SAN DIEGO – San Diego State lacrosse head coach Kylee White has announced the hiring of Taylor Gait as an assistant coach. Gait joins the Aztec staff following a standout four-year career as a collegiate player at Syracuse University from 2015-18.
"We are very excited about Taylor joining the Aztec lacrosse family," White said. "Her passion and energy for the game and our program was undeniable during the interview process. I have great confidence that she will instantly make an impact with player development while bringing fresh ideas from her time at Syracuse and with the Canadian National Team. Taylor has played with, and been coached by, some of the best in the game. That experience, coupled with her tremendous work ethic and her vibrant personality, will help continue the growth of Aztec lacrosse.
"I am very thankful for this incredible coaching opportunity and the ability to work with this talented group of women while being a part of an amazing coaching staff," Gait said. "I cannot wait for what is to come this season."
A three-year captain as a collegian at Syracuse, Gait made 61 starts in 82 appearances at midfield, playing for her father, Gary Gait, who was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. During that span, she netted 99 points on 72 goals and 27 assists to go with 51 ground balls, 26 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls.
As a senior in 2018, Gait tallied a career-high 31 points on 18 goals and a personal-best 13 assists to earn All-Northeast Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
After sitting out her first two years at Syracuse due to injury, Gait enjoyed one of her finest campaigns as a redshirt freshman in 2015, ranking fifth on the team with a career-best 27 goals to help the Orange capture their first ACC tournament championship and reach the national semifinals. The Fayetteville, N.Y., native capped her stellar rookie campaign by earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team after notching two goals, three ground balls and one caused turnover in a narrow 10-8 loss to Maryland in the semifinals.
Along with her success on the field, Gait also excelled in the classroom, landing on the athletic director's honor roll in nine semesters while earning ACC all-academic honors on three occasions.
In addition to her time at Syracuse, Gait brings a wealth of international playing experience as a member of the Canadian National Team since 2016, winning silver medals with her squad at the 2017 World Cup in Guildford, England, as well as the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland, that same year.
Gait received her bachelor's degree in the business and entrepreneurial program at Syracuse in 2016, before earning a master's in entrepreneurship from the university in 2018.
Following her postgraduate studies, Gait moved to San Diego and became involved as a coach at the club level with the RC Lacrosse Club, Scripps Lacrosse Cub and Mad Dog Lacrosse San Diego. She also worked as a coach and director at her father's lacrosse camp in Syracuse prior to her relocation.
San Diego State matched its program record with 11 victories during a highly successful 2019 campaign that saw the Aztecs win their second straight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship and collect seven all-conference awards to go with 14 MPSF Player of the Week accolades.