Tom Flatley, head coach of the 1982 U.S. men’s national team that won the world lacrosse championship, and later, general manager of the U.S. U19 men’s team from 1988-2008, is a legendary figure coaching figure on Long Island -- as a football coach.
He is recognized by many as one of Long Island’s most successful high school football coaches ever, having recorded 264 varsity wins over a span of 25 years at Garden City High School, with 18 Nassau County championships and five Long Island championships.
Flatley’s .879 winning percentage, fueled in part by a Long Island record of 30 straight wins from 1990-92, was the highest in New York among football coaches with 200 wins or more. He retired in 2009 after serving 48 seasons on the football sidelines as either head or assistant coach, including seven years as head coach at Sewanhaka High School prior to moving to Garden City.
In light of that success as both a football coach and a key figure in the U.S. men’s lacrosse program for three decades, the last place someone might expect to find Flatley would be on the sidelines of a junior varsity lacrosse game.
But that’s exactly where the Floral Park, N.Y. native spent the last 30 years of his lacrosse coaching career, guiding 15- and16-year old boys through their initiation into the high school game. Demonstrating an absolute absence of ego, Flatley was happy to simply be contributing to the development of young men, even if he was doing so outside of the brighter varsity spotlight.
“He just liked to see things be done the right way,” said Hall of Fame player Vinnie Sombrotto, a member of Flatley’s 1982 U.S. team. “As a parent, you want somebody coaching your son who is giving them the right direction, and anybody who knew Tom knew that that was the best thing about him. His players came away with an understanding of what it means to be a team player, what it is to have discipline, what it meant to be diligent, and what it takes to be excellent at something.”
But while he was busy impacting young lives, Flatley was also winning games. Lots of them.
First at Sewanhaka, and then for the last 22 seasons at Garden City, Flatley’s JV squads compiled a remarkable 300-29-1 record for a winning percentage of over 91%. He moved to the junior varsity level after serving initially as Sewanhaka’s varsity lacrosse coach for seven seasons, compiling a 114-18 record and winning the Nassau County and Long Island Championship in 1981.
“He just didn’t lose very often,” Sombrotto said.
On the international level, after winning the 1982 world lacrosse championship as the USA’s head coach, Flatley transitioned into the role of general manager for the U.S. U19 men’s team from 1988 through 2008, helping to win six world titles and amassing a 36-0 overall record. He was tasked primarily with logistical duties and behind-the-scenes responsibilities.
“Tom was a patriot, and he loved the United States,” Sombrotto said. “Once he got a taste of being the coach in 1982, I believe he just wanted to continue to be a part of it, in whatever aspect. He just loved being around it, he liked to put teams together and he liked being involved. All the things he did showed that he really had zero ego.”
Flatley’s versatility and selfless willingness to take on varying roles was always appreciated.
“Tom contributed to the U.S. men’s national team program in several capacities for 30 years,” said Skip Lichtfuss, retired director of national teams for USA Lacrosse. “As a head coach, assistant coach and general manager of six U19 teams, Tom was consistent, committed and accomplished. He was a quiet and considered leader, a poster child for the characteristic of selflessness.”
Flatley’s career also included service as general manager with the professional New York Saints indoor lacrosse team, and as a coach on the club level. He served on the USCLA’s rules advisory committee for many years and was president of the Long Island Summer Lacrosse Association from 1970-1985.
“He was a guy who coached the USA team, so you're talking about the highest level of players, and he won a gold medal,” Sombrotto said. “And then he coached years of JV lacrosse, and that's pretty remarkable. But he accepted that because he just liked to teach young men. Beyond just lacrosse, he was a great builder of character with kids. That was his real legacy.”
Flatley, who passed away in 2020 at 80 years of age, is being posthumously inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame on January 10 as one of eight members of the Class of 2025. Tickets are available for online purchase.
Previously inducted into five Halls of Fame, including the Long Island-Metro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Sewanhaka High School Hall of Fame, Garden City High School Hall of Fame, Nassau County High School Hall of Fame, and New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, Flatley now takes his place among the game’s all-time greats in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
