John Tucker (lacrosse)
Encyclopedia
John Tucker is a retired American
professional lacrosse
player and the former head coach of the Philadelphia Wings
of the National Lacrosse League
.
under Coach Joe D'Adamo. He was a freshman and sophomore on the team during the school's 1976 and 1977 championship seasons, and he graduated from Curley in 1979. As a collegiate player, Tucker was a member on a number of winning teams. He played on the undefeated Johns Hopkins University
Blue Jays team that won the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
in 1984. In international competition Tucker played for Team USA in winning three gold medals at the World Lacrosse Championship
s in 1986, 1990, 1994. Tucker captained the 1990 and 1994 teams. In addition, Tucker won two championships with the Philadelphia Wings
of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League
in 1989
and 1990
. Tucker played at the amateur level for the storied Mount Washington Lacrosse Club
.
championships: four with the Severn School
in Annapolis, Maryland
, three with the Gilman School
in Baltimore, Maryland
and one with Loyola Blakefield
in Towson, Maryland
.
In the National Lacrosse League
, Tucker coached the Baltimore Thunder
from 1997
to 1999
. He also was the coach of the Pittsburgh CrosseFire
for their one year of existence in 2000
.
Tucker served as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Riptide of Major League Lacrosse from 2006 to 2008 compiling a 22-14 record. Following the 2007 MLL season
he was awarded the Major League Lacrosse Coach of the Year Award
. Tucker signed a two year deal to coach the Washington Bayhawks beginning in 2009.
In addition, he is an assistant women's lacrosse coach at Johns Hopkins University.
In October 2009, Tucker was named as an assistant coach with his original NLL
team from the 1980s, the Wings. http://www.wingslax.com/article/71672 After a dismal 2010 campaign under head coach Dave Huntley, when the Wings had their worst ever record (5-11), the team fired the coaching staff, eventually hiring Tucker back as the head coach. However, in his one season, the Wings lost 7 out of their last 8 games, to finish at 5-11, tied with Huntley for their worst ever record. In June 2011, Tucker stepped down to assume a scouting position within the Wings organization.
In 2011, Tucker came full circle and accepted the head coach position of his alma mater, Archbishop Curley High School
. Assisting him on defense is his own former coach, Joe D'Adamo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
player and the former head coach of the Philadelphia Wings
Philadelphia Wings
The Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
of the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
.
Playing career
Tucker began his playing career in eighth grade, joining the junior league team at Archbishop Curley High SchoolArchbishop Curley High School
Archbishop Curley High School, is a Roman Catholic men's high school located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore in the USA. It is affiliated with the Franciscan religious order and is named in honor of Archbishop Michael J. Curley , who served as the tenth Archbishop of Baltimore from...
under Coach Joe D'Adamo. He was a freshman and sophomore on the team during the school's 1976 and 1977 championship seasons, and he graduated from Curley in 1979. As a collegiate player, Tucker was a member on a number of winning teams. He played on the undefeated Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
Blue Jays team that won the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
in 1984. In international competition Tucker played for Team USA in winning three gold medals at the World Lacrosse Championship
World Lacrosse Championship
The World Lacrosse Championship is the world championship for international men's field lacrosse. From its inception in 1967 through the 2006 event, it was sanctioned by the International Lacrosse Federation...
s in 1986, 1990, 1994. Tucker captained the 1990 and 1994 teams. In addition, Tucker won two championships with the Philadelphia Wings
Philadelphia Wings
The Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
in 1989
1989 MILL season
-Team Movement:1989 saw the MILL expand by two teams: the New England Blazers and the Detroit Turbos. The New Jersey Saints also moved to Long Island, New York, becoming the New York Saints.-Regular season:...
and 1990
1990 MILL season
-Awards:-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*John Fay, New England*Brad Kotz, Philadelphia*Brian Nikula, Pittsburgh*Rick Sowell, Baltimore*John Tucker, Philadelphia*Ted Sawicki, Detroit Second Team:*Don Borges, New York...
