Mike Wagner began his collegiate lacrosse career in 2002 as an attackman for the inaugural UM-Dearborn Men’s Lacrosse Team, where he quickly became a key player and served as team captain for four seasons. As a founding member of the program, Wagner helped establish the team’s early success while earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. Wagner’s coaching journey began during his junior year when he served as an assistant coach for Northville High School from 2003 to 2005.

After graduating from UM-Dearborn, he returned to his alma mater in 2005 as an assistant coach. Over the next eight years, Wagner contributed significantly to the program’s development and, in 2014, expanded his role to include Recruiting Director. As Recruiting Director, Wagner has been instrumental in growing the team’s roster and broadening its geographic reach. Under his leadership, the percentage of out-of-state athletes on the roster has risen from 0% in 2014 to 40%, while the team’s retention rate has increased from 80% to over 90%.

In addition to his coaching achievements, Wagner had a successful post-collegiate playing career. He competed for the Detroit Coney Dogs Box Lacrosse Team during their inaugural season in 2012 and played for two MCLC teams: Great Lakes (2006-11) and Motor City (2012-17). With Motor City, Wagner helped lead the team to back-to-back MCLC Championships in 2016 and 2017. Beyond lacrosse, Wagner is a Senior Sales Manager at a global Tier 1 automotive supplier. He resides in Metro Detroit with his family and also dedicates time to coaching youth lacrosse with the Northville Cougars.