Plymouth State University

Mike Wilus joined the men's lacrosse program as an assistant coach starting in 2018 and was promoted to interim head coach in January 2020. He was endorsed as head coach just two months later.
 
The Panthers have experienced immense success under his direction, particularly over the last three seasons.
 
The 2024 campaign proved to be a fairy tale season as the team set records for conference wins (7-1) and overall victories (15-5). The Panthers captured their first LEC regular season title after finishing in a three-way tie atop the league, then blew through the LEC Tournament to earn their first tournament crown and head to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in history and first in nearly a half a century. Wilus was rewarded with LEC Coach of the Year honors, while Owen McNichols ’24 was tabbed LEC Goalie of the Year after setting new records for goalie wins in a season and career. Six Panthers were recognized with All-LEC honors, while the team climbed as high as 10th in the NEILA weekly poll. PSU’s season came to a close against #5 St. Lawrence in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
That came on the heels of an equally impressive 2023 season, where Wilus’ crew went 14-4 overall and 6-2 in the LEC. PSU roared out of the gates, going 7-1 through the first eight games with the lone blemish a one-goal setback in overtime. Wilus led the team to a six-game winning streak to close out the regular season, then soared past Eastern Connecticut State in the first round of the LEC Tournament to advance to the semifinals for the second time in three years. He picked up the first of two consecutive Coach of the Year nods.
 
Last spring, PSU finished 6-2 in league play to claim the #3 seed for the LEC Tournament. Plymouth State blew past Eastern Connecticut in the first round, 19-6, with Crosby Fay '25 pouring in a career-high nine goals in the victory. In the contest, Fay became just the second player in program history to surpass the 200-career goal threshold. The Panthers were nipped at #2 UMass Boston, 11-9, in the semifinal round.
 
A strong 2022 season foreshadowed the team's recent run of success when Wilus guided the Panthers to a 6-11 mark. Half of the 11 setbacks came by three goals or less, while PSU went 3-5 in the LEC to reach the postseason for the 21st straight year.
 
Wilus earned his first career win in the team's second game of 2020, topping Norwich University by a 10-7 mark. The Panthers were just three games into the season when the COVID pandemic halted spring sports.
 
He came back in 2021 to guide the team to a 4-5 record (3-4 LEC) in a shortened season to claim the fifth seed for the LEC Tournament. PSU went on the road to upset fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut, 10-6, in the first round before falling in the semifinals.
 
As an assistant in 2019, Wilus helped lead the Panthers to a 6-2 conference mark and the second seed for the LEC Tournament. PSU advanced all the way to the championship game for the second time in program history.
 
Prior to joining the staff at Plymouth State, Wilus was the associate head coach at Lynn University after spending three years as the first assistant. After a 1-10 inaugural campaign, Wilus helped lead the Fighting Knights to an 8-7 record in 2015 and 9-5 mark in 2016.
 
Wilus joined the Fighting Knights following a two-year stint at NCAA Division III Gwynedd-Mercy College. During his tenure at GMC, the Griffins posted an 18-12 overall record while going 9-4 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. Wilus’ squad made strides each season at Gwynedd-Mercy including a 10 percent increase in production for the man-up unit that ranked top-30 in Division III. In 2012, Laxpower.com named GMC as the fifth most improved team throughout NCAA Division III lacrosse.
 
In October 2022, Wilus was inducted into the North Penn Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame. A 2007 graduate of North Penn High School, Wilus set the school record for career goals (151) and points (193) and was named the 2007 Reporter Boy's Lacrosse Player of the Year. The three-time SOL First Team and Montgomery County All-Area Team selection was also chosen as the NPHS Athlete of the Year in both his sophomore and junior seasons, while also being selected to the Play by Play Network All-Area Team as a senior. 
 
Wilus played in 37 career games as a scholarship member of the NCAA Division I UMass men’s lacrosse team from 2007-11. The Minutemen appeared in the Top-20 all four years, going a combined 32-26 and earning an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009.
 
Wilus also serves as a member of the Plymouth State admissions team, holding the role of Senior Associate Director of Admissions.