University of Detroit Mercy Men's Lacrosse

Former Titan standout short-stick defensive midfielder Charlie Hayes ‘18 is in his second year as the head coach at his alma mater. Hayes - who played for Detroit Mercy from 2015-18, served as an assistant coach since 2018 and was named the third head coach in school history on June 11, 2024. “There was a tremendous amount of national interest in our head coaching position, but coach Hayes’ passion for the University and the program was second to none,” said Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr. “He has been a Titan for a long time, and he had a great vision for the program. I am excited to see him lead us back to that championship-caliber team.” “I have been here for 10 years, starting as a student-athlete, and my love for Detroit Mercy is unmatched,” said Hayes. “Becoming the leader of this program is exciting and something I don’t take lightly.” Aside from his duties as a coach, he is also in his sixth year as a professional. He started his career in the Major Lacrosse League in 2019 before moving to the Premier Lacrosse League in 2021 with the Whipsnakes. He is now in his fourth year with the Waterdogs, playing in 48 career games, including 12 in 2024 tallying five points on three goals and two assists, 17 ground balls, and seven caused turnovers, helping the team reach the championship game. He was also a part of the 2022 championship squad.  In his first year on the sidelines as the head coach, the Titans made a run at the NEC Championship, upsetting top-seeded Le Moyne on the road in the semifinals. UDM tied a school record by winning five in a row to rebound from a 1-6 start, and the six total wins on the season were the most since 2019. Redshirt freshman Marcus Thundercloud was tabbed the NEC Rookie of the Year, while senior Chase Mahabir and junior Kyle Grant were First Team All-NEC at midfield and defense, respectively. As a team, the Titans tallied 9.54 caused turnovers per game for 11th in the NCAA and tops in the NEC, while placing 14th in DI and second in the conference with 13.00 saves per game. Individually, Grant led the NEC and was fifth in the nation with 2.00 caused turnovers per game, while senior Ryan Richters finished second in the NEC and 11th in the country with 12.85 saves per game. Off the field, the team earned the USILA Team Academic Honor for having a GPA over 3.0, and 26 Titans were named to the NEC Honor Roll for posting over a 3.2 GPA. Hayes started his coaching career at UDM as a graduate assistant and Director of Lacrosse Operations in 2018 before becoming an assistant coach in 2021. He had been the defensive coordinator for the last three years and was in charge of coordinating team travel and logistics, assisting with student-athletes academic development, coordinating the use of facilities, and arranging alumni events and fundraising. With Hayes on staff, the Titans finished 8-7 in his first year, reaching the MAAC Semifinals. Logan Shamblin was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and was third in the conference with 11.47 saves per game. Also in 2019, Paul Manuszak was named MAAC LSM of the Year and finished fifth in the league with 4.80 ground balls per game. The Titans finished with a 5-2 conference record in 2019. In 2021 the Titans advanced to the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals. Manuszak was named the MAAC LSM of the Year for the second straight season, while five other Titans earned All-MAAC honors. In 2023, Hayes assisted the Titans to victories over Robert Morris and Lindenwood, while Drew Kessenich was named to the #ASUNMLAX All-Freshman team, while in 2024, Luke Majick earned ASUN Midfielder of the Year honors and Sean Donahue was named ASUN All-Freshman. Kyle Loken and Logan Martin were selected to play in the USILA Senior All-Star Game, while Ryan Richters ended the season in the top three in the nation in saves per game with 14.38. The short-stick defensive midfielder walked on and starred for the Titans from 2015-18, helping the team to its first two winning seasons, a school record for wins, three postseason trips, and advancing to one MAAC championship game. Hayes was one of the best defensive midfielders right from the start as a freshman and earned First Team All-MAAC Short Stick Midfield and MAAC All-Tournament as a senior and Second Team All-MAAC as a junior. In his final year as a Titan in 2018, he tallied career highs with 34 caused turnovers and 83 ground balls - both team highs - to go with a career-best 14 points on nine goals and five helpers. He led the MAAC and was seventh in the nation with 2.13 caused turnovers per game, the seventh-highest rate in school history, while the 34 total caused turnovers were tied for the most ever by a short-stick midfielder in NCAA history. His 83 ground balls were second in school history