Cecil C. Pilson served as the head coach of the Butler women's lacrosse program from 2017 through the 2022 season. He was hired Dec. 16, 2015, as the first coach in program history, preparing the Bulldogs in advance of the program's inaugural season in 2017.
In his six seasons leading the Bulldogs, the team posted a record of 17-68.
The program's commitment to academic excellence was highlighted by a 3.686 team GPA during the Spring 2022 semester, as 35 Bulldogs earned Butler Athletic Director's Honor Roll accolades, including nine with a perfect 4.0 GPA that also resulted in Dean's List honors.
Butler went 6-9 during the 2022 campaign, setting a program record for single-season wins. Two Bulldogs, Campbell Connors and Lindsey Schreiber, were selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the conference's head coaches following the season. The duo became the first Bulldogs to be named to an all-conference team in program history.
In the 2021 season, Pilson saw goalie Amanda Rumsey set a new single-game school record for saves, with 18 against Marquette on April 25.
Pilson led Butler to its most successful season in 2020, tallying a 5-2 record before competition was canceled on March 14, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In just seven games, the Bulldogs broke six single-game team records and two single-game individual records. Butler also won its first season opener in program history and set a new season-best five wins.
Before his time at Butler, Pilson spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. He posted an impressive 133-57 overall record for a .700 winning percentage. His teams were ranked in the Top 15 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) final poll in seven of his final eight seasons. Pilson successfully recruited and coached 11 IWLCA All-Americans, 21 IWLCA All-Region selections, and 35 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honorees during that time.
Pilson’s coaching philosophy of “Athletic Success through Academic Achievement” exemplified itself with 99 PSAC Scholar-Athletes (cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher), 43 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll Athletes (cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher), and Mercyhurst posting the highest team GPA in the PSAC in each of the his final three seasons. In 2015, his team was recognized as the IWLCA Merit Squad for having the top team GPA of all NCAA Division II programs.
Pilson’s Mercyhurst team finished the 2015 campaign ranked tenth in the country in the final IWLCA Division II poll. The Lakers had a 15-4 overall record and advanced to the PSAC Championship game for the second straight year, and third time in the last four seasons. Mercyhurst's 2015 record marked the tenth consecutive winning season for the program.
Before taking over at Mercyhurst, Pilson spent several seasons assisting head coach Janet Grubbs at Longwood University, a then-Division II institution located in Farmville, Va.
As a member of the staff, the Lancers posted a 75-17-1 (.806) record and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2002 before advancing to the National Championship game in 2003. In both of those seasons, the Lancers were ranked in the top-10 and had 10 players combine for 19 All-America awards and three IWLCA Player of the Year honors.
Outside of coaching, Pilson spent eight years with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and served overseas with the Regimental Combat Team I during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
He played one year of lacrosse at Western New England College before transferring to Longwood, where he earned a degree in physical education with a concentration in exercise science and a minor in coaching in the spring of 2004.
Pilson and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Fletcher and Roderick.
