University of Massachusets Athletics
IMLCA Celebrates Inaugural Hall of Fame Class
May 31, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
PHILADELPHIA - The Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) celebrated its inaugural Hall of Fame class with a Sat., May 28 ceremony at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. The organization honored 11 all-time greats during the event, including former University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse head coach Richard F. "Dick" Garber.
"The ceremony was about honoring the best coaches ever in the sport of lacrosse," current UMass head coach and program alumnus Greg Cannella said. "All of us who played for or had any contact with Coach Garber knew he was a special person. Over time, when you revisit those times spent with Coach Garber, you realize how lucky we were to be a part of his life. He lives on in each one of us as we live our lives today."
Garber's name and the Minuteman program are synonymous with success as he guided the school to 31 winning seasons. A Garber-led UMass team ranked among the top squads in the USILA final seasonal polls in 26 of his campaigns at the helm of the program, including 23 of the final 24. He coached 82 all-Americans, 105 all-New England selections and 40 USILA North-South Game participants. Garber was a three-time USILA Coach of the Year (1969, 1976 and 1989) and nine-time New England Coach of the Year.
UMass Sports Network was at the ceremony and spoke with Cannella, who played for Garber from 1986-87, as well as Garber's son, Ted, who coached the Minutemen from 1991-94 after his father's retirement. Highlights and interviews from the event are available here.
For continued coverage of UMass men's lacrosse, follow the team on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse) and on Instagram (@UMassMLAX).