and second in the MAAC, while his 5.13 ground balls per game were third in the league and 26th in the nation. He ended his career playing in 58 total games with 70 caused turnovers and 1.21 caused turnovers per game, both third in school history, along with 147 ground balls, sixth in the record books, and 21 points on 15 goals and six assists. Off the field, he was a three-time member of the Detroit Mercy Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and a two-time recipient of the MAAC Academic Honor Roll and All-Academic Team. In 2021, Hayes was taken in the second round, 15th overall, in the Premier Lacrosse League Entry Draft. The native of Shelby Township, Michigan, and product of Eisenhower High School had played professionally with the Denver Outlaws of the MLL in 2019 and 2020, helping the team reach the championship game in both seasons. In 21 career games with the Outlaws, he tallied five goals, 48 ground balls, and 14 caused turnovers. In 2021, he played in six games with the Whipsnakes and had 10 ground balls and a caused turnover, helping the team reach the Championship game.  He graduated with a degree in Business in 2018 and a master’s in Business Administration in 2020. Hayes is married to the former Alex McCafferty, a four-year letterwinner for the UDM women’s lacrosse team from 2016-2019.

Adams is in his fourth season as an assistant coach and his third as the team's offensive coordinator. In the championship 2013 campaign, he worked with special teams and skill development, while the last three years as the offensive coordinator has seen the Titans set an NCAA record for man-up offense in 2014 and rank second in the MAAC in scoring offense in 2015.   In 2015, Detroit Mercy finished 13th in the nation in man-up offense (.451). In the MAAC, the Titans were second in man-up offense, scoring offense (9.93) and shot percentage (.286) and third in points per game (15.14).   Under his game plan, two Titans set career marks for offense in seniors Scott Drummond and Brandon Beauregard, while freshman Mark Anstead made an immediate impact and was named the MAACs Rookie of the Year.    In his first season as Detroits offensive coordinator in 2014, he helped develop a man-up unit that broke North Carolina's 29-year old record in man-up offense efficiency (.586) as the Titans scored at a .708 clip converting on 34-of-48 opportunities, completely dominating the old record. In conference play, Detroit Mercy was 12-of-16 (.750) and that didn't include its' 2-for-2 total in the MAAC Championship Semifinals.   Overall, the offense set a school record with 15.64 points per game and 91 assists in 2014 as the Titans made the MAAC Championship semifinals for the fourth-straight year.   He was a big part of the Titans first-ever MAAC title, upsetting top-seeded Marist in the semifinals and No. 3 Siena in the championship in 2013. The win over the Saints gave Detroit Mercy the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as it faced No. 2 Notre Dame in the first round and had a 5-1 lead against the Fighting Irish at the half.   Adams joined the Titans after a four-year playing career at Stony Brook, where he was a member of two NCAA tournament teams.  He played in 52 games in his four years as the Seawolves won 39 games, including a school record 13 in 2010. Stony Brook also won a pair of America East titles (2010, 2012) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2010.Playing attack and midfield, he notched 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, while picking up 11 ground balls.   A native of Royal Oak, he graduated from Brother Rice High School, where he earned three letters and was All-Region, All-State and All-American as a senior. The team won a state championship in each of his years and in 2008, he helped the squad to a perfect 23-0 record as Brother Rice was the STX/Inside Lacrosse National Champions. While in college, he was a summer camp instructor at Brother Rice as well as at All American Lacrosse.   He graduated from Stony Brook with a political science degree and is pursuing his masters in criminal justice at Detroit Mercy.   Graham Adams Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach ext. 7302 Twitter: Graham Adams is in his fourth season as an assistant coach and his third as the team's offensive coordinator. In the championship 2013 campaign, he worked with special teams and skill development, while the last three years as the offensive coordinator has seen the Titans set an NCAA record for man-up offense in 2014 and rank second in the MAAC in scoring offense in 2015.   In 2015, Detroit Mercy finished 13th in the nation in man-up offense (.451). In the MAAC, the Titans were second in man-up offense, scoring offense (9.93) and shot percentage (.286) and third in points per game (15.14).   