Syracuse men’s lacrosse coach John Desko has come under fire in recent years because, well, he hasn’t won a national title since 2009.
There have been shocking first-round tournament losses: Army in 2010 and Bryant in 2014. And the team’s struggles in recent years on defense and at the faceoff X have been well documented.
But consider this: Since taking over from Hall of Fame coach Roy Simmons Jr. in 1999, Desko has pocketed 211 wins and five national championships in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2009. He also has the highest winning percentage among active coaches at .762 (211 wins and 66 loses).
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How does he rank among his peers in Division I?
Winningest active coaches by percentage
| Wins | Losses | Percentage | Years coaching | |
| 1. John Desko, Syracuse | 211 | 66 | .762 | 17 |
| 2. Bill Tierney, Denver | 355 | 118 | .751 | 31 |
| 3. Dom Starsia, Virginia | 368 | 141 | .723 | 33 |
| 4. Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins | 192 | 79 | .708 | 18 |
| 5. Mike Pressler, Bryant | 330 | 159 | .675 | 31 |
| 6. Jeff Tambroni, Penn State | 149 | 73 | .671 | 15 |
| 7. John Danowski, Duke | 359 | 177 | .670 | 33 |
| 8. Kevin Corrigan, Notre Dame | 275 | 138 | .666 | 29 |
| 9. Charles Toomey, Loyola | 97 | 50 | .660 | 10 |
| 10. Scott Nelson, Binghamton | 251 | 145 | .634 | 28 |
Winningest active coaches by wins
| Wins | Losses | Percentage | |
| 1. Dom Starsia, Virginia | 368 | 141 | .723 |
| 2. John Danowski, Duke | 359 | 177 | .670 |
| 3. Bill Tierney, Denver | 355 | 118 | .751 |
| 4. Mike Pressler, Bryant | 330 | 159 | .675 |
| 5. Bob Shillinglaw, Delaware | 322 | 302 | .516 |
| 6. Kevin Corrigan, Notre Dame | 275 | 138 | .666 |
| 7. Scott Nelson, Binghamton | 251 | 145 | .634 |
| 8. Don Zimmerman, UMBC | 233 | 161 | .591 |
| 9. John Desko, Syracuse | 211 | 66 | .762 |
| 10. Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins | 192 | 79 | .708 |
Most national championships, all time
| 1. Bill Tierney, Denver | 7 |
| 2. Roy Simmons Jr., Syracuse | 6 |
| 3. John Desko, Syracuse | 5 |
| 4. Dom Starsia, Virginia | 4 |
| 5. Henry Ciccarone, Johns Hopkins | 3 |
| 5. Don Zimmerman, Johns Hopkins | 3 |
| 5. Willie Scroggs, North Carolina | 3 |
| 5. Richie Moran, Cornell | 3 |
| 5. John Danowski | 3 |
Winningest active coaches in NCAA championship by percentage
| Wins | Loses | Percentage | |
| 1. John Desko, Syracuse | 32 | 11 | .744 |
| 2. Bill Tierney, Denver | 41 | 17 | .707 |
| 3. John Danowski | 27 | 14 | .659 |
| 4. Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins | 24 | 13 | .649 |
| 5. Dom Starsia, Virginia | 36 | 22 | .621 |
Winningest active coaches in NCAA championship by wins
| Wins | |
| 1. Bill Tierney, Denver | 41 |
| 2. Dom Starsia, Virginia | 36 |
| 3. John Desko, Syracuse | 32 |
| 4. John Danowski | 27 |
| 5. Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins | 24 |
So when anyone asks whether Desko is still the right person to lead the Orange, show them the stats. He’s still one of the best coaches in the game. Five national championships and 211 wins in 17 seasons isn’t too shabby. Give him time, he’s sure to pocket more titles, plenty more wins and climb up even higher on these lists.
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