1946-54. Danowski and his wife, Patricia, have two children, Kate, a former lacrosse letterwinner and 2005 graduate of Quinnipiac University, and Matt, a 2008 Duke graduate and former captain of the lacrosse program.

Danowskis guidance, ranking second and third nationally in scoring in 2014 and 2013, respectively. In 2015, following the departure of All-American , Duke was fourth nationally in scoring offense at 14.28 goals per game. The Blue Devils have averaged over 14 goals per game in each of Danowskis three seasons. became a household name in collegiate lacrosse in 2015 with Danowskis guidance. The Long Island native finished his rookie season with 52 goals and 70 points overall, the second most by any freshman in Division I. He was just shy of passing Dukes rookie records for goals and points. Perhaps even more impressive was the mentorship Danowski did with attackman in his first year at the position. A lifetime midfielder, Bruckner made the switch and ranked third on the team in scoring with 47 goals and 13 assists for 60 points. Overall in 2015, Dukes attacking trio of Guterding, Bruckner and Case Matheis accounted fo 42 percent of the Blue Devils points. Danowskis second season surpassed his debut in 2013 as the Blue Devils offense finished the year ranked second nationally in scoring offense (14.85), assists per game (9.0) and points per game (23.85). Under Danowskis tutelage, Wolf completed his career in record-setting fashion. Wolf, a 2014 Tewaaraton Award finalist, became the first Blue Devil and ACC player overall to score over 100 points in a season with 64 goals and 39 assists for 103 points. He finished his illustrious career with 304 points to rank second in Duke history, only behind his mentor Danowski.  In his first season at the helm, Dukes offense flourished, ranking third nationally with 14.05 points per game. Wolf excelled on attack with a then career-best 57 goals and 85 points. Overall, Dukes attacking trio of Wolf, and were three of the teams top four scorers and combined for 187 points, 40 percent of the Blue Devils total. Both Wolf and Dionne were among the top four goal scorers in the ACC. Danowski, the NCAA all-time leading scorer and the son of the Duke head coach, joined the staff after a stellar career in which he led the Blue Devils to three NCAA semifinal berths, two national runner-up finishes, two ACC Tournament Championships and a 63-18 overall record. The 2007 consensus National Player of the Year as the recipient of both the Tewaaraton Trophy and the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award, Danowski finished his career with a NCAA record 353 points from 170 goals and 183 assists. Peppered throughout the ACC and NCAA records books, Danowski collected nearly every award possible during his illustrious collegiate career. He was a three-time USILA first team All-American, three-time Tewaaraton Trophy finalist and three-time ACC Player of the Year selection and is one of just two players in NCAA history to score 90-plus points in multiple seasons. In addition, he twice won the USILA Lt. Col. J.I. Turnbull Award as the nations top attackman and is one of three players in ACC history to earn the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year accolades during his career. Danowski began his career with the Blue Devils in 2004, leading Duke in scoring with 42 points en route to being named the ACC Rookie of the Year and an honorable mention All-American. As a sophomore, the Farmingdale, N.Y., native led the program to new heights as the Blue Devils compiled a 17-3 record, won the ACC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA title game. He earned the first of his two USILA National Attackman of the Year awards after amassing a then Duke single-season record 92 points. In 2007, behind Danowskis 96 points, Duke again advanced to the national title game and finished with a 17-3 overall record. After leading the nation in points with 96, he was voted the consensus national player of the year and a first team All-American. He closed out his career in 2008 by pacing the nation in points with an ACC and Duke single-season record 97. The Blue Devils captured their second consecutive ACC Tournament crown on their way to a program-record 18 wins and a second consecutive berth in the NCAA semifinals. After graduation, Danowski was selected second overall in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse draft. He is a four-time MLL All-Star and was named to the All-MLL team in 2010 and 2011. He currently plays for the expansion Charlotte Hounds of the MLL and was named to the All-MLL squad after a stellar season in which he led the Hounds to the MLL Championship game.

