Skiera tabs Erik Hultgren as assistant coach of lacrosse program

BLACKSBURG – Kristen Skiera and the Virginia Tech lacrosse program announced the hiring of Erik Hultgren as assistant coach Friday afternoon. He comes to Blacksburg after most recently serving as an assistant coach at Mercer for the past three seasons.

“I am thrilled that Erik will be joining our program as assistant coach and offensive coordinator,” Skiera said Monday afternoon. “I have admired his work while at Mercer, having positioned the Mercer offense in the top 10 scoring offense in country in the last three seasons. He brings with him an impressive knowledge of the game, as well as strong coaching philosophy developed throughout his varied experiences in the game. 

Hultgren has helped lead the Bears to three Big South regular season and tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in all three of his seasons in Macon.

This past season he mentored Ayla Galloway on the draw circle who averaged 9.35 per game which ranked eighth nationally. On the offensive side of the field, Caroline Gus scored 68 goals, the ninth-most in D1. She was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Year.

Mercer has finished in the top 20 in the country in scoring offense every season under Hultgren. His first season with the Bears in 2024, Mercer finished the season with the fourth-best scoring offense in the country at 16.35 goals per game. Attacker Gabby DiVirgilio was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Year after finishing the 2024 season tied for the second most points in program history with 98.

In his three seasons, the Bears have produced 19 athletes who garnered All-Conference honors.

He spent one season at his alma mater Seton Hill in 2023, and Hultgren was an assistant coach on the University of Lynchburg women's lacrosse team for three seasons from 2019-2022.

After finishing his collegiate career at Seton Hill, Hultgren continued his playing career while simultaneously entering the coaching profession that included stops with the Ohio Machine and Rochdale Lacrosse Club. He also helped coach both the men’s and women’s English National Academy teams in 2019.

In his career as a midfielder for Seton Hill from 2013-2016, Hultgren scored 51 goals with 13 assists for 64 points. He also collected 60 ground balls. During his senior year, 2016, Hultgren was named to the ECAC All Conference team and selected to play in the USILA DI/DII Senior All Star Game. He also served as team captain his senior year.