In the ninety-first edition of “Legends of the Game” we look at the career of Randy Mearns
Randy, along with the entire 2006 Canadian National lacrosse team, was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, following a lengthy playing career in the Ontario Lacrosse Association, Major Series Lacrosse and Western Lacrosse Association leagues.
Mearns played for the St. Catharines Athletics for 5 years. In 1990, he led the team to their first Minto Cup championship since 1950. Mearns was awarded the “Jim McConaghy Memorial Cup” for Minto Cup M.V.P. He was later given the “B.W. Evans Award” for Top Graduating Player.
With the Brampton Excelsiors, Randy won Mann Cup championships in 1992 and 1993. Mearns also won three with the Six Nations Chiefs (’94, ‘95’ ’96).
Randy was an All-American NCAA lacrosse player at Canisius College from 1990 to 1992. He is currently 20th all-time in Division I career points-per-game (PPG). Randy scored 95 goals and 95 assists for 190 career points in 39 games. He is also the all-time leading scorer at Canisius.
Mr. Mearns played professionally for the Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks. Randy was captain of the 1997 champion Knighthawk team. Rochester also played in the 1995, 1999 and 2000 finals. Since his retirement from professional lacrosse, he has served as the color commentator for the Bandits’ radio broadcasts. sitting alongside play-by-play man John Gurtler.
Randy coached the Canisius men’s lacrosse team through 2017. Mearns also was an assistant coach on the Canadian national team that won the gold medal at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship. He won 94 games in his 18 years of coaching at Canisius. Randy led the Griffins to their first ever NCAA tournament bid in 2008 where they lost to Syracuse in the first round, and second in 2012 where they lost against Loyola in the first round. Mearns has provided development for his players towards the professional ranks, including Mark Miyashita who graduated from Canisius in 2003 and was the first overall selection in the 2003 National Lacrosse League draft. In a preseason coaches poll, Canisius was picked to repeat in 2009 as MAAC champions. However, after a rough start to the season where they lost six straight (including 3 one-goal losses) the Griffs ended 2009 on a 4 and 3 run.
- Head Coach of the Canadian national team that won the gold medal at the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships.
- Named the initial head coach for the St. Bonaventure men’s Division I lacrosse team, in June 2017.
- Inducted in the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008.
- Inducted in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2013.
Accomplishments:
• 2014 World Lacrosse Championship Champions (Canada)
• 2012 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Lacrosse Tournament
• NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament in 2008
• World Lacrosse Championship Champions (Canada) in 2006
• NLL Champions Cup Champion in 1997 (Rochester Knighthawks)
• 1996 Mann Cup Champion (Six Nations Chiefs)
• 1995 Mann Cup Champion (Six Nations Chiefs)
• 1994 Mann Cup Champion (Six Nations Chiefs)
• 1993 Mann Cup Champion (Brampton Excelsiors)
• 1992 Mann Cup Champion (Brampton Excelsiors)
• 1990 Minto Cup Champion (St. Catharines Athletics)
References:
- Wikipedia
- Wamper’s Bible of Lacrosse
- Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Don’t forget to catch Gary and his co-host Candid Frank Stanisci on “NLL Lacrosse Talk”…this past week their guest was former NLL Referee Chet Couture
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
