Emma Kuehl Named Detroit Mercy Women's Lacrosse Coach

Following a summer-long search for the seventh head coach in program history, Detroit Mercy has tabbed Emma Kuehl as its next women's lacrosse coach. The program announced the hire on Friday.

Kuehl comes to Detroit Mercy from Lawrence Tech (NAIA), where she was head coach for the past two seasons and the assistant in 2022 and 2023, helping the team win an NAIA national championship in 2023. 

Kuehl also has extensive high school coaching experience and played four years at Johns Hopkins. Before graduating in 2007, she helped the Blue Jays reach the NCAA tournament twice.

Continue below for the full release from Detroit Mercy.

PRESS RELEASE

DETROIT — A winner as a student-athlete, a high school coach, and at the collegiate level will now look to guide the Titans to new heights as the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team announced that Emma Kuehl will be the seventh head coach in school history.

Kuehl will take over duties immediately after arriving from nearby Lawrence Tech University. 

"Our applicant pool was quite large, but Coach Kuehl's experience as a student-athlete at the highest level, her prior coaching success, and character separated her and made her our choice," said Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr. "She has been on a staff that has won a national championship and we look for her to not only provide stability, but build this program into MAC a championship contender."

A veteran in collegiate coaching, she has served as a head coach at Lawrence Tech and at American University, was an assistant at California, and a high school head coach at Detroit Country Day, Georgetown Visitation Prep School in Washington, D.C., and Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia. 

"I'm incredibly excited to step into the role as head women's lacrosse coach at Detroit Mercy," said Kuehl. "It's an honor to lead a program with such strong tradition, values, and potential. I can't wait to get to work with this talented group of student-athletes and build something special together, both on and off the field."

She arrived at LTU as an assistant coach in 2022 and 2023, helping the squad achieve a 34-2 overall record and back-to-back trips to the NAIA national finals, culminating in a championship in 2023. She took over as the head coach the following season and led the team to a 26-8 record, two WHAC championships, two NAIA tournament appearances, and a national runner-up finish in 2024. 

In her two years as a head coach, the Blue Devils earned 10 NAIA All-American awards, 11 All-Conference accolades, and 12 IWLCA Honor Roll status.

Before joining LTU, Kuehl served as the head coach at Detroit Country Day for five years, compiling an overall record of 66-7 and winning a MHSAA state championship in 2023, as well as finishing as runner-up in 2022. She also earned the MWLCA Division Two Coach of the Year honor in 2021. 

Her first head coaching opportunity came at American, where she guided the Eagles for six years from 2013 to 2018. During her time, eight student-athletes were selected All-Patriot League, two earned Patriot League All-Tournament honors, and the 2013 Patriot Rookie of the Year award. Additionally, the program saw six consecutive IWLCA honor squad recognitions, as well as the 2013 Merit Squad award for maintaining one of the top three GPAs among women's lacrosse teams in Division One. More accolades followed with five Academic All-Patriot League honors, 93 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections, and 24 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll selections. 

Kuehl was recognized with the 2013 Coaching Excellence Award after leading the squad to one of its best seasons in program history, matching the program record with five conference wins and earning its highest seed in the Patriot League tournament since 2008. American went 8-10 after starting 0-6 on the year and posted the program's first-ever upset of a ranked opponent, defeating then No. 12 Johns Hopkins 10-9 in overtime. 

Before assuming that role, she was an assistant at Cal from 2011-12, helping the Bears to 17 wins, while also serving as head coach of the BearLax Lacrosse Club. 

Prior to Cal, Kuehl led Georgetown Visitation Prep to the Independent School League Tournament Finals with a record of 14-4 and Highland HS to the Virginia Independent School League State tournament in 2008, 2009 and 2010, earning DAC Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2008 and 2010. She also coached the Upper Corner Lacrosse Club in northern Virginia. 

Kuehl played four years of lacrosse at Johns Hopkins, helping the Blue Jays to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and graduating in 2007 with a degree in Political Science.