The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team completed its coaching staff with the hiring of Nick Pietras as an assistant coach in the summer of 2026. 

Pietras spent the last four seasons at Madonna, serving as the defensive coordinator for all four years, adding the title of associate head coach in 2024, and also serving as the Assistant Program Director for True Detroit. 

"We are thrilled to announce the addition of Coach Pietras to our program!," said head coach Charlie Hayes '18. "Coach Pietras brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to our staff. Throughout the interview process, his energy and passion for the game were unmatched. He is someone who genuinely cares about the development of the young men he coaches, and I am confident that Coach Pietras will have a significant impact on our players both on and off the field."

In his four seasons, Madonna went from a pair of eight win campaigns to a 14-6 mark and a NAIA semifinals appearance in his third year and a 20-2 record, WHAC Championship and NAIA national championship appearance this past year. 

In his time, Pietras oversaw all defensive responsibilities and recruiting, transforming the Crusaders' defense into the most aggressive unit in the country. Under his guidance, the defense established a reputation for relentless pressure, consistently leading the nation in caused turnovers across all levels of collegiate lacrosse. His unit has broken multiple individual and team NAIA defensive records, including total caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game. He has also coached 14 NAIA All-Americans - nine on the defensive side - 24 WHAC All-Conference selections, including 11 on defense, four WHAC Players of the Year, and three Defensive Players of the Year. 

His defense led the NAIA in caused turnovers the last three seasons, including 87 more takeaways than the number two team in 2026 and 100 more than the next team in 2025. The Crusaders also had the nation's top-three caused-turnover leaders in 2025, while leading all of NAIA in ground balls the last two years. 

Before joining the Crusaders, he was the head coach at Anthony Wayne High School, leading the program to a 13-4 record and its first conference title in over six years. His coaching resume also includes stints with Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Cass Tech, and the Premier Lacrosse Group travel program. 

A native of Warren, Michigan, Pietras earned dual degrees in Marketing and Business Administration from Lourdes University in 2022 and a master's in Business Administration from Madonna in 2024.