Caputo works closely with the midfield and faceoff specialists. In his seven seasons with the Blue Devils, Duke has posted a 111-29 record, captured three ACC titles, advanced to the NCAA Semifinals seven times and ultimately won the 2010, 2013 and 2014 national championships. Duke has ranked among the top 11 in scoring offense in each of the past seven campaigns and was among the top six in six of those, including the No. 2 spot in 2014 In 2014, Caputo mentored arguably the most talented midfield group in Dukes history. The trio of Deemer Class, Myles Jones and Christian Walsh combined for 97 goals and 79 assists for a midfield record 176 points. Class and Jones 65 and 63 respective points both were a program-best. Class went on to earn first team All-America honors. Overall, Duke ranked second nationally in scoring offense with 14.85 goals per game. Working closely with the faceoff specialists and the midfield, Duke has won 56.0 percent (1684-2990) of its restarts over the past six seasons, including an impressive 62.5 percent in 2013. Under Caputos watchful eye, Duke has had great success at the X with All-Americans CJ Costabile and Brendan Fowler. In 2012, Caputo helped mentor Costabile and Fowler to above .500 faceoff percentages as they finished with .526 and .604 win percentages at the X, respectively. In 2013, Fowler took it one step further as he established a NCAA single season record for faceoffs won with 339. He picked up the ACC Defensive Player of the Year honor as well as being named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding player after winning 20-of-28 faceoffs in the title game. Perhaps even more impressive in 2013 was the play of Dukes midfield. The Blue Devils two midfield lines combined for 223 of Dukes 464 points and 132 of the 295 goals in 2013. Senior David Lawson flourished in his final season, earning All-ACC and first team All-American, while Jake Tripucka and Josh Offit also both garnered All-American accolades. In 2012 with Caputo guiding the group again, midfielder Robert Rotanz had a record-setting season, registering 40 goals and earning USILA All-America first team honors. His 40 tallies are the most by a Duke midfielder in program history. In addition, Justin Turri earned USILA All-America honorable mention honors after netting 19 goals and 32 points overall. Coming off the national championship in 2010 and returning just 48 percent of its scoring, Duke finished 2011 ranked sixth in scoring offense with 12.2 goals per game and had three midfielders with at least 25 points on the year. Turri earned USILA All-America second team honors, while Rotanz captured an honorable mention nod. In 2010, the Blue Devils won 54.5 percent of their restarts to rank 13th nationally, while senior Sam Payton was 14th individually. Offensively, Duke ranked second in scoring offense with 13.45 goals per game. The Blue Devils also ranked second in assists per game (8.35) and points per game (21.8) under Caputos watch. In Caputos inaugural season with the Blue Devils, Duke led the nation in scoring offense with 15.2 goals per game. The squad won an NCAA record 18 games and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second consecutive season under his assistance as the Blue Devils featured the top two individual scorers in NCAA history in Matt Danowski and Zack Greer. Prior to his arrival at Duke, Caputo spent four seasons (2003-06) on the Hofstra University mens lacrosse staff as an assistant coach. He joined the Pride in 2004 as a volunteer assistant coach for current Blue Devil head coach John Danowski, who served as the head coach at Hofstra from 1986-2006, as the Pride compiled an overall record of 35-28 and a 14-9 mark in Colonial Athletic Conference play, during his tenure. In 2006, Caputo worked alongside Danowski to help lead Hofstra to an overall record of 17-2, a mark that included a perfect 6-0 mark versus CAA opponents, and a final national ranking of No. 2. The Pride won the CAA Championship and reached the NCAA Quarterfinals, while setting a school record for wins and winning percentage (.895). Before his stint at Hofstra, Caputo served as a varsity assistant lacrosse coach from 1997-2003 at Syosset (N.Y.) High School, where he coached Blue Devil teammates and brothers Dan and Chris Loftus. A 1991 graduate of the University of Scranton, Caputo led Syosset to three county semifinal appearances and one Nassau County Championship game berth. Caputo is married to the former Randi Heller of Farmingdale, N.Y., and the couple has four children, Samantha, Owen, Jake and Jayme. The family resides in Holly Springs, N.C.