Coach Lucas Melo joined the Ellsworth Community College Football coaching staff in Spring 2018 as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

Before coming to Ellsworth, Coach Melo was the defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and defensive line coach at LA Pierce Junior College, where he focused on national recruiting. Coach Melo brought in 10 starters on the LA Pierce defense and nine on offense as well as a starting punter, kicker, long snap and returners. His recruits included 13 All Conference players who were a huge part in helping turn the program around from a 1-9 season the prior year to 6-5 record while starting 17 true freshmen.

The Pierce 2017 defensive line accounted for 24 sacks while having a two deep that consisted of six freshmen, which was a big improvement from the nine sack season the year before. On the defensive line, he also coached the runner up in votes for Conference Defensive Player of the Year, two All Conference selections, and two Honorable Mentions, all of whom were true freshman. That defensive group also held the top three running backs in the conference to under 50 yards rushing.

Prior to his time at LA Pierce, in 2016 Coach Melo was the Head Wrestling Coach at Lyman High School.

Coach Melo started his football coaching career at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, FL (2014-2016). In his three years there, he coached two All-State defensive linemen and four First Team All-Conference defensive linemen along with two Second Team selections. He had three back-to-back years where a defensive lineman was named the team MVP as well as three defensive linemen who were Defensive Players of the Year. In 2015, while at Lake Howell, he coached a defensive end who led the state of Florida in tackles among all defensive ends (123 tackles, 12 sacks). As a defensive line unit, his team progressed from four sacks the year before Coach Melo joined the staff to having 19 sacks his first year and 17.5 the next year.

After coaching at Lake Howell High School, Coach Melo spent a short time coaching at Lake Mary High School, a perennial powerhouse in the state of Florida, where he coached one All-Conference defensive lineman and a defensive MVP.

In 2014, Coach Melo founded and became CEO of EATSCOUTING, a recruiting service that in the past four years placed more than 370 players in colleges, including sending 120 of those players Division 1 colleges.

Coach Melo graduated from Lake Mary High School, where he accumulated 40 tackles and seven sacks en route to All-Conference honors as a senior. His senior year he also played in the All-Star game. He then attended LA Pierce Junior College, where he was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and team captain, He was named to the JCGridiron.com Top Defensive Tackle List. He also helped his team win back-to-back American Pacific Conference titles, had 47 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and blocked two field goals. He led the Brahmas to a win in the American Bowl.

After two years of JUCO, he was rated a two star recruit by Rivals.com and picked up 22 Division 1 offers, eventually choosing South Alabama, where he redshirted and then transferred to Southeast Missouri.

While at Southeast Missouri (2013), he played in seven games and made 25 tackles with a season-high four tackles at Southeastern Louisiana, Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky. In 2014 he suffered torn labrum in camp and played in the last three games of the season. He made 10 tackles and had a career-high five tackles against Jacksonville State. 

After college, Coach Melo played three years of pro football (2014-2017) in the arena ranks as a defensive lineman, where he was named team captain and All-League for two of those seasons.

Coaching Career:

• 2018 - Present – Ellsworth Community College – Defensive Line Coach
• 2017 – LA Pierce Junior College – Defensive Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator, and Defensive Line Coach
• 2017 – Lyman High School – Head Wrestling Coach
• 2016 – Lake Mary High School – Defensive Line Coach
• 2014 - 2016 – Lake Howell High School – Defensive Line Coach