Many parents look forward to the day when they are finished raising their kids and send them out into the world as adults. Dickinson head football coach Warren Trahan is just the opposite.
    Trahan is holding a mini-family reunion this season. His oldest son, Beau, is the new Gator quarterbacks coach. Brody, the youngest of Trahan’s three sons, begins his sophomore year as the starting quarterback.
    “The greatest years of my career have been when my sons were playing,” Warren Trahan said. “Now I have a chance to bring my oldest in to coach my youngest.”
Bringing in Beau Trahan to coach the Dickinson quarterbacks was not a choice made simply by family relation. Beau led Bay City to three state playoff berths during his father’s stay at that school, then went on to play for the University of Texas.
    “It was a real good stroke of luck,” Warren Trahan said. “We got a good school teacher and a good coach. If it’s because he’s my son, great. If it had been somebody else, that would be fine, too. It’s a great opportunity for (Beau) and a great opportunity for my youngest.”
    Warren Trahan’s middle son Blaise heads into his senior season as an offensive lineman at Tarleton State this year. Playing for Bay City and Texas and a pair of graduate assistant coaching positions prepared Beau Trahan for the 2005, where Dickinson will attempt to rebound after going winless in eight games last year.
    Regardless of the level, Beau has always maintained a passion for football.
“I’ve learned the concepts since I was young,” Beau Trahan said. “I’ve always wanted to be in football in some sort of way. I think it was passed down to my brothers. We are just ate up with the game.”
    That same enthusiasm for football is present in Brody Trahan. When injuries
pressed into the varsity starting role as a freshman last season, Brody survived a baptism of fire. Now he has a chance to learn from his older brother as well as his father.
“I’m just having fun with it,” Brody Trahan said. “I’m lucky to have my dad as head coach and my brother as quarterbacks coach. You get taught a lot. You also get yelled at more. You’ve got to deal with that.”
    Having two family members as coaches puts additional pressure on Brody. While his father and brother strive to avoid showing favoritism, Brody has to work harder in order to show that he deserves playing time.
    “I’ve got to set the tone,” Brody Trahan said. “I have to try harder. Not only am I the quarterback, but I am the coach’s son.”
    “I’ve been coaching Brody since he was a baby,” Beau Trahan said. “I’ve protected him all my life. Now is just a different part of his life where I am coaching him.”
There is no doubt that Brody Trahan will reap benefits that few quarterbacks ever receive. Father Warren Trahan has spent the past 30 years coaching high school football. Brother Beau has achieved success on both the high school and college levels.
Both are anxious to help Dickinson’s sophomore quarterback step up and lead the Gators back into the playoff hunt.
    “Because he’s mine, I’m going to be harder on my son than anyone else,” Warren Trahan said. “If I go jump on him, that opens the door for me to be able to jump on anybody. Sometimes, I’ll find an excuse to jump him. He understands that I am just getting a point across.”
    “I can say different things to Brody, because I grew up with him,” Beau Trahan said. “If I get mad, I’m just frustrated because I want him to do so well. I am quick to hug him and praise him as well. I treat him better than anyone
else and worse than anyone else.”
    As the oldest, Beau Trahan had to learn by experience. He quarterbacked Bay City in the mid-90s, when 4A football was at its strongest overall in South Texas.
Brody Trahan was an avid follower, learning at an early age what it takes to win in the competitive world of Texas high school football.
    “I got it from watching Beau at Bay City,” Brody Trahan said. “I always wanted to be like him growing up, repeating everything he did. Being quarterback here is a dream come true.”
When Warren Trahan coached Bay City to the 1999 state 4A finals, the team had just one player that went on to play major college football. The Black Cats were primarily composed of over achieving kids that worked hard and played above their heads.
    Warren and Beau Trahan both see that same spirit in the 2006 Dickinson Gators. The squad has shown a relentless desire to improve in the off season. Once again, there will be a Trahan at the helm.
    “I don’t brag on my kids a lot, but I would love to see it happen,” Warren Trahan said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids who took their licks last year. They came through it and jumped back up. They’ve got a lot of character.”
    “It’s good to have experience,” Beau Trahan said. “Brody came up with a great group of linemen. They’ve grown up together and developed chemistry. I enjoy seeing them work together.”
    Win or lose, Warren Trahan is savoring yet another chance to work with his kids. Having one as both a coach and player only doubles his pleasure.
“These are the greatest years of my career,” Warren Trahan said. “It’s a great way to do your job.”

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