Former Lion standout Michael Erush finished his 10th year on Head Coach Paul Krumpe's staff in 2016. He was promoted to Associate Head Coach in February of 2015. The 2003 LMU graduate was a four-time All-WCC selection, and played professionally for several years both in the United States and internationally, following his Lion career. He is the first Lion to both play and work under current LMU Head Coach Paul Krumpe.
Erush was named the Head Coach of Hollywood United of the Premier Development League, winning the league championship during the expansion year in 2009. He also served as assistant coach of the United States team that competed at the Maccabiah Games in Israel in the summer of 2009. In the summer of 2010, he returned to the PDL as the head coach of the Orange County Blue Stars and headed up the USA team that played at the Maccabi Australia International Games in December 2010, going on to earn the Silver Medal.
In the summer of 2011, Erush was named a United States Soccer Federation Southern California Scout and is responsible for evaluating, developing, and scouting youth players for the U.S. National teams. Erush coached with the South Bay Force from 2009 and the Fram Soccer Club, which became the top ranked club in California, from 2009-14. In July of 2014, he joined the L.A. Galaxy Academy Youth Staff alongside the likes of Peter Venegas, Michael Munoz and Ante Razov.
While a player at LMU, Erush served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons. In each of Erush's final three years at LMU, the Lions advanced to the NCAA Tournament, culminating in a first-round bye and national seeding in the 2003 postseason. During his senior campaign, Erush helped the team to a #13 seed in the 2003 College Cup. He was named All-WCC Second Team in 2000, 2001, 2002, and was named First Team in 2003. He was a First Team 2003 NSCAA All Far West Selection and was named 2003 First Team All-America by the Jewish Review. Erush graduated a semester early in December 2003 with a degree in Business Management. He went on to earn his M.A. in Education from LMU in the summer of 2010.
In addition to a stellar collegiate resume, Erush has a wide range of professional experience. He became only the third Lion in program history to join the MLS as he played for the Colorado Rapids in 2004 and Chivas USA in 2005. He spent the majority of 2006 with Miami FC of the USL's First Division, where he played alongside Brazilian legend Romario. He has international playing experience, spending time with Hapoel Ashkelon F.C. in the Israeli Second Division, Lombard Papa of Hungary's First Division, and Olimpia Balti in Moldova's First Division.
A native of Van Nuys, Cali., Erush spent extensive time with the United States U-14, U-16 and U-18 National teams. He was team captain of both the U-14 and U-16 teams and also represented the United States as a member of the team that traveled to Israel in 2005 for the 17th Maccabiah Games where the team went on to win a Silver Medal. A 2000 NSCAA High School All-America selection from Birmingham High School, Erush was honored as the 1999 LA Times and Daily News Player of the Year.
Erush also serves on two NSCAA committees. As a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), he holds several national coaching licenses and serves on the NCAA committee that is responsible for selecting the national assistant coach of the year. He's also on the NSCAA Division I All-American Committee for the Far West Region.
He helps organize and coordinate LMU recruits, mentors the backline and handles video editing, opponent scouting and scheduling. He is the founder and director of the LMU Men's Soccer Camps and Clinics, which brings in over 350 prospective student-athletes to LMU.
In December 2015, Erush will serve as the Head Coach for the Maccabi Pan AM games to be held in Santiago, Chile.
He and his wife, Ally, were married in July 2016 and reside in Culver City, California.
