Mike DeRoehn, one of the most familiar names in Wisconsin wrestling, enters his fourth season as Lakeland's head coach.
DeRoehn’s Muskies saw a five-year string of Northern Wrestling Association championships snapped last year, as well as a five-year string of sending athletes to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Lakeland did keep another streak alive, though, recording at least one conference individual champion for the seventh straight year when Eddie Terres won the NWA title at 184 lbs.
In DeRoehn’s first two years at Lakeland, the Muskies won a pair of NWA team titles and had a total of seven conference individual champions. Lakeland also sent wrestlers to the Division III championships both years, and also added an Academic All-American (Roberto Frias) in 2012.
DeRoehn came to Lakeland after coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for eight years, including six as head coach (2004-10). The Titans finished as high as fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2009, tying for the program’s best finish since placing third in the WIAC in 1997.
In addition to coaching collegiately, DeRoehn is heavily involved in coaching at the youth and grass roots level. Since 2006, he has served as the state coach of the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, an organization that works to improve Wisconsin wrestling for all ages. He continues to work with the federation on a volunteer basis as the University Age Level Director.
DeRoehn also owns and is head wrestling coach of World Class Wrestling School, whose mission is to “assist young men and women in developing their wrestling skills, building character and developing positive habits on and off the mat.” He has received awards for his work with youth, as in 2010 he was named USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Junior National Coach of the Year.
DeRoehn wrestled collegiately at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H., where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2005. He later received a master's in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh in 2009.
