East Michigan News

Sara Tisdale has resigned from her position as head coach of the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) lacrosse program, announced EMU Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee on July 29. A national search for the third head coach in the program's history will commence immediately.

"I want to thank Sara for her dedication to getting the lacrosse program up and running and building a solid foundation for its future," Wetherbee stated. "We have a bright future ahead with this program as we shift our focus toward bringing in a leader who will continue our push towards our ultimate goal of capturing the Mid-American Conference title."

Tisdale, appointed as head coach on June 21, 2022, led the team through its first two varsity seasons. The Eagles posted a 7-9 record in 2024 after finishing 2-14 in their inaugural season in 2023. The team's five-game improvement was reflected in league play, with a 4-2 finish in 2024, tying for second place in the MAC standings after going 1-7 in 2023.

"I want to thank Scott Wetherbee for the incredible opportunity to get EMU Lacrosse off the ground," Tisdale remarked. "I have loved my time as an Eagle and am grateful for the dedication and hard work of our student-athletes and staff. I look forward to watching the program continue to grow, thrive, and be crowned MAC Champions in 2025. Additionally, I'm thankful for being able to help create a culture of inclusivity through the University's DEIB efforts."

The inaugural season saw a roster primarily composed of freshmen. Eastern achieved its first victory with a home win over Delaware State University on March 7, 2023, at Scicluna Field and concluded the year with another home victory against local rival University of Detroit Mercy on April 29, 2023.

In their second season under Tisdale's guidance, EMU improved significantly and placed second in the MAC conference standings. They earned their first back-to-back wins and road victories early in the season against Howard University and Delaware State University. EMU also secured consecutive conference wins against Akron and Kent State University.

Sydney Lawrence was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year for 2024 while Maddie Porter received recognition as MAC Freshman of the Year. Porter led NCAA Division I ranks with an average of 4.20 ground balls per game.

Academically, Tisdale’s teams excelled both on campus and nationally. In 2023, they recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.723—second highest among all NCAA Division I teams—and followed up with a GPA of 3.738 in 2024.

For updates on EMU Lacrosse, visit EMUEagles.com or follow @EMU_Lacrosse on Instagram and Twitter.

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