Under his game plan, two Titans set career marks for offense in seniors Scott Drummond and Brandon Beauregard, while freshman Mark Anstead made an immediate impact and was named the MAACs Rookie of the Year.    In his first season as Detroits offensive coordinator in 2014, he helped develop a man-up unit that broke North Carolina's 29-year old record in man-up offense efficiency (.586) as the Titans scored at a .708 clip converting on 34-of-48 opportunities, completely dominating the old record. In conference play, Detroit Mercy was 12-of-16 (.750) and that didn't include its' 2-for-2 total in the MAAC Championship Semifinals.   Overall, the offense set a school record with 15.64 points per game and 91 assists in 2014 as the Titans made the MAAC Championship semifinals for the fourth-straight year.   He was a big part of the Titans first-ever MAAC title, upsetting top-seeded Marist in the semifinals and No. 3 Siena in the championship in 2013. The win over the Saints gave Detroit Mercy the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as it faced No. 2 Notre Dame in the first round and had a 5-1 lead against the Fighting Irish at the half.   Adams joined the Titans after a four-year playing career at Stony Brook, where he was a member of two NCAA tournament teams.  He played in 52 games in his four years as the Seawolves won 39 games, including a school record 13 in 2010. Stony Brook also won a pair of America East titles (2010, 2012) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2010.Playing attack and midfield, he notched 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, while picking up 11 ground balls.   A native of Royal Oak, he graduated from Brother Rice High School, where he earned three letters and was All-Region, All-State and All-American as a senior. The team won a state championship in each of his years and in 2008, he helped the squad to a perfect 23-0 record as Brother Rice was the STX/Inside Lacrosse National Champions. While in college, he was a summer camp instructor at Brother Rice as well as at All American Lacrosse.   He graduated from Stony Brook with a political science degree and is pursuing his masters in criminal justice at Detroit Mercy.  

The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team is retaining one of its own as 2023 graduate Tyler Hart was named an assistant coach in August of 2023. In his two seasons, Hart has helped the Titans knock on the doorstep of a playoff appearance in 2024 and then reach the NEC Championship in 2025, knocking off top-seeded Le Moyne in the semifinals on the road.   Hart was part of a coaching staff that saw Luke Majick earn Atlantic Sun Midfielder of the Year honors in 2024 and redshirt freshman Marcus Thundercloud tabbed the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2025. As a former goalie, he helped develop Ryan Richters as the senior finished second in the NEC and 11th in the country with 12.85 saves per game in 2025. In his two years in the Motor City, Richters broke the school record with 13.62 saves per game, was fourth with 354 saves, third at a .512 save percentage, fourth with a 13.06 goals-against average mark, and fifth with 3.04 GB's per contest "I am so happy to have Tyler back with us," said former head coach Chris Kolon '09 (MBA). "When you talk about a student-athlete who always thought of the team first, practiced hard every day, and was there for his teammates, that is what he is all about. I couldn't think of a better person to be on our staff and help grow this program." After starting his collegiate career at Lourdes University, he transferred to UDM in 2020 and was a four-year letterwinner for the Titans. A team captain as a senior, he appeared in 11 games with four starts in his career and tallied 71 saves. As a junior, he totaled 22 saves for a .524 save percentage and yielded an 11.01 goals against average. He was also part of the biggest comeback in school history as he came off the bench in the first period down 9-1 and played the final 49 minutes, posting seven saves in a 16-11 win.  With Lourdes, Hart appeared in 15 games as the Gray Wolves goalie in 2019. He made 104 saves and finished with a 6-5 record. The Brighton, Mich. native made a season-high 15 saves at Lawrence Tech.   "The opportunity I received from coach Kolon and the staff, I couldn't have accepted any faster," said Hart. "I love this program and University, and that will be exhibited through my coaching. It is a great privilege to be able to return to Detroit." Outside of college, he has been a coach for a number of club programs and local schools, including Birmingham, Brighton and Cranbrook and M53 Lacrosse, Omnia Lacrosse and True Lacrosse. He has also been the head of marketing and the event coordinator for Lax Bash tournaments.  He graduated from Detroit Mercy in 2023 with a degree in Communications and a minor in Leadership.  

