Roy Simmons Jr. is one of the most legendary coaches in the history of lacrosse, but he’s so much more. The former Syracuse great who led the Orange to five NCAA championships is a storyteller, artist and advocate for the rights of Black and Native people across the country.
Simmons Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps at Syracuse, playing with the great Jim Brown before taking over his father’s program in 1971. He led the Orange for 27 years and made them the lacrosse powerhouse they are today.
Names like Kevin Donahue, Paul and Gary Gait, Tom Marecheck, Pat McCabe, Ric Beardsley and Paul Carcaterra all passed through Syracuse during Simmons Jr.’s time and are better for it. Carcaterra, the All-American in 1997, sat down with his former coach and mentor for Season 4, Ep. 5 of “Overtime,” for an interview unlike any he’s done on the podcast.
Together, Carcaterra and Simmons Jr. talked about his beginnings in the game in the 1950s, the strength of Jim Brown against racism, his world travels and what it was like to meet Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
This episode of “Overtime” drops Wednesday morning, but you can subscribe on Apple and Spotify now.