Former Nashua High School boys lacrosse coach Gordie Webb, a legendary figure in New England in the sport, has recently passed away at the age of 80 following a brief illness. (Photo courtesy of Plymouth State University)

Merrimack High School boys lacrosse coach Brian Miller remembers his sophomore year playing at Bishop Guertin in the spring of 1995.

The Cardinals and other teams around the state – it hadn’t been an NHIAA sanctioned sport for that many years – were keeping an eye on the one Nashua High program that had a new coach.

“Although our own Burke Bero was a great coach and mentor,” he said, “it was apparent to all that something special was brewing across the highway.”

And that was eventually, three years later, an eventual stunning state championship for the Panthers that spring, as they upset favored Pinkerton Academy. It was really the first major postseason upset in the young NHIAA lacrosse world.

Sadly, word has reached the New England lacrosse community that the popular coach of that and many other youth, school and college lacrosse teams, Hall of Fame coach Gordie Webb, has recently passed away at the age of 80 following a brief illness.

He was inducted into the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001, the UMass Boston Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Eastern Massachusetts Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015.

Webb had seemingly retired from coaching after his last season in Nashua in 1999, but after moving to Plymouth to be closer to his grandchildren he later coached Plymouth High School in 2008 and went on to coach Plymouth State University for 10 seasons.

Webb, who grew up in Haverhill, Mass. but fell in love with lacrosse at UMass-Amherst, was a wrestling and lacrosse coach at Berwick (Me.) Academy but later began his collegiate career coaching Boston State College/UMass Boston for 12 years from 1971-82, leading the team to six Colonial League championships and five runner-up finishes. He was an assistant with the Boston Blazers of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995-97.

Overall, Webb had a head coaching record of 227-131, including a 93-82 mark at Plymouth State. He was the second winningest coach at PSU and was the second-longest tenured coach in program history before retiring for good in 2019.

But Webb’s legacy will not be about the wins, but rather his relationships with the players he coached.

“His legendary status,” Miller said, “was owed perhaps just as much if nor more to the level of respect he held for his player, opponents, and the game itself.

“Coaches like Gordie are hard to find. His players still adore him to this day due to those classic characteristics of the consummate leader.”

A Celebration of Life will be held at Merrill Place at Plymouth State University on July 22 from 2-4 p.m.