Mike Lane will enter his ninth season at the helm of the NJIT women’s basketball program in 2026-27 after leading the Highlanders through one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2025-26.
NJIT advanced to the second round of the WNIT for the first time ever and earned the program’s first postseason victory with a win at Merrimack on March 19. The Highlanders made their first postseason appearance in the Division I era and second overall (2004-05 ECAC Tournament), while setting a new program record with 19 overall victories, surpassing the previous mark of 18 set in 2004-05. NJIT also established a program-best 10 road wins, tied the school record with nine America East Conference victories, and posted nine non-conference wins — the most in the Division I era.
The 2025-26 season also featured several historic individual and team milestones. Alejandra Zuniga became NJIT’s all-time leading scorer on January 17 at Bryant, set the program’s single-season scoring record with 39 points at UMBC on January 1, 2026 and capped her career with 1,741 career points. Allison Cannon recorded the first triple-double (14pts, 11ast, 10reb) in the NJIT Division I era and third in program history. NJIT’s win over Saint Peter’s on November 19 marked the program’s largest margin of victory since 2012 and helped spark the best start in school history at 5-1. The Highlanders also drew a record-setting Education Day crowd of 2,326 against UMass Lowell.
Lane was named the 12th head women’s basketball coach in program history in May 2018.
In 2024-25, the Highlanders recorded their fourth straight double-figure win total, finishing with 11 victories and eight America East wins, one shy of the program record. Freshman Olivia Kulyk was named the 2025 America East Rookie of the Year, earned Third Team All-Conference honors, and was selected to the All-Rookie Team. Alejandra Zuniga garnered First Team All-Conference honors, while Trinity Williams earned a spot on the America East All-Defensive Team.
In 2023-24, the Highlanders totaled 13 wins and finished 8-8 in America East play, placing fifth in the conference standings. Freshman Alejandra Zuniga was selected America East Rookie of the Year, becoming the first NJIT women’s basketball player to earn the honor.
In his fourth season at the helm, Lane guided the Highlanders to one of the most successful seasons in the NJIT Division I era, concluding the 2021-22 campaign with a 15-15 overall record. The 15 victories marked the second-highest win total since NJIT transitioned to Division I in 2006-07, while the Highlanders also established a then-program record with eight road wins.
Picked eighth in the 2021-22 America East Preseason Coaches Poll, NJIT exceeded expectations by recording a program-best nine conference wins and earning the No. 4 seed in the America East Championship. The Highlanders hosted their first-ever America East quarterfinal game on March 5, 2022, defeating UMass Lowell 47-33 for the program’s first America East postseason victory.
Lane came to NJIT after spending six seasons at Bucknell University as the top assistant coach, helping guide the Bison to a program-best 27-6 record, a Patriot League championship, and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.
During his tenure at Bucknell, Lane helped the Bison produce three consecutive 20-win seasons, compile a 48-6 Patriot League record over a three-year span, capture a share of the regular season conference title, and earn two WNIT appearances (2015, 2018). In 2015, Bucknell captured the first postseason victory in program history.
Prior to Bucknell, Lane served as head coach at Division III Dominican University, where he compiled a 69-61 overall record over five seasons.
In 2011, Lane was named Northern Athletics Conference Coach of the Year after leading Dominican to a school-record 20-win season, the program’s first NAC South Division title, and a national ranking of 17th in scoring offense at 74.1 points per game.
The following season, Dominican posted a 19-9 record, captured its second consecutive NAC South Division title, advanced to the NAC Tournament Championship game for the first time in school history, and set a program record with 218 three-point field goals, ranking seventh nationally in NCAA Division III.
Lane began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Chicago in 2005 as an assistant coach.
During his time at Chicago, the program compiled a 35-15 overall record, including a perfect 22-0 mark in non-conference play. Lane helped guide the Maroons to their first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the USA Today/ESPN poll during the 2006-07 season and contributed to a school-record 16-game winning streak.
The 2006-07 team also set school records for rebounds in a season, ranked fourth nationally in rebounding margin (+10.8), and finished 24th nationally in field goal percentage defense (33.9 percent).
Lane’s first coaching experience came at the high school level as the boys’ varsity assistant coach at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago from 2003-05.
A 1993 graduate of University of Notre Dame, Lane earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing.
(Updated May 2026)
