ITHACA, NY -- For the past two decades on Sept. 11, Richie Moran — the coach who led Cornell to three national championships over the course of his 29-year Hall of Fame career — has made a pilgrimage to the campus to hang a wreath at the plaque honoring Eamon McEneaney.
Eamon, of course, was one of the greatest players ever to play the game. The three-time All-American was a cornerstone of the Big Red's championships in 1976 and ‘77 (they were undefeated during both seasons) and he died in the North Tower in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Every year since then, Moran has gone up to hang the wreath, talk about Eamon's enduring impact on and off the field, and to keep his legacy alive. This year, it was even more poignant, as Eamon's son, Kyle — who is a grad student at Cornell — showed up to give the coach a hug and to thank him.
It was also pointed out that many of the players that showed up for the ceremony were not yet born on 9/11/01. It was — as always — a very moving scene. The entire Cornell lacrosse team gathered around the retired coach — like seekers sitting at the feet of the Wise Man on the Mountaintop — well aware that he is the foundation of the revered and iconic program of which they are proud to be a part. As Richie prepared to address the team, I sat with (Cornell's athletic director) Andy Noel, who asked me how long Richie planned to speak. I asked Andy if there was a preferred time frame, and he replied, “After what Richie has done for this university, he can speak all day if he wants to.”
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In years past, Moran settled back into his routine and enjoyed watching high school and college football games. This year, however, he is resting up for a big weekend, as on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 17-18), many former players — now in their seventies — will show up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cornell lacrosse's first national championship. Moran will welcome his former players and their guests back to Ithaca, honor the nine players who have passed on, and they will (responsibly) gather to celebrate a half-century of friendship and shared memories.
Richie loves to tell the story of how that 1971 team laid the groundwork for a lacrosse dynasty. He recalled, “In 1970, we were undefeated — we led the nation in offense and defense — but the national championship was determined by a committee of 15 people. They ranked us #5.” That had the Big Red seeing red...
The next year, there would be a tournament rather than a committee, and Cornell beat Brown 10-8 in the first round, took a dramatic 17-16 win over Army — at Army — then took down Maryland (Moran's alma mater) 12-6 in the title game. That win made Moran the first man ever to win a title as a player and as a coach, and he told me, “That game was extra special, not only because we beat Maryland, but we did it at Hofstra, where I had played during my college career.”
The coach loves to talk about the fact that the '71 team had something to prove, and he loves how they went about doing so. “They outworked everyone,” Richie offered. “We started practice on Feb. 1 and the players would walk through a foot of snow to practice in the polo barn, where they ran through a foot of horse manure.” He never fails to add, “It was fertilizer, and they all grew two inches!”
In Coach Moran's words, “Winning that first championship really helped to build the program in terms of credibility and confidence. We eliminated all doubt. We won it on the field, not by committee.”
I have personally had the good fortune to meet many of those guys, as they have come back to Ithaca for various gatherings, and for the release of Richie's autobiography in 2017. Many have gone on to be leaders in their chosen fields — a trucking company, real estate, insurance, university and hospital administration, lawyers, doctors, the Director of NBC Sports and a 4-Star General to name a few. Many have pointed to Richie and said, “I was a good student and a decent athlete, but that's the man who taught me how to be a leader.”
Rest up, Richie. This weekend will be epic.