Defensive coordinator David Lantelme, right, and his son Casey, have enjoyed their time coaching together at Stratford the past four seasons. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
“Most parents need time off to go see their kids. My kid needs time off to get away from me.”
Those are the lovable words from Stratford defensive coordinator David Lantelme, as he gets set to share a unique moment coaching next to his oldest son, Casey, when the Elks play for the UIL Class 2A Division II state championship against Falls City at 11 a.m. Thursday in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
There’s not a better feeling of coaching in a state title game.
How about getting to cherish the special venture of coaching in the biggest game of your life next to your son?
“This is really special,” said David, who is in his 31st year of coaching with stops in Borger and West Texas High. “I’ve always dreamed of getting to coach with Casey in a moment like this. It’s great working together and sharing the same dream.”
David is in his 14th year as an assistant coach for the Elks. David’s first year was an assistant for former head coach Eddie Metcalf when the Elks won their last state championship in 2008. The past 13 years, David has served as the defensive coordinator for head coach Matt Lovorn. His oldest son, Casey, played at Stratford from 2008-2011, and is now in his fourth season on staff at Stratford, coaching wide receivers and helping in the secondary unit.
“It’s been a great experience,” said Casey, who was a freshman on the 2008 state championship team. “It’s been a lot of fun. Our relationship has always been professional to begin with. This goes back to win I threw discus for him in high school. I have a ton of respect for everything he’s done in his coaching career. My heroes have always been coaches, and he’s always been the top one for me.”
After graduating from West Texas A&M, Casey’s first coaching job was for Kurt Haberthur at Sunray in 2015. Casey utilized his time learning under Haberthur that helped make him the coach he is today.
“I learned so much under coach (Kurt) Haberthur,” Casey said. “I coach wide receivers and secondary here at Stratford. Without Haberthur and the Tony Franklin system that last year at Sunray there’s no way I could do this job today. All the things coach Haberthur did for me, I can never repay him for. Haberthur made me grow by putting me in spots I wasn’t comfortable with.”
David was in on discussions of getting Casey to join Lovorn’s staff four years ago. Sometimes, a Homecoming for a young coach isn’t always a good thing. However, Lovorn and David knew Casey, along with Tyler Wright, another Stratford raised assistant coach, knew the “Elk way” and could only make the staff that much stronger.
“I’ll never forget talking to David about hiring Casey,” Lovorn said. “It’s one thing to coach with your dad, but to come back home and do it is another thing. But for Casey, he knew what made the success work here. He and Tyler (Wright) both did. They know the way we do things, and that’s huge for us. It’s been a lot of fun having them both on staff.”
Not only do David and Casey spend the majority of their time coaching the varsity, both get to coach up David’s youngest son, and Casey’s younger brother, Chase. Chase was the starting quarterback and defensive back for the seventh grade Stratford squad this year. Both David and Casey say coaching Chase has been an unforgettable experience.
“We love coaching Chase, and getting to watch him grow as a young man and football player,” David said. “He has a lot of confidence, and I feel he gets that from Casey.”
Casey echoed his father’s comment.
“It’s really neat to go back into the locker room I dressed in, and see Chase is doing that,” Casey said. “I just want to be able to coach him the way I was coached and make him the best player he can be.”
Casey is enjoying this ride as a young coach with his father, and a tight-knit Stratford staff. His favorite part of the job through these first four years has surely been the X’s and O’s, but also the learning curve of what it takes to become a great mentor to today’s youth.
“I learn so much from my dad and the guys around me every day,” Casey said. “It’s much more than football. It’s all about life. It’s about how to be a better Christian, a better father, a better husband. I got married almost two years ago, so learning that is way more important than football to me.”
