After leading the Golden Eagles to another outstanding season in 2024, Michael Erush returns for his fourth season as the head coach of the Cal State LA men’s soccer program. Erush directed the Golden Eagles to a 12-3-6 overall record as the program remained a fixture at the top of the NCAA Division II.
The Golden Eagles were 5-1-5 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play and extended their incredible conference unbeaten streak to a program-record 30 games in a row before a loss in the regular-season finale dropped them out of a share of first place.
The Golden Eagles earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Super Region 4 and picked up a 4-1 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in a second-round match in University Stadium. The Golden Eagles fell to eventual Super Region 4 champion Colorado State-Pueblo in Pueblo to end their season.
Cal State LA was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation and spent eight weeks in the national top-three. The Golden Eagles were ranked No. 11 in the nation in the final poll from the United Soccer Coaches.
Erush has a sparkling record of 45-6-12 in his first three seasons as the program’s head coach, including a 22-3-8 mark in conference play. Cal State LA has collected 19 All-CCAA, 11 All-Region and 7 All-America awards during his tenure as head coach. He has also had players earn 1 West Region Player of the Year, 1 CCAA Player of the Year, 2 CCAA Midfielders of the Year, 1 CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, 1 CCAA Defender of the Year, 1 CCAA Freshman of the Year and 1 CCAA Elite 13 awards.
Since he joined the program as an assistant coach in 2018, the Golden Eagles are 97-12-21 with one national championship, two Super Region 4 titles, three CCAA regular-season titles and four CCAA Tournament titles.
Erush led the Golden Eagles to CCAA regular-season and tournament titles and into the national quarterfinals in a brilliant second season as the Golden Eagles’ head coach in 2023.
Cal State LA was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation during the season and ended it ranked No. 5 in the country in the final United Soccer Coaches poll after the season. The Golden Eagles reclaimed their CCAA regular-season title – their third in four seasons – and won a third consecutive CCAA Tournament title.
The Golden Eagles also hosted the first two rounds of the Super Region 4 for a fourth straight season and, after a 1-0 win over Point Loma in the second round, they traveled to Midwestern State and recorded a 1-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona. The Golden Eagles advanced to the Super Region 4 championship match for a third time in four seasons, where they fell in penalty kicks after a 3-3 tie with Colorado State Pueblo.
Erush led the Golden Eagles to an 18-1-3 overall record and a 10-1 mark in conference play. After their lone loss of the season on Oct. 1, the Golden Eagles were unbeaten over their final 14 matches of the season. A nine-game winning streak to conclude conference play resulted in a conference regular-season title and a 2-0 win over Cal State San Marcos and a penalty-kick decider after a 0-0 tie with Cal Poly Pomona gave the Golden Eagles the tournament title as well.
Erush and assistant coaches Dallas Jaussi, Erick Lemus, Artus Jozkowicz and Gustavo Gomez were honored after the season as the NCAA Division II West Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.
In his first season as head coach in 2022, Erush led Cal State LA to another outstanding season.
In what might have been expected to be a rebuilding year following the heavy losses from the 2021 NCAA Division II national championship team, Erush was instead able to maintain Cal State LA’s spot as one of the premier programs in the nation. He guided a largely revamped roster to a second straight CCAA Tournament championship and to a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA Super Region 4 for a third straight season.
Cal State LA spent four weeks ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation and eight weeks in the national top-10. The Golden Eagles were ranked No. 8 in the final regular-season poll and No. 13 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll released after the season.
Erush made sure Cal State LA continued its remarkable run of success with a 15-2-3 overall record and a 7-1-3 mark in conference play. Cal State LA won its first seven games of 2022, including a first-ever win over Simon Fraser, a 3-1 win over PacWest Conference power Azusa Pacific and a 6-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in a non-conference matchup. The Golden Eagles ran their conference unbeaten streak to 26 games before a hard-fought loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills. Cal State LA promptly started a new unbeaten streak that reached nine games and lifted them into second place in the CCAA, just one point out of first.
As the No. 2 seed in the conference tourney, the Golden Eagles beat Sonoma State, 2-1, and Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2-1, in San Bernardino to claim the tournament title. Cal State LA then entered the NCAA playoffs as the Super Region 4’s No. 1 seed, but fell to Northwest Nazarene in the second round at University Stadium to end the year.