Kolon is in his eighth season on the sidelines and second as a head coach - for Detroit in 2016. On June 2, 2014, he was tabbed UDMs interim head coach and then was named the permanent head coach on July 14. During his time with Detroit, Coach Kolon has overseen all aspects of the Titans defense and serves as UDMs recruiting coordinator. In his first season as the head coach of a young Detroit squad that featured 10 seniors and 16 upperclassmen on its 46-man roster, he guided the Titans to their first-ever winning record with a program best eight wins at 8-6. UDM also tied a school record with four conference victories and recorded wins over Ohio State, Bellarmine and Robert Morris for the first time in the programs seven years. Detroit received votes in the USILA Coachs Poll for the first time during the regular season. The Titans were also 6-0 at home and advanced to the MAAC Championship semifinals for the fifth-straight year. He also saw sophomore goalie Jason Weber lead the nation in saves per game for the second-straight season (14.43) as well as finishing third in the nation and second in the MAAC with a .589 save percentage. As a team in 2015, Detroit was number one in saves per game (15.14), marking the fifth time in the programs seven-year history that it has led the country in a stat, as well as 11th in clearing percentage (.883) and 13th in man-up offense (.451). In the MAAC, the Titans were number one in clearing percentage and caused turnovers (7.29), second in man-up offense, scoring offense (9.93), shot percentage (.286) and scoring margin (-0.29), while placing third in points per game (15.14) and scoring defense (10.21). Off the field, 35 Titans earned a place on the Detroit Athletic Directors Honor Roll, while Detroit led the MAAC for the fourth-straight season with 16 All-Academic selections. Kolons defensive mind and aggressiveness can be seen right among the nations leaders as Detroit led the nation in caused turnovers per game in 2012 (10.47) and 2011 (11.63), while finishing tied for second in 2013 (10.0) and third in 2010 (10.47). He helped tutor two of the top caused turnover leaders in NCAA history as three-time MAAC LSM of the Year Jordan Houtby finished his career number one in the NCAA record book with 158, while 2013 graduate and All-MAAC honoree defenseman Jamie Hebden was second at 123. In 2014, Kolon saw freshman Jason Weber earn the MAACs Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year as he topped the nation with a pair of school records, finishing with 16.27 saves per game and a .642 save percentage. The netminder made 179 total saves tying a UDM record and was 16th in the country and first in the MAAC with a 9.07 goals against average. As a team in 2014, Detroit was also tops in the NCAA in saves per game (16.07), while ending 19th in caused turnovers per game (7.79) and 20th in man-down defense (.673). Sophomore Paul Bitetti was the latest defenseman to shine in Coach Kolons scheme as he was 12th in DI and led the conference with 1.85 caused turnovers per game. In MAAC play, Detroit was the top man-down unit at 67.3%, while ranking second in the league in caused turnovers. The defense also set a school record in allowing just 9.61 goals per game second in the MAAC and a number that has dramatically decreased in UDMs six seasons going from 16.00 in 2009 and 12.00 in 2010 to under 10 in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the Titan defense gave up just 9.93 goals per game, second in the MAAC and 25th in the nation. His defense held the top scoring team in the MAAC, Marist, to just six goals in the conference semifinals and then allowed just nine goals to No. 2 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament the least amount of goals ever allowed by a MAAC squad in NCAA Tournament history. The Titan defense was also second in the MAAC and 14th in the nation in man-down defense (.708). Hebden finished second (2.53) and Houtby sixth (2.33) in caused turnovers per game, while goalie A.J. Levell was 15th in saves per game (11.83) and 17th in save percentage (.557). Houtby was tabbed Co-MAAC LSM of the Year, while Hebden was First Team All-MAAC on defense and Levell was a Second Team selection inbetween the pipes.   