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Coaches' Bios

LTHS Coaching Staff

Derek  DeJoe

Varsity Head Coach

varsitycoach@laketravislacrosse.com


 

Coach DeJoe came to Austin in 2016 after spending 4 years  at Syracuse University D1 starting midfielder where he helped lead the team to an NCAA National Championship.

After graduating from Syracuse University, Coach Dejoe played professional MLL for the Rochester Rattlers and Ohio Machine to which lead the Ohio Machines to a 2017 MLL Championship.  

From 2016-20 Coach DeJoe   coached  for Iron Horse-Austin Club Team as well as 2  high school Varsity lacrosse programs, leading them into outstanding state rankings.   

Highlights:

  • Iron Horse Austin Select Team Head Coach 3 yrs-Created practice plans for aspiring DI, II, and III student athletes 
  • Offensive Coach at CyWoods HS Varsity Lax  2 yrs-grew Division II team to a #2 ranked behind Woodlands 
  • Offensive Coach at Bridgeland HS Varsity Lax 3 yrs-2019 THSLL  Division I Coach of the Year. Lead team to #2 ranking in D1 for Houston District behind Woodlands. 
  • Lake Travis Youth Lacrosse Board Member/Head Coach-3 yrs instruct/coordinate tournaments/games/practice plans. Lead private individual/group lessons. Apparel/uniform coordinator.    
  • Professional MLL Player for Rochester Rattlers & Ohio Machines: 2017 MLL Champions-Ohio Machines
  • Syracuse Men's Lacrosse DI starter Midfielder, 2013 NCAA Champions, 2013 Big East Conference Champions, 2015 & 16 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions.  
  • Syracuse University-  4 yrs on Student Athlete Advisory Committee Team Rep. bridging athletes, coaches & ACC Administrators.

Coach DeJoe  grew up in New York where he played at New York power Fairport High School where he was Team Captain, All-American, All-Conference, Top 40 Inside Lacrosse Midfielder. He then moved on to Syracuse University  where he played Division 1 Lacrosse for 4 yrs-see highlights. 

John Wheeler

Assistant Varsity Coach

 

Coach Wheeler attended Salisbury University where he played under head coach Jim Berkman, the winningest coach in NCAA lacrosse history (includes D1, D2, and D3). 2x Division 3 National Champion, with 3 straight appearances to championship weekend. He was also a team captain during his senior season.

Coach Wheeler has been the offensive Co-Ordinator for the Lake Travis Varsity program.  He has also been coaching with Iron Horse Lacrosse over the past two years. Prior to coming to Austin, Coach Wheeler spent 4 summers doing clinics and coaching teams ranging from 1st grade to High school with the Dallas Deuces and Iron Horse lacrosse club. After completing his 4 years of eligibility playing at Salisbury, he joined the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in the fall of 2018. Post-graduation he moved back to Dallas and joined Jesuit’s coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the 2019 season.

Coach Wheeler was born and raised in Dallas where he attended Jesuit and graduated in 2014. While attending Jesuit,  Coach played both football and lacrosse for four years. As a member of the lacrosse team they went to 4 straight final fours and were 2x state runners up. Fun fact: Lake Travis knock his team out of the 5A state football playoffs his senior year.

Garret Fales

Assistant JV Coach


TBD

Hudson Bearden

Varsity Assistant Coach

Face-off  

FOA (Faceoff Academy) Texas Director 

Top-ranked faceoff in NCAA at 80.5% (2021) 

5th overall in ground balls per game with 12.40 (2021) 

1st Team All-Conference SCAC (2021) 

3X SCAC Defensive Player of the Week 

SCAC Specialist of the year (2021) 

2nd Team All-Region 5 (2021) 

HCLC Defensive Player of the Week 

1st Team All-Conference HCLC (2022)

NCAA All-American (2022)

Records: 

Most faceoff wins in a NCAA D3 game with 36 consecutive wins 

Second most ground balls in a single NCAA D3 game with 28 ground balls 

Best single-game faceoff performance in a NCAA 

Highest single-season faceoff percentage in NCAA D3 history (80.5%) 

Career faceoff percentage of 75.36%

2nd in All-time D3 career faceoff win percentage 

 

Jackson Rose
Assistant Coach Varsity
 

 

  • Lake Travis Class of 2018

    • 2017, 2018: All-State Selection

    • 2018: U.S. Lacrosse All-American

    • Program Record Career Goals - 165 (2 Seasons)

    • Program Record Goals in a Game - 9 (vs. Georgetown)

  • 2019-2022: St. Bonaventure Lacrosse (63 points)

    • 2022 - Program record holder and league leader - Single Season Goals (40)

    • Tied Program Record - Goals in a game (6)

    • 2022 - 2nd highest shot percentage NCAA D1 (54.8%)

    • 2022 - 2nd Team All-MAAC

    • 2022 - MAAC All-Championship Team

      2022 - MAAC All-Academic Team

       

  • 2022 - NLL Draftee - Panther City Lacrosse Club

  • I am so excited to come back to my alma mater and continue the traditions of Lake Travis lacrosse. My family eats, sleeps, and breathes Lake Travis lacrosse and I am excited to build new relationships and hopefully create a long-lasting impact. The program is on the rise and I am so lucky to be a part of it. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. GO CAVS!

  • 2023: Marquette Lacrosse (20 points)

    • 2023 Big East All-Academic Team

Cosey Carlise

JV Head Coach

jvhc@laketravislacrosse.com
 

TBD

 

Bob Gustavson

Volunteer Assistant 

 

University of Connecticut, B.S. '68, M.A. '70
University of Arkansas, Ph.D., '98

University of Connecticut Varsity Lacrosse, 1965-1968
UConn Varsity Freshman Team coach, 1969, 1970
Brandeis University Head Coach, 1971-1973
Boston Lacrosse Club, Attack, Player/Coach, 1971-1973
New England Lacrosse Officials Association, 1974-1980

 

Tyler Wilkinson

Assistant JV Coach

TBD

School Sponsor 
Robert Messner
messnerr@ltisdschools.org

Coach Messner grew up in Summit, New Jersey where he graduated from Summit High School and was Captain for their state finalist team his senior year. He attended college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY where he started four years at long stick middie and close defense.

After graduation he worked for three years in NYC as a transportation company analyst for an investment fund while finding time to assistant coach his old high school team and learn from the New Jersey state lacrosse hall of fame coach Jim Davidson.

After three years in the finance world Coach Messner decided to pursue his dream job of both coaching lacrosse and teaching high school mathematics. He moved to Atlanta where he received his master’s in education from Georgia State and he head coached the newly formed Druid Hills Lacrosse program for two years. After getting his masters, Coach Messner’s wife Leah was hired by Camp Champions in Marble Falls as the girls camp director and Coach Messner began teaching at Lake Travis HS in 2010. 

He has been the assistant coach at Bowie for one year, Lake Travis for two years, and now is in his third year as the head coach at Lake Travis. He was voted the top division 1 coach in central Texas after his first season! Coach Messner is currently the AP Calculus AB & BC teacher in at Lake Travis High School.

Steve Hillenbrand

Assistant JV Coach

TBD