Austin Falke, who helped guide the Bulldogs to four NCAA Tournament Appearances and four SCAC Championships as an assistant, has been named the new head men’s basketball coach at Texas Lutheran University, Director of Athletics Bill Miller announced today.
He succeeds Head Coach Mike Wacker, who announced his retirement yesterday.
“I am very blessed and honored for this opportunity to lead our TLU Basketball program,” said Falke. “I want to thank President Dr. Debbie Cottrell and our AD Coach Bill Miller for trusting in me and giving me this opportunity. I feel extremely fortunate to get to continue to work alongside all members of the TLU community to build on the successes of our past and to grow into the future. I also want to thank the former players here at TLU who have helped make our program what it is today. It is all the people working here, the students, and the TLU experience that makes this place so special. I want to thank Coach Wacker, as well, for his friendship, leadership, and guidance the last six years. I am excited for this opportunity to lead the TLU basketball program and look forward to what the future holds.”
Coach Mike Wacker added, “Coach Falke is a winner. He is a terrific coach, recruiter, teacher and person. I know our program will be in great hands with Coach Falke moving forward.”
“Coach Austin Falke has been the men’s basketball recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for the last eight years,” stated Director of Athletics Bill Miller. “During that time he was promoted to Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Texas Lutheran Men’s Basketball has won four SCAC Championships over the last eight years under the leadership of two different head coaches. The one thing that all of those championship teams had in common was Coach Austin Falke. Coach Falke is a winner. I strongly feel that Coach Falke deserves to be the new head men’s basketball at TLU. He knows and is respected by our current players and has strong ties with many of our basketball alums. This will be a great opportunity for Coach Falke. I know he will provide championship leadership for the TLU Men’s Basketball Program!”
Falke, a native of Thorndale, Texas, where he attended Thorndale High School and was named the 2007 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class A Player of the Year. He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University where he enjoyed a three-year playing career for the Lumberjacks before spending his final season as a graduate assistant in 2011-12. Falke graduated with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and earned a master’s in kinesiology in May of 2012.
Upon graduation, Falke would become an assistant coach at Schreiner University under Jimmy Smith. Under Smith, Schreiner would enjoy a record-breaking season that saw the Mountaineers set program records in wins (15) and winning percentage (.556). The Mountaineers made their second and third appearances in the SCAC Tournament in school history under Smith and Falke.
Falke would follow Smith to Texas Lutheran where he has remained as an assistant since 2014-15. Under Smith and Falke’s leadership, the Bulldogs won back-to-back SCAC Championships in 2015 & 2016. Falke was promoted to Associate Head Coach after the hiring of Mike Wacker in 2016. The Bulldogs would win two SCAC Championships in 2017 and 2019 under Wacker and Falke’s leadership.
Eyes have been on Austin Falke for a while as he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Under Armour 30-Under-30 Team – which recognizes 30 of the most outstanding men’s basketball coaches under the age of 30 – in 2019.
“I’m so happy to see Coach Falke take the reins for our men’s basketball program,” said Texas Lutheran University President Debbie Cottrell. “He brings experience, passion, and a commitment to our students that will serve him well and ensure the ongoing success of our program.”
He and his wife, Rebekah, have two daughters: Lily James and Autumn Ray.
https://tlubulldogs.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220531mqotmi
