The man who popularized lacrosse in Denver and revolutionized the sport nationally no longer is a part of the Colorado Mammoth.

Gary Gait, who spent three years with the National Lacrosse League team as a player and the previous two as a coach, stepped aside Tuesday.

While the Mammoth did not confirm the reason, it is believed Gait is ready to accept the coaching position at his alma mater, Syracuse University.

General manager Steve Govett said only "a rumor" had been floating around for about 1 1/2 months, but the Mammoth never commented on it because Gait's departure never was official until Tuesday.

Govett claimed Gait's decision did not blindside him.

"It's been a long process," Govett said. "I've known about the possibility for a couple months. . . . We've been preparing for the worst, hoping for the best."

Govett said he supported the decision of his longtime close friend and said the Mammoth didn't stand in Gait's way because "financialwise, we couldn't responsibly match what he'll be getting."

Gait guided the Mammoth to the NLL Champion's Cup title as a first-year coach in 2006 and to a first-place finish in the West Division last season. The Mammoth, 22-10 in Gait's two seasons, lost in the first round of the postseason this year to fourth- seeded San Jose.

In preparing for the possibility of Gait's departure, Govett said he loosely had started the search for a new coach and now will concentrate on the effort.

He indicated no time frame for making a hire, other than saying, "We start training camp the first week of November and we'll have to have somebody there."

Govett did not divulge any candidates but said he will carefully choose the best fit for "one of the top two or three jobs in the National Lacrosse League."

After starring at Syracuse in the late 1980s, Gait spent 15 years in the NLL, winning the Most Valuable Player award a record six times. His 1,091 points rank second all time.