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.

Brad Lott

Varsity Assistant Coach

Face-off  

ESPN Ranked #1 faceoff specialist in the country for the Class of 2012

• ESPN High School All-American 

• 2012 US Lacrosse All-American 

• Captain, 2012 Trinity High School MVP 

• 2x Under Armour Underclassman All-American 

•University of Michigan - 4 year starter 

• Holds two records at the University of Michigan for faceoff wins and ground balls in a game  

•2018 Lake Travis Youth lacrosse Head Coach

•2019 Lake Travis High School Assistant Coach 

•2018-2019 Iron Horse Lacrosse Coach 

Nick Weston
Assistant Coach Varsity
 

• Played College at Syracuse University

• Rated the 33rd overall prospect and No. 14 among midfielders in the Class of 2013 by Inside Lacrosse

  2013 Under Armour All-American – Senior Game – The top 44 Boys & Girls are selected by Inside Lacrosse to represent in the North vs South game

• All-New England First Team
• Salisbury lacrosse team MVP
• East vs West Senior All-Star game selection

• Coached Sweetlax Upstate for 4 years

  2x Maverik Showtime Asst Coach + Counselor

  Syracuse Lacrosse – First & Second line Midfield – 2x ACC Champions

Blake Mattinson

JV Head Coach

jvhc@laketravislacrosse.com
 

Coach Mattinson played lacrosse for McNiel High School where he started on Varsity all four years earning All-State Defensive honors his senior year. He also played all the select lacrosse he could for teams like the ATX LaxBats and Triology. After High School, Coach Blake attended Texas State University where he competed in the MCLA for the Bobcats. Highlights include being a team captain, vice president of the lacrosse club, All Conference Honors and an LSA Championship in 2015. After college he moved back to Austin where he began working as a designer for a commercial landscape company. Coaching for select teams and his alma mater, McNiel High School, began his part time passion to give quality training to up and coming lacrosse players in the Austin area. After 10+ years of coaching youth and assisting varsity programs around the city, Coach Blake has developed an understanding for what it takes to get players to the next level of their game. Go Cavs.  ​

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

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.