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Putting up their Dukes
Ex-Hofstra lacrosse coach leads Duke after scandal, returns home for match, vows no backing down

BY ERIK BOLAND
Newsday Staff Writer

October 3, 2006

Duke lacrosse.

Since March, the words have consistently fueled often incendiary dialogue across the media spectrum.

John Danowski, the former Hofstra men's lacrosse coach, took over the Duke program July 21 and that day he answered variations of the same question.

Questions that probed backward, mostly relating to a night last March 13 that resulted in rape allegations against members of the Duke lacrosse team, and then April 17 when the first two players - of the eventual three - were indicted.

"Duke Lacrosse" became a synonym for scandal and disrepute, transitioning into discussions about student-athlete privilege and larger issues surrounding collegiate athletics. Danowski, who accrued a 192-123 record at Hofstra in 21 seasons free of scandal, stepped into this maelstrom in July. It continues still.

When lacrosse's version of spring training - fallball - began Sept. 4, nearly two dozen media members turned out. Neither Danowski nor his team, however, have ducked the spotlight.

"Our attitude is we've embraced the media and we're going to continue to embrace this and take it as a positive experience," Danowski said yesterday from his Durham office. "Our attitude has been we're not going to shrink or hide from anything."

Duke travels to Long Island this Saturday as participants in the eight-team Long Island Fall Lacrosse Tournament, a charity event hosted by Molloy College at the Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex in Rockville Centre. Admission is $5. Duke plays Towson at 11 a.m. and NYIT at 5 p.m. Sandwiched between, at 2 p.m., is a matchup with Danowski's former team, Hofstra.

Danowski said arrangements to bring Duke to Long Island were made last spring with Kevin Cassese, who was named Duke's interim coach to replace Mike Pressler, who resigned after the rape charges and the season's cancellation. At that point Danowski, 52, had not yet considered applying for the Duke position. He was busy with Hofstra, which was ranked No. 2 in the country.

Danowski was in the midst of a 17-2 season that would end with an overtime loss to UMass in the NCAA quarterfinals. He said yesterday that balancing the coaching of a nationally ranked team and dealing with the Duke case was more difficult than he originally let on. That was because his son, Matt, now a senior All-American attack, played for Duke.

"In retrospect, it was really painful and on a bunch of different levels," Danowski said. "Number one, I knew how important lacrosse was to Matt, how much energy he put into it. On a team level, that team last year was built to return to the Final Four. But your reputation and your character are more important than both of those things, and there's a hurt you feel because people are challenging your son's character. That was difficult and it was out there for everyone to see."

Danowski knows everyone's focus will be on his program in the spring, with wins and losses being secondary. One slip-up, one night of hijinks could sink the program for good. Danowski knows Duke will be judged on how it does off the field.

He has not instituted a paper list of rules, but said he did meet with his 12 seniors.

"I told them the one thing tying everything together is your decision making," Danowski said. "The one thing you have control over is the decisions you make."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/lacrosse/ny-spduke034916429oct03,0,5025652.story?coll=ny-top-headlines