Neal LaHue is in his 40th year of coaching and is entering his fourth year as head coach at Texas Lutheran University. The Bulldogs finished 4-6 in 2022 before falling to 2-8 in 2023, the final year for TLU in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). Year three would prove to be a historic one. In year one in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), LaHue led Texas Lutheran to the best season in a decade and a SCAC co-championship and became the first team since 2014 to make the NCAA Tournament. Texas Lutheran's 9-2 record matched the matched the modern era record for wins, equaling the 2014 team. He enters the 2025 season with a 15-16 record in three seasons at Texas Lutheran.
LaHue, an Austin, Texas, native, played high school football at Austin Lanier and was a four-year letter winner from 1981-84 for the Texas A&I (now Texas A&M - Kingsville) football program. He was a three-time All-LSC honoree and named to the AFCA All-America first team in 1984 as a placekicker for the Javelinas, and is currently sixth all-time in program history in career PAT kicks made at 109, and fourth in career PAT kick percentage at 94.8% (109-115) LaHue was inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 2011. He was named the 26th Head Football Coach at Texas Lutheran University on February 24, 2022.
In 2024, Texas Lutheran posted a modern-era record tying nine wins and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. It was just the fourth time since football was restored at TLU in 1998 that the Bulldogs have won eight or more games. LaHue was named SCAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. Offensively, the balanced Bulldog attack averaged 181.8 passing yards, 202.0 rushing yards (25th in Division-III) and 32.9 points per game. The 2024 team is just the fourth squad to average over 200 yards rushing in a season since 2000. Quarterback Caden Bosanko rushed for 696 yards in 2024, the most by a Bulldog under LaHue. Punter Cameron Welch was named a Fourth Team All-American by D3football.com. Welch, Troy Tomaselli, and Ian Wollard earned All-Region honors from D3football.com. Twenty-two Bulldogs earned All-SCAC honors headlined by Caden Bosanko being named SCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Cameron Welch being named SCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, and Weston Guzman being named the first football SCAC Elite 19 winner in conference history. Thirteen Bulldogs landed on the All-SCAC First Team. The Bulldogs earned 10 SCAC weekly honors and three D3football.com Team of the Week honors in 2024.
LaHue completed his second season at the helm of the program in 2023, which featured one of the best defensive performances in recent history, a 39-7 win at Southwestern that saw the TLU defense force seven turnovers as well as twelve Bulldogs earn All-ASC honors.
Year one had its ups and downs as the Bulldogs dealt with inconsistency, injuries and adversity in a 4-6 campaign. Under LaHue, tight end Aaron Sotelo was named a Third Team All-American. Sotelo led the Bulldogs in receiving this year with 49 catches for 497 yards and eight touchdowns. Sotelo averaged 10.1 yards per catch across nine games, missing one game due to injury. Sotelo finished fourth in the ASC in receptions and touchdowns despite only playing in nine of the Bulldogs 10 games. Sotelo was also a First Team All-ASC and First Team All-Region honoree this season.Sotelo is the first Texas Lutheran offensive skill player to earn All-America honors since running back Marquis Barrolle earned All-American Honorable Mention honors in 2014. In total, seven Bulldogs earned All-ASC recognition, led by Sotelo on the first team. Quarterback Seth Cosme, a third team All-ASC honoree, Cosme was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country under LaHue, finishing fourth in NCAA Division-III in completion percentage (.730). Cosme threw for 2,377 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding three rushing touchdowns on 57 yards rushing.
Prior to his arrival to Seguin, LaHue spent two seasons as the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Division-II Texas A&M - Kingsville in Kingsville, Texas. In his lone full season in 2021, the Javelinas averaged 24.2 points per game and 329 yards of total offense with six offensive players receiving All-Lone Star Conference (LSC) honors.
LaHue is no stranger to Texas Lutheran serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under coach Carl Gustafson for two seasons (2018-19). During his stint with TLU, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 15-5.
In 2019, the program averaged 424.1 yards per game on offense along with a 33.4 scoring average for an 8-2 mark. The 2018 season saw the team go 7-3 during the regular season averaging 421.7 yards per game of total offense while averaging 35.5 points per contest. During his time on staff, the Bulldogs saw 10 student-athletes on the Bulldogs offense named to the All-American Southwest Conference teams, another three land on the D3Football.com All-South Region squads, and one D3Football.com All-American.
Prior to his time in Seguin, Texas, LaHue coached in the prep ranks at Hays High School in Buda, Texas, from 2013 through the 2017 seasons as the head coach. He guided the Rebels to an appearance in the District 25-6A state playoffs in 2017 as well as a 27-4A District Championship and state playoff appearance. He also spent the 2006 through 2012 seasons as the head coach for Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, led the Rough Riders to four District 26-5A state playoff appearances in his last five years at the helm of the program, and was named the Marvin Gustafson Coach of the Year for his efforts following the 2012 season.
LaHue's collegiate experience also featured a stop at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2002 where he spent four years alongside Salinas under Richard Cundiff as the offensive coordinator and helped guide the Javelinas to a 30-7 mark from 2002-04, two NCAA Division II National Semifinal appearances, two West Region Championships, and three Lone Star Conference Championships.
LaHue spent time as the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, from 1997 to 2001, eventually named San Angelo Standard Times Coach of the Year in 2000. The Antlers made the playoffs in each of his five years, were a four-time Bi-District finalist, and once made the Regional semifinals in 2000. The team was a District 28-4A and District 27-4A finalist in 1997 and 2000, respectively, finished third in District 28-4A in 1998 and District 27-4A in 2001 and claimed the District 28-4A Championship in 1999.
Another prestigious stop during LaHue's career in the coaching ranks includes a four-year stint at Westlake High School as an offensive coordinator from 1993-96. The Chaparrals reached the state quarterfinals all four years with him on staff, including a runner-up finish after the 1994 season, and finally reached the pinnacle for the first time in program history in 1996 as the Class 5A Division II Champions. Overall, the team compiled a 56-3-2 record with La Hue on the sidelines, including a perfect 40-0 record in the regular season. His stint with the Chaparrals saw him coach NFL Super Bowl MVP and future NFL Hall of Famer, Drew Brees.
Previous stints among the prep ranks include one year at Seguin High School as an offensive coordinator where LaHue helped the team to a District Championships, as well as two years at Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a wide receivers coach that saw the team reach the state quarterfinals in 1990 and 1991, and two years at Ingleside High School in Ingleside, Texas, in 1988 and 1989.
LaHue's first coaching stop dates back to 1985 for his alma mater, Texas A&I as he spent three years on the sideline under coach Ron Harms as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach that saw the program claim two Lone Star Conference Championships and a three-year record of 27-5 before graduating with his master's degree in secondary education in 1987.
LaHue received his bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Texas A&I in 1985.
LaHue and his wife, Margaret, have two daughters, Claire and Anais, and a son, Michael.
