Erick Lemus is in his second season as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois Springfield men’s soccer program in 2021.
In his first season as a Prairie Star, Lemus helped UIS go 4-4-3 during its shortened 2021 spring campaign. UIS had one of the top defenses in the nation, allowing just seven goals in 11 games. It reached the GLVC postseason tournament, and had one player named to the all-conference squad.
Lemus was an assistant coach at Marymount University during the 2019 season. He helped that team go 12-7-1 on the year and reach the conference tournament championship game. The Mariners ranked in the upper half of the league by allowing 1.74 goals per game, and goalie Ramon Garcia was named second-team all-conference.
Lemus was an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s soccer teams at the University of Hawaii at Hilo from 2015-18. In 2018, he helped the women’s squad accomplish the best record in program history at 10-4-2, and it finished second in the Pacific West Conference. He coached the goalie that year to the second-best GAA record in program history with a 0.60 mark. On the men’s side, Lemus developed the program’s goalie into setting the program record for saves. In his four seasons coaching at Hawaii at Hilo, his goalies earned five Women’s PacWest Defender of the Week awards and three Men’s PacWest Defender of the Week honors.
Other coaching stops included being the head coach at the high school level at Mary Star of the Sea High School and Waiakea High School, and a club coach for Hawaii Rush and FRAM Soccer Club. He is also currently coaching at SASA Spirits and Central Illinois United, and is a coach for the Impact Goalkeeper Academy.
Lemus played one season at Franklin Pierce before transferring to Hawaii at Hilo. In 2014, he recorded a 1.41 GAA and had 24 saves in 12 matches. In high school, he played at Junipero Sierra in Gardena, Calif. He was once named the league’s MVP goalkeeper, and led the team to two league titles.
Lemus is certified with a US Soccer “C” License, and is currently working on the “B” license. He attended the International Goalkeeper Coaches Conference in Los Angeles in December 2019.
