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.