. Tucker played at the amateur level for the storied Mount Washington Lacrosse Club
Mount Washington Lacrosse Club
The Mount Washington Lacrosse Club is an amateur field lacrosse club based in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the most successful and well-known lacrosse clubs in history, which at one point dominated the sport at both the collegiate and club level. The team is sometimes referred to by the...
.
Coaching career
As a coach, he has led a number of teams to championships, including a total of eight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic AssociationMaryland Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association is a boys' sports conference for private high schools generally located in the Baltimore metropolitan area but extending to various other regions, including the state's mostly rural Eastern Shore. The MIAA has 27 member schools and offers...
championships: four with the Severn School
Severn School
Severn School was founded in 1914 by Rolland M. Teel in Severna Park, Maryland, as a preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. Today, Severn is a day school enrolling boys and girls in grades 6 through 12...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, three with the Gilman School
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...
in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and one with Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, college preparatory school established by the Society of Jesus, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed...
in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
.
In the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
, Tucker coached the Baltimore Thunder
Baltimore Thunder
The Baltimore Thunder were a member of the National Lacrosse League from 1987 until 1999. They were based in Baltimore, Maryland, and won the first Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League championship in 1987...
from 1997
1997 MILL season
-Awards:-Weekly Awards:Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.-Monthly Awards:An award is also given out monthly for the best overall player.-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Philadelphia*Paul Gait, Rochester...
to 1999
1999 NLL season
-Awards:-Weekly Awards:Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.-Monthly Awards:Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.-Statistics Leaders:...
. He also was the coach of the Pittsburgh CrosseFire
Pittsburgh CrosseFire
The Pittsburgh CrosseFire were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 2000 NLL season. They were based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The franchise started out as the Baltimore Thunder before moving to Pittsburgh. After a single season, they moved again to Washington, becoming the...
for their one year of existence in 2000
2000 NLL season
-Awards:-Weekly Awards:Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.-Monthly Awards:Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.-Statistics Leaders:...
.
Tucker served as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Riptide of Major League Lacrosse from 2006 to 2008 compiling a 22-14 record. Following the 2007 MLL season
2007 MLL season
2007 Major League Lacrosse season was the 7th season of the league. The season began on May 12 and concluded with the championship game on August 26, 2007.-General information:...
he was awarded the Major League Lacrosse Coach of the Year Award
Major League Lacrosse Coach of the Year Award
The Brine Major League Lacrosse Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the best coach of the MLL. Merrill Lynch was the sponsor of the award from 2001-2003. Warrior was the sponsor from 2004 to 2006....
. Tucker signed a two year deal to coach the Washington Bayhawks beginning in 2009.
In addition, he is an assistant women's lacrosse coach at Johns Hopkins University.
In October 2009, Tucker was named as an assistant coach with his original NLL
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
team from the 1980s, the Wings. http://www.wingslax.com/article/71672 After a dismal 2010 campaign under head coach Dave Huntley, when the Wings had their worst ever record (5-11), the team fired the coaching staff, eventually hiring Tucker back as the head coach. However, in his one season, the Wings lost 7 out of their last 8 games, to finish at 5-11, tied with Huntley for their worst ever record. In June 2011, Tucker stepped down to assume a scouting position within the Wings organization.
In 2011, Tucker came full circle and accepted the head coach position of his alma mater, Archbishop Curley High School
Archbishop Curley High School
Archbishop Curley High School, is a Roman Catholic men's high school located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore in the USA. It is affiliated with the Franciscan religious order and is named in honor of Archbishop Michael J. Curley , who served as the tenth Archbishop of Baltimore from...
. Assisting him on defense is his own former coach, Joe D'Adamo.
Major Indoor Lacrosse League Career
| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | G | A | Pts | LB | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | LB | PIM | ||||
| 1987 | -- | -- | 14 | 26 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||
| 1988 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||
| 1989 | -- | 11 | 24 | 35 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||
| 1990 | -- | 13 | 10 | 23 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||
| 1991 | -- | 10 | 10 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||
| Totals | 47 | 78 | 96 | 174 | 207 | 64 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 26 | 15 | |||
- Philadelphia Wings stats only (may not be complete)