Lester Dye was a reserve on the basketball team, playing one game his sophomore year. He was a star on the Syracuse football team, as a wide receiver on offense, and defensive back on defense. He earned three varsity letters in football in 1939, 40 and 41.

After graduation Dye spent one year in the Army during World War II.

Dye played two seasons in the NFL as an offensive end (wide receiver) for the Washington Redskins from 1944-1945. After ending his career as a player he was a scout for Washington and Los Angeles for a few seasons.

In 1948, Dye moved into coaching, as the head coach of Clarkson University's football team for one season. He then came back to Syracuse to begin a lengthy career there in many different capacities. From 1949 to 1959, Dye was the freshman football coach and an assistant on the varsity. He named Ernie Davis the captain of the 1958 freshman team, helping to integrate the team.

From 1959 to 1968 he worked in Syracuse University's admissions office with different director responsibilities, and from 1969 to 1973 he was the university's Dean of Admissions. In 1973, Dye became the Athletic Director at Syracuse, and would serve in that capacity until 1978. During his tenure in that capacity, the basketball team would reach the Final Four for the first time (1975), and he would hire a new basketball coach by the name of Jim Boeheim.

Dye was known as a square shooter as an administrator. He was honored as a Syracuse Letterwinner of Distinction in 1974. He passed away in August of 2000.

©RLYoung 2005