Football runs deep in the Kates family. Coaching does as well, apparently. Brothers Ged, Matt, and Will Kates prove this to be true as the first trio of brothers to concurrently serve as head high school football coaches in the Lone Star State’s history.

“I'll tell you what, it's a calling. It really is,” said Matt Kates, the middle child who has served as La Grange’s head coach since 2010. “We come from a family of educators and were truly raised on faith, family, and football in that order. I mean, when your mom is yelling at the television screen for famous running backs to hit the hole on power, you know it’s different.”

Any true Texas high school football aficionado knows the claim Matt makes regarding the order of his family’s priorities is no lie. The trio’s grandfather, Joe Kerbel, won two state championships as the head coach at Breckenridge in the 1950s.

Coaching seemed like destiny for the Kates brothers.

“Our grandfather set the tone for us,” said youngest brother Will, who was just tabbed for his first head coaching gig at Merkel. “He died before any of us were born, so we didn't really know him. But we had a book about him that one of his assistant coaches wrote, and it’s something that we've all read multiple times. I think his legacy is vicariously living on through us, which is an unbelievably special thing.”

Ged – the oldest – has been Richland’s head coach since 2012. Recognized by his brothers as their role model, he puts into perspective exactly why the coaching profession has been so appealing to his family.

“We all understand the responsibility,” he said. “We have to raise boys to men and try to be the embodiment of good husbands and good fathers as we also teach them how to persevere and be tough on the football field.

We wanted to make the biggest impact we could, and we all desired to be head coaches from the time we got into coaching. And it was a goal of all of ours from the time we realized this was what we wanted to do and what we were passionate about.”

So when you have three brothers who are all head coaches in the best football state in the country, there’s only one thing to talk about, right?

Ged: “Oh, my gosh, it's every time we talk. There’s no question one of us will ask the other one about their program. Not only Xs and Os, but also, ‘how are you handling the ability to do this?’ or ‘how’s your program dealing with this?’ Of course, in the last year, there's been a lot of talk about COVID restrictions and how to protect kids.”

Matt: “It's 24/7. It's all the time. If I ever have a question about anything as the defensive-minded coach of the trio, as they both cut their teeth on the offensive side of the ball, I’ll ask. And vice-versa.”

Will: “Oh, it’s all the time. It probably gives our wives tired head. We were sitting there just this past weekend talking about what next year looks like – whether it's depth issues or scheme. But I think so much of how we all think is very similar, just because we've all worked together. But at the same time, we're each unique in our own way, especially when it comes to our respective programs and what we want to see for those.”

With that comes the natural competition that brothers are going to have.

So who is the best coach of the three?

“I'd like to see what [my brothers] said to this one,” Matt answered with a laugh. “I think that's a tough deal because as I said earlier, we're so unique. However, if you’re looking for the most diverse coach, I’d have to say myself. I’m the defensive one of the group but have coached quarterbacks for the past nine years. I think we all have so many dang traits that are similar, but also many that are different. But there's no question that I got them on that front.”

Will answered with a chuckle of his own, saying, “That's a hard, hard question. I truly believe we all have great qualities, but I've finally got my shot this year – and hopefully it's a great opportunity for me to put my own stamp on a program and eventually be the best.”

The most well-rounded answer of the bunch belongs to Ged, who made sure to spread the love around to both of his brothers.

“Man, if I say one of them, this would be the first time I've ever conceded anything to my little brothers in my entire life,” he said. “I think if you're gonna score a bunch of touchdowns in a game, it's Will. If you want to stop somebody – no matter if it's the Slot-T, the Flexbone, or the Spread, it's Matt. And if you need somebody to talk to the alumni and rally some people, it’s me.”

It’s safe to say that while all three brothers respect one another unequivocally, the old-fashioned sibling rivalry is still alive and well. And while this makes for some hilarious quote-worthy remarks, it does something even greater: push the trio to be the best they can possibly be.

And it all starts with “a true love for the game as well as a true love for each other,” Matt said.