In 2012, UDM was also top 10 in saves per game (11.73), 12th in ground balls (32.27) and 13th in man-down defense (.738), and that was after finishing 15th in ground balls (32.94) in 2011. Three of his defensive players ranked in the top 50 in caused turnovers in 2011 in Houtby (2nd - 3.25), Hebden (5th - 2.5) and Jason McDonald (48th - 1.31). Houtby and Hebden would come back to post another strong junior campaign in 2012 as Houtby was again second tallying 2.53 per game, while Hebden was 35th at 1.2. Houtby has also earned Second Team All-Conference, while Hebden was a second team pick as a sophomore and junior. In 2010 in just the Titans second season as a varsity program, Detroit was third in the nation in caused turnovers at 10.47 per game. That number trailed only Maryland (11.38) and Syracuse (10.67). A pair of rookie long sticks were among the nations best as well as Houtby was sixth in the country in caused turnovers at 2.13 turnovers per game, a number that also led the MAAC. Hebdens name could be seen just under Houtbys as he was 25th in the NCAA with 1.6 caused turnovers per game. No stranger to lacrosse in the Metro Detroit area, Kolon has long been dedicated to the growth of lacrosse in Michigan. He began his coaching career with former UDM head coach Matt Holtz at Michigan State (2000-2001). Kolon then spent the next few years as a high school coach at Detroit Country Day (2003-2004) and Birmingham Seaholm (2006-2007), serving as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at all three stops, while maintaining a collegiate lacrosse officiating schedule. Kolon, a 1999 Rutgers University graduate, lettered for four years as a defenseman for the Scarlet Knights. He is a local graduate of Seaholm, where he quickly picked up the game as a sophomore and parlayed his love of the game into a collegiate scholarship, earning him the distinction of the first player from Seaholm history to play and earn a scholarship at the Division I level. Kolon earned his MBA from Detroit in 2009. He is also on the Advisory Board of All-American Lacrosse Leagues. Kolon, and his wife Elizabeth, are the proud parents of seven-year old twins, John and Thomas.   One of the best defensive minds in the game, Chris Kolon is in his eighth season on the sidelines and second as a head coach - for Detroit in 2016. On June 2, 2014, he was tabbed UDMs interim head coach and then was named the permanent head coach on July 14. During his time with Detroit, Coach Kolon has overseen all aspects of the Titans defense and serves as UDMs recruiting coordinator. In his first season as the head coach of a young Detroit squad that featured 10 seniors and 16 upperclassmen on its 46-man roster, he guided the Titans to their first-ever winning record with a program best eight wins at 8-6. UDM also tied a school record with four conference victories and recorded wins over Ohio State, Bellarmine and Robert Morris for the first time in the programs seven years. Detroit received votes in the USILA Coachs Poll for the first time during the regular season. The Titans were also 6-0 at home and advanced to the MAAC Championship semifinals for the fifth-straight year. He also saw sophomore goalie Jason Weber lead the nation in saves per game for the second-straight season (14.43) as well as finishing third in the nation and second in the MAAC with a .589 save percentage. As a team in 2015, Detroit was number one in saves per game (15.14), marking the fifth time in the programs seven-year history that it has led the country in a stat, as well as 11th in clearing percentage (.883) and 13th in man-up offense (.451). In the MAAC, the Titans were number one in clearing percentage and caused turnovers (7.29), second in man-up offense, scoring offense (9.93), shot percentage (.286) and scoring margin (-0.29), while placing third in points per game (15.14) and scoring defense (10.21). Off the field, 35 Titans earned a place on the Detroit Athletic Directors Honor Roll, while Detroit led the MAAC for the fourth-straight season with 16 All-Academic selections. Kolons defensive mind and aggressiveness can be seen right among the nations leaders as Detroit led the nation in caused turnovers per game in 2012 (10.47) and 2011 (11.63), while finishing tied for second in 2013 (10.0) and third in 2010 (10.47). He helped tutor two of the top caused turnover leaders in NCAA history as three-time MAAC LSM of the Year Jordan Houtby finished his career number one in the NCAA record book with 158, while 2013 graduate and All-MAAC honoree defenseman Jamie Hebden was second at 123. In 2014, Kolon saw freshman Jason Weber earn the MAACs Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year as he topped the nation with a pair of school records, finishing with 16.27 saves per game and a .642 