Page 37 - PHS Oilers Media Guide 2023_Pearland v Atascocita

Head Coach BJ gotte As a sophomore, Gotte helped the Tigers to the state final against Plano. He also coached under Johnston
from 2001-2003 as an assistant offensive line coach and was assistant coach and offensive coordinator under
Gary Joseph, who succeeded Johnston in 2004, from 2009-2016 after stints at Deer Park, La Marque, and
Oilers on the Right Path under B.J. Gotte Flower Mound Marcus.
Gotte, who spent kindergarten through high school in Katy, said the move is bittersweet. “I’ve worked so hard
to get (Paetow) to where it’s at,” he said. “I wish I could’ve enjoyed it a bit more, because now I’m turning
The mark of a successful football coach and team is around and starting over again. At the same time, coaching is unique. Good jobs open up every now and then,
striving to improve in every aspect of the game. More every 5-10 years, and this is one of those good jobs.”
importantly, the players are proud to be Oilers again.
The sense of pride has re-surfaced that had been Coach Gotte is vested in process, development, and growth that will bring excitement to the program, campus,
lost in recent years. That is the desire of Pearland and community. He leads by example and will be a great leader and role model for Pearland ISD. The impact
head coach B.J. Gotte as he prepares for his second of his strong leadership has already been felt by the coaching staff and players and it is having a positive
year with the Oilers.
influence in the right direction.
Gotte knows what it takes for a football team to
be successful and to be in the upper echelon of
competition as he came to Pearland after winning the
Class 5A Div. I state title with Katy Paetow.

“After going through our first true off-season, it was
important for us during spring football to get back
to basics fundamentally (blocking and tackling),
develop and grow our football understanding (IQ),
while identifying what our strengths and weaknesses
are with personnel,” Gotte recently said. “One of the
biggest areas of need going into the off-season was
to improve our strength, speed, and explosiveness.”

There is no question Pearland will be a stronger team than they were last year after being under the guidance of
coach Gotte and his staff. The Oilers finished in third place (5-2) last season in the district while advancing to
the post-season for the 23rd consecutive year. They closed out the 2022 season with a 6-5 mark after falling
to Dickinson 35-21 in the opening round.

“Last year our two district loses were by a combined 11 points, (4 points to Shadow Creek and 7 points to
Dawson) so our goal is to close the gap to our opponents and compete to win a district championship,” Gotte
said. “Losing in the first round was a bitter pill to swallow, so we also are working hard to earn the right to win
our first-round playoff game and make a run in the playoffs.”

Gotte understands the importance of laying a proper foundation of discipline and hard work -- something the
Oilers were lacking over the previous few years before Gotte’s arrival. “After going through our first full off-
season, our team averages in every measurable category improved,” Gotte said. “As a team we are stronger,
quicker, faster, and more explosive, now the focus is translating that improvement to success on the field.”

Gotte comes to Pearland a proven winner with a championship pedigree at Katy High School. He was a part
of five state championships: three as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Katy (2003, 2012, 2015),
one as offensive coordinator at La Marque (2006), and one as a head coach at Katy Paetow (2021). He played
on the offensive line for the legendary Mike Johnston at Katy in the ’90s, graduating in 1997.
Gotte received a Bachelor’s degree from Texas Lutheran where he was an outstanding football player in
In twenty years as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach, Coach Gotte’s record is 211- college. He is married to wife, Lisa, who is a Regional Residential Property Manager, and they have two
45, an average of 11 wins per season and has been part of the UIL playoffs seventeen out of twenty years. children, Keegan (14) and Gavin (9). Gotte enjoys spending time with family and friends.
He has participated in the state quarterfinal game eleven times, the state semifinal game nine times, the state
final game eight times, and has won the state championship five times (4A, 5A, and 6A). “In addition to the
championships and wins, I have a great passion to prepare my players to become responsible, accountable
young men by teaching work ethic, discipline, and teamwork,” Gotte said.

34 35