Erush was a main part of Cal State LA's men's soccer coaching staff in 2021 that was named the national Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches. Erush helped the Golden Eagles to an 18-2-3 overall record and a sweep of championships - the CCAA regular-season, CCAA Tournament, Super Region 4 and, ultimately, NCAA Division II titles.
The Golden Eagles were unbeaten in conference play (10-0-1) and roared back from a 2-2-1 start with a 16-0-2 finish that included CCAA Tournament wins over Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona and Super Region 4 wins over Colorado State Pueblo, Colorado Mesa and Cal Poly Pomona to earn a spot back in the NCAA Championships.
Cal State LA then advanced to the championship game after a thrilling penalty-kick shootout following a 0-0 tie with Nova Southeastern before toppling defending champion Charleston, 1-0, in a rematch from the 2019 title game.
Erush helped the Golden Eagles to a record-setting 2019 season that saw the team win CCAA and Super Region 4 championships on their way to the national championship game. Cal State LA set a new program record for winning percentage (.891) after going 19-1-3 overall. The Golden Eagles went undefeated while winning a conference title with a 10-0-1 record and were unbeaten heading into the national title game.
Cal State LA reached the national title game for the first time since 1981 and for just the second time in program history.
Erush was a welcome addition in 2018 as he helped lead the Golden Eagles to another successful season. Cal State LA captured its second consecutive CCAA Tournament title and finished the season with a 15-3-3 overall record, earning a top 10 ranking, and reaching the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
In addition to his on-field coaching, he has also handled communication among players, professors and academic advisors to ensure all classroom requirements were being met. The team in 2019-2020 had the highest grade point average in the program's history.
Erush came to Cal State LA with outstanding credentials. After a Hall of Fame playing career at Loyola Marymount, Erush served as a valuable member of the Lions’ coaching staff for 11 seasons, the last four as the program’s associate head coach. He began his coaching career in 2007 and was promoted to associate head coach in February of 2014.
While at LMU, he helped organize and coordinate recruits, guided the back line, and handled scheduling, video editing, and opponent scouting. He successfully guided student-athletes both on and off the field. Collectively, the team held over a 3.0 grade point average, had a graduation rate of 96% and qualified for the WCC All-Academic Teams.
Erush developed more than 40 players who made it into the professional ranks. He coordinated and ran all training sessions, game plans and scouting reports. He supervised all aspects of a NCAA Division I Program, including budget management, recruitment of players, compliance, eligibility, team practice and game management.
Erush has also served as the Head Coach for the USA Maccabi Games and coached his team to a silver medal in the World Maccabi Games in 2022. He also participated in the World Maccabi Games in Mexico City in 2019 and Israel in 2017, the Maccabi Pan Am games in Chili in 2015 and Maccabi Games in Israel and Australia in 2009 and 2010.
Erush, a former member of the U.S. Youth National Team (U14-17), has also devoted much time in recent years to coaching youth club teams. In 2019, he coached the LA Breakers FC Elite U19 boys’ soccer club team, leading the team to a No. 1 ranking in the nation. LA Breakers recently promoted Erush to new positions as Director of Elite Clubs National League and Director of College Recruiting.
In 2020, Erush also accepted a position with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) as the U17 Staff Coach. With his experiences with US Soccer and now with US Youth Soccer, he brings multiple levels of experience into the youth and college game.
Erush has also served as a US soccer scout (2011-2016), identifying the top youth players in Southern California. He was a member of the LA Galaxy Academy staff in 2014, helping the team to win the conference championship. He served as well on the Division I All American Committee for the West Region.
Erush excelled as a high school soccer player, being named player of the year by both the Los Angeles Times and San Fernando Valley Daily News. He then had a legendary college playing career at Loyola Marymount, which inducted him into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2017. He was a four-time All-West Coast Conference selection, earning first-team honors in 2003. He also earned All-Far West first team and third-team All-America honors and was a team captain during his junior and senior seasons. The Lions advanced to the NCAA playoffs in each of his last three seasons.
He later became only the third LMU player to join the MLS as he played for the Colorado Rapids and Chivas USA. He spent the majority of 2006 with Miami FC of the USL’s First Division. He also had international playing experience in Israel, Hungary and Moldova.
Both on the playing field and as a coach, Erush has demonstrated a fierce competitive drive combined with a deep sense of honor. He wants his players to be principled young men as much as he wants them to win.
Erush earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his master’s degree in education, both from Loyola Marymount. He lives in Studio City with his wife Ally and their two daughters, Lea and Hannah.