save percentage. The netminder made 179 total saves tying a UDM record and was 16th in the country and first in the MAAC with a 9.07 goals against average. As a team in 2014, Detroit was also tops in the NCAA in saves per game (16.07), while ending 19th in caused turnovers per game (7.79) and 20th in man-down defense (.673). Sophomore Paul Bitetti was the latest defenseman to shine in Coach Kolons scheme as he was 12th in DI and led the conference with 1.85 caused turnovers per game. In MAAC play, Detroit was the top man-down unit at 67.3%, while ranking second in the league in caused turnovers. The defense also set a school record in allowing just 9.61 goals per game second in the MAAC and a number that has dramatically decreased in UDMs six seasons going from 16.00 in 2009 and 12.00 in 2010 to under 10 in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the Titan defense gave up just 9.93 goals per game, second in the MAAC and 25th in the nation. His defense held the top scoring team in the MAAC, Marist, to just six goals in the conference semifinals and then allowed just nine goals to No. 2 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament the least amount of goals ever allowed by a MAAC squad in NCAA Tournament history. The Titan defense was also second in the MAAC and 14th in the nation in man-down defense (.708). Hebden finished second (2.53) and Houtby sixth (2.33) in caused turnovers per game, while goalie A.J. Levell was 15th in saves per game (11.83) and 17th in save percentage (.557). Houtby was tabbed Co-MAAC LSM of the Year, while Hebden was First Team All-MAAC on defense and Levell was a Second Team selection inbetween the pipes.   In 2012, UDM was also top 10 in saves per game (11.73), 12th in ground balls (32.27) and 13th in man-down defense (.738), and that was after finishing 15th in ground balls (32.94) in 2011. Three of his defensive players ranked in the top 50 in caused turnovers in 2011 in Houtby (2nd - 3.25), Hebden (5th - 2.5) and Jason McDonald (48th - 1.31). Houtby and Hebden would come back to post another strong junior campaign in 2012 as Houtby was again second tallying 2.53 per game, while Hebden was 35th at 1.2. Houtby has also earned Second Team All-Conference, while Hebden was a second team pick as a sophomore and junior. In 2010 in just the Titans second season as a varsity program, Detroit was third in the nation in caused turnovers at 10.47 per game. That number trailed only Maryland (11.38) and Syracuse (10.67). A pair of rookie long sticks were among the nations best as well as Houtby was sixth in the country in caused turnovers at 2.13 turnovers per game, a number that also led the MAAC. Hebdens name could be seen just under Houtbys as he was 25th in the NCAA with 1.6 caused turnovers per game. No stranger to lacrosse in the Metro Detroit area, Kolon has long been dedicated to the growth of lacrosse in Michigan. He began his coaching career with former UDM head coach Matt Holtz at Michigan State (2000-2001). Kolon then spent the next few years as a high school coach at Detroit Country Day (2003-2004) and Birmingham Seaholm (2006-2007), serving as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at all three stops, while maintaining a collegiate lacrosse officiating schedule. Kolon, a 1999 Rutgers University graduate, lettered for four years as a defenseman for the Scarlet Knights. He is a local graduate of Seaholm, where he quickly picked up the game as a sophomore and parlayed his love of the game into a collegiate scholarship, earning him the distinction of the first player from Seaholm history to play and earn a scholarship at the Division I level. Kolon earned his MBA from Detroit in 2009. He is also on the Advisory Board of All-American Lacrosse Leagues. Kolon, and his wife Elizabeth, are the proud parents of seven-year old twins, John and Thomas.  

Ivan Progar returned to the men's lacrosse program as a graduate assistant/Director of Operations in January of 2024. He was a four-year letterwinner from 2020-2023, where he played in 27 games and tallied 18 points on 12 goals and six assists, and also picked up nine ground balls. As a senior, he saw action in 13 games with seven starts and posted a career-high 11 points, on a career-best seven goals and four assists, while also earning a selection to the Detroit Mercy Athletic Director's Honor Roll. He graduated from UDM in 2023 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Leadership and is currently pursuing a master in Ethical Leadership.