Mike Hernandez
MIKE HERNANDEZ
PHS CLASS OF 2012
Mike Hernandez graduated from Piedmont High School in 2012, where he established himself as one of the most accomplished lacrosse players in school history while also competing in varsity soccer and water polo. He earned JV Lacrosse MVP as a freshman, followed by NCS Scholar Athlete recognition and BSAL All-League 2nd Team honors as a sophomore. As a junior, he was named BSAL All-League 1st Team at midfield and Team MVP. His senior season was extraordinary: as team captain, Mike earned BSAL League MVP, BSAL All-League 1st Team, and Team MVP honors, while also being named a US Lacrosse High School All-American, an Adrenaline All-American, and to the East Bay All-Lacrosse Team. He helped lead Piedmont to the NCS tournament Final Four and was named Piedmont High School's Co-Male Athlete of the Year. He finished his PHS career as the program's all-time leader in points, goals, and assists before signing his National Letter of Intent with the University of Michigan.
Mike continued his career at the University of Michigan, playing four seasons of Division I lacrosse from 2013 through 2016. He was selected to the ECAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman and earned NSCA All-American recognition as a senior, graduating with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geology). He then advanced to professional lacrosse with the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse, earning a roster spot through open tryouts in 2017, scoring his first professional goal against the Chesapeake Bayhawks, and subsequently being drafted by the Outlaws in 2018. He returned to the team in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, Mike earned a place on Mexico's National Team through open tryouts. He helped Mexico achieve its best-ever finish at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championships in San Diego and later contributed to a silver-medal performance at the Pan American Sixes in Kingston, Jamaica.
Mike has continued to make an impact in lacrosse through coaching and leadership. Professionally, he serves as Senior Programs Manager for Catastrophe Response and Flight Operations at Vexcel Imaging. Over the past decade, he has coached at multiple levels, including three years at Cherry Creek High School, where the program won two Colorado state championships; two years at the University of Colorado Boulder; and five years at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. He also serves as an assistant coach with Mexico's U20 National Team, which finished ninth at the 2025 World Championships in Korea. From a standout Piedmont High School athlete to a Division I All-American, professional player, international competitor, and accomplished coach, Mike has carried his commitment to lacrosse well beyond his years at PHS and has represented Piedmont with distinction on national and international stages.