Texas Lacrosse 2007



Coaches

Noah Fink
Noah Fink Coach Fink is in his fifth year as Head Coach at the University of Texas. In the past four years the team has won two conference championships and represented the Lone Star League in the National Championship twice as well. Coach Fink grew up in Virginia and played lacrosse at the perennial power Landon School in Maryland. He then went to Bucknell University where he started as a midfielder and was a member of the undefeated NCAA Division I team in the 1996 season. Upon graduation he served in the Peace Corps where he worked as an agricultural specialist and a beekeeper. He went to graduate school at University of California, San Diego and received his degree in business and international relations. He began his coaching career in San Diego where he coached at Torrey Pines High School and Coronado High School. In addition to coaching, Coach Fink runs the local operations for South Swell Sports. South Swell operates retail stores, runs select teams and runs lacrosse leagues for children in grades 1st-12th. He lives in Austin with his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Kayla.

Blake Kurr
Blake Kurr Coach Kurr is a native Austinite. He played lacrosse at Westlake High School, where he was a two-time All-State Midfielder. After high school he began his colliegate lacrosse career at Texas A&M University. He received rookie of the year honors in 1995, his freshman year, scoring 31 goals. He was the offensive MVP in '96, '97, and '98. He was voted as an NIRSA ALL-American in '97, when A&M placed third in the national championships. In 1998 he scored a record 87 goals during the regular season which still stands today. Today he is the offensive coordinator for the Longhorn Lacrosse team. His is using his knowledge of the game to help the Longhorn midfield and attack reach their goals of playing for a national championship.




Bronson Parker
Bronson Parker Coach Parker is in his fifth year as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas. He grew up in Houston and played for Lamar High School, where he was a two time All-State Goalie. In 1997, he co-founded the first lacrosse team at Lanier Middle School in Houston. He later found several of the starting players at the University of Texas. He attended the University of Texas, where he started his final two seasons, claiming All-American status both seasons. He was named the Lone Star Alliance Championship Most Valuable Player in 2002. He began coaching at the high school level for St. Michael's Academy in Austin before moving on to the University of Texas in 2004. He has developed the Longhorn defense into a cohesive unit, focusing on aggressive team defense.




Jonathan Nickel
Jonathan Nickel Coach Nickel is in his fourth year of coaching at the University of Texas. He Grew up in Plano, TX and played at Plano Sr. High School before coming to UT. He attended Texas from 2000-2004 and served in several leadership positions including Vice President and Treasurer. As a midfielder at UT he won most improved player from 2002-2003. His presence on the field helped lead the Texas team to the LSA Championship in 2004, defeating the Texas Aggies in the final game. Currently, Coach Nickel works in Austin, and also is the Head Coach of the ATX Starz Middle School team. He is looking forward to helping the Longhorns to another LSA Championship this season. Coach Nickel currently works for a law firm in Austin.




Chris Byrne
Garrett Cox Coach Byrne is in his first year of coaching at the University of Texas. Coach Byrne, originally from Long Island, finished High School in Randolph, New Jersey. As both a Long Stick Midfielder and Close Defenseman in his senior year, was named team Captain, and also managed to break the schools record for number of ground balls. Throughout the course of the season he managed to pick up more than 120 that season. Coach Byrne received All-Conference, All District and All-Group Honors for his play that year. Upon graduation Coach Byrne went to the Canterbury School for a Post-Graduate year. While at Canterbury, he was named Most Valuable Player on the Water-Polo team and Defensive Most Valuable Player on the Lacrosse team. Coach Byrne attended college at the United States Military Academy graduating in 2003. He played lacrosse at Army, focusing his play as a Long Stick Midfielder, also working with the Man-Down Unit. Upon graduation, Coach Byrne was commissioned a Field Artillery Officer in the United States Army, stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. After three years at Ft. Sill, he was sent on a year long combat deployment to Iraq, working primarily as a Platoon Leader for a Gun-Truck Detachment. Coach Byrne now living in Austin, is stationed at Ft. Hood where he is a Battery Commander for Echo Battery, 2-395 Field Artillery Battalion.

Tim Riley
Garrett Cox Coach Riley is his first year of coaching at the University of Texas. Coach Riley is from Houston, Texas where he attended Lamar High School and played lacrosse for Coach Vollmer during his junior and senior years. He attended Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York and played on the lacrosse team each year. As longstick middie and close defenseman he earned NCAA All-American Honors his sophomore, junior, and senior years, helping his team reach the NCAA semifinals in ¹02 and ¹03. Coach Riley will focus on helping the defensive players. He is planning to propose to his life partner soon.