Doug Pearce gets promotion, takes over for Chip Killian as Hendrickson football coach

Hendrickson didn’t have to look far to find its new head football coach.

Just two weeks after longtime Hendrickson coach Chip Killian resigned to join the football staff at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Pflugerville school district officials promoted offensive coordinator Doug Pearce to the head spot. Pearce has spent the past eight seasons as a football assistant as well as Hendrickson’s head baseball coach since arriving from Seguin.

Pearce will also become the boys athletic coordinator for the campus.

"I am excited, especially for our kids," Pearce said. "I think it's best for our kids to have some continuation and build on the foundation that Coach Killian has helped build.

"This all happened fast. Coach Killian has been a great mentor, and I'm ready to build on what we've accomplished."

As a Hawks’ assistant, Pearce helped the team amass a 52-36 record with six playoff appearances over the past eight seasons. He became the offensive coordinator in 2017, and Hendrickson has averaged more than 30 points three times in the past five years while running Pearce’s version of the spread offense.

More: Hendrickson baseball tightens grip on first place in District 18-5A

Hendrickson’s baseball team also thrived under the direction of Pearce, compiling seven winning seasons with seven playoff appearances. This past season, the Hawks went 22-9, won the District 18-5A championship and reached the second round of the playoffs.

A native of Ennis in North Texas, Pearce shined in both football and baseball in high school. The slightly built Pearce said baseball provided "more opportunities," and he played collegiate baseball at Texas State University. He remained connected to football however, and spent almost every Friday in the fall watching his father-in-law, Wayne Walker, coach at La Grange High School.

Within two years of graduating Texas State in 2006, Pearce became the head baseball coach and a football assistant coach at Connally High School in the Pflugerville school district. He then moved to Seguin to work under Walker before returning to Pflugerville.

Mike McEachern, who took over for Todd Raymond as the Pflugerville school district's athletic coordinator earlier this year, said Pearce's impressive job interview solidified his status as the best candidate for the job.

“Coach Pearce had a great interview where he explained his plan for academic excellence, community service work, and how to support the middle school feeder programs," McEachern said. "He was very precise and detailed when it came to covering these plans.

"Winning on the field and off the field was important when he spoke to us during the interview process. We were excited to hear him discuss the importance of having the multiple sport athlete and how he will continue to support this philosophy. We believe that Coach Pearce will continue to build relationships with his student-athletes and stress the importance of loyalty among his coaching staff."

That plan includes a revamped interest in Hendrickson's feeder programs, Pearce said. The school district has had open enrollment for its high schools in recent years but has reestablished direct feeder programs for its middle schools for the 2022-23 school year.

"We will continue to reach out to our middle-school programs and get even more involved with them," Pearce said. "That's a priority."

District officials hope the promotion of Pearce continues Hendrickson’s pattern of success under Killian. A fiery presence on the sidelines, the hard-nosed Killian turned Hendrickson into a winner during his 14 years as head coach. The program began in 2004 and had just a 15-26 record before Killian took over in 2008. The Hawks went 10-4 in their first season under Killian, a mark that started a string of 11 consecutive playoff berths. During that span, Killian led his team to two district titles, two appearances in a regional championship game and the program’s lone unbeaten regular season in 2013. Killian also helped the program produce elite football players such as former Texas star Daje Johnson and current Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine.

Overall, Killian leaves Hendrickson with a 100-58 record.

More: Linebacker Ethan Bell's key fourth-quarter rushes spurs Hendrickson's win over Anderson

Last season, Hendrickson went 4-6 and missed the playoffs by one game in a grueling Class 5A Division I district. The 2022 season doesn’t look any easier in a District 11-5A DI that also includes Cedar Park, Georgetown, Glenn, East View, Leander and a pair of powerhouse newcomers in College Station and A&M Consolidated.

The Hawks’ offense looks like a team strength, with versatile quarterback Joseph Rodriguez among seven returