Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Georgetown on May 10, 2025 , Loss , 12, to, 16
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Final
Men's Lacrosse
12
vs Georgetown
16
Men's Lacrosse
Danowski, Matt
Matt Danowski
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- matthew.danowski@duke.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 668-5791
One of the best players in Duke men’s lacrosse history, Matt Danowski enters his 12th season with the program. In his 11 seasons with the attackmen, Danowski has mentored some of Duke’s top scorers, including Jordan Wolf, Justin Guterding, Dyson Williams and Brennan O’Neill.
In each of his years, the Blue Devils have featured one of the nation’s top offenses and some of the most prominent attackmen in the game with O’Neill quickly joining the ranks as the 2023 Tewaaraton Award winner. Duke averaged 15.41 goals per game to rank third in the ACC and fifth nationally in scoring offense in 2023. In the past 10 complete seasons, Duke has ranked in the top five in scoring offense in seven of them.
In his 10th and 11th seasons, Danowski continued to manage the growth of O’Neill as the talented attackman joined the elite 200-point scorer ranks and is on pace to become the fourth Blue Devil to reach 300 career points. O’Neill garnered his third All-ACC honor was named the Raymand J. Enners Award winner as the nation’s top player along with the Tewaaraton Award. Additionally, Williams turned in his best season as a Blue Devil in 2023, leading Duke with 60 goals - one of six different Blue Devils to score 60 in a season. In 2022, Nakeie Montgomery also became the first midfielder since Myles Jones to be named to the All-America first team in consecutive seasons. Montgomery finished his career ranked 30th at Duke in career pionts.
Danowski melded a collection of extremely talented players in 2021 as Duke landed three attackmen and a midfielder on the All-America squads. He helped work into Duke’s offense the nation’s most sought after transfer in Michael Sowers as well as the country’s top-ranked freshman with O’Neill. After a stellar start to his career as a freshman on attack, Williams moved into the midfield in 2021 where he contributed 23 goals. Also in the midfield, Montgomery dished a career-high 22 assists on his way to earning All-America first team recognition.
Despite playing in just eight games in 2020, Williams flourished under Danowski’s watch. The Ontario native was on pace to battle for the Duke rookie scoring record, while the Blue Devil offense avergaed 15.25 goals per game to rank 11th nationally.
Overall, in his nine seasons, Duke has ranked among the top 21 in team scoring offense, while at least one Blue Devil has been among the top five scorers in the league each season and ranked in the top 20 nationally in seven of the nine campaigns.
In 2018, Duke’s offense was the best in the ACC and ranked fourth nationally with Guterding leading the way. With Danowski providing daily inspiration and guidance, Guterding rewrote the NCAA record book in 2018 as he broke the career goals record with 212 goals. Netting 66 goals and 113 points overall, Guterding led the nation in goals (3.30/game) and was third in points (5.65).
Overall, Duke’s offense flourished under Matt Danowski, ranking second and third nationally in scoring in 2014 and 2013, respectively. In 2015, following the departure of All-American Jordan Wolf, Duke was fourth nationally in scoring offense at 14.28 goals per game. In 2016, with Guterding headlining the attack as a sophomore, the Blue Devils were fourth nationally.
As a player, Matt Danowski remains at the top of the Duke records book and near the top of the NCAA records book. He is still Duke’s all-time leading scorer with 353 career points and tops in assists at 183. Matt is one of four Duke players to rank in the top 10 in career goals, assists and points. In NCAA history, Matt is third in career points and sixth in assists.
Duke’s offense has flourished under Danowski’s guidance, ranking second and third nationally in scoring in 2014 and 2013, respectively. In 2015, following the departure of All-American Jordan Wolf, Duke was fourth nationally in scoring offense at 14.28 goals per game. Duke led the ACC and was fourth again nationally with a 13.50 goals per game average. The Blue Devils have averaged over 13.5 goals per game in each of Danowski’s three seasons.
After becoming a household name in his rookie season, Justin Guterding continued to rewrite the records book with Danowski as a mentor. He led the team in scoring with 71 points to become the first Blue Devil to score 70-plus points in each of his first two seasons. He also became the fastest Blue Devil to 100 career points, reaching the benchmark in 25 games. Guterding’s play earned the attackman his first All-ACC and All-America honors.
Guterding had an outstanding rookie season under Danowski’s guidance. The Long Island native finished his first year with 52 goals and 70 points overall, the second most by any freshman in Division I. He was just shy of passing Duke’s rookie records for goals and points. Perhaps even more impressive was the mentorship Danowski did with attackman Jack Bruckner in his first year at the position. A lifetime midfielder, Bruckner made the switch and ranked third on the team in scoring with 47 goals and 13 assists for 60 points. Overall in 2015, Duke’s attacking trio of Guterding, Bruckner and Matheis accounted fo 42 percent of the Blue Devils’ points.
Danowski’s second season surpassed his debut in 2013 as the Blue Devils offense finished the year ranked second nationally in scoring offense (14.85), assists per game (9.0) and points per game (23.85). Under Danowski’s tutelage, Wolf completed his career in record-setting fashion. Wolf, a 2014 Tewaaraton Award finalist, became the first Blue Devil and ACC player overall to score over 100 points in a season with 64 goals and 39 assists for 103 points. He finished his illustrious career with 304 points to rank second in Duke history, only behind his mentor Danowski.
In his first season at the helm, Duke’s offense flourished, ranking third nationally with 14.05 points per game. Wolf excelled on attack with a then career-best 57 goals and 85 points. Overall, Duke’s attacking trio of Wolf, Josh Dionne and Case Matheis were three of the team’s top four scorers and combined for 187 points, 40 percent of the Blue Devils’ total. Both Wolf and Dionne were among the top four goal scorers in the ACC.
Danowski, the NCAA all-time leading scorer and the son of the Duke head coach, joined the staff after a stellar career in which he led the Blue Devils to three NCAA semifinal berths, two national runner-up finishes, two ACC Tournament Championships and a 63-18 overall record. The 2007 consensus National Player of the Year as the recipient of both the Tewaaraton Trophy and the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award, Danowski finished his career with a NCAA record 353 points from 170 goals and 183 assists.
Peppered throughout the ACC and NCAA records books, Danowski collected nearly every award possible during his illustrious collegiate career. He was a three-time USILA first team All-American, three-time Tewaaraton Trophy finalist and three-time ACC Player of the Year selection and is one of just two players in NCAA history to score 90-plus points in multiple seasons. In addition, he twice won the USILA Lt. Col. J.I. Turnbull Award as the nation’s top attackman and is one of three players in ACC history to earn the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year accolades during his career.
Danowski began his career with the Blue Devils in 2004, leading Duke in scoring with 42 points en route to being named the ACC Rookie of the Year and an honorable mention All-American. As a sophomore, the Farmingdale, N.Y., native led the program to new heights as the Blue Devils compiled a 17-3 record, won the ACC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA title game. He earned the first of his two USILA National Attackman of the Year awards after amassing a then Duke single-season record 92 points.
In 2007, behind Danowski’s 96 points, Duke again advanced to the national title game and finished with a 17-3 overall record. After leading the nation in points with 96, he was voted the consensus national player of the year and a first team All-American. He closed out his career in 2008 by pacing the nation in points with an ACC and Duke single-season record 97. The Blue Devils captured their second consecutive ACC Tournament crown on their way to a program-record 18 wins and a second consecutive berth in the NCAA semifinals.
After graduation, Danowski was selected second overall in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse draft. He is a four-time MLL All-Star and was named to the All-MLL team in 2010 and 2011. He played for the expansion Charlotte Hounds of the MLL and was named to the All-MLL squad after a stellar 2013 season in which he led the Hounds to the MLL Championship game. Danowski currently plays for Chrome LC of the Premier Lacrosse League.
Danowski, a history major, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2007 and completed his master’s degree in liberal studies in 2009. He is married to former Duke women’s lacrosse player Virginia Crotty. The couple married October 11, 2014 in Durham, N.C. They reside in Durham with their two daughters Caroline and Louise and son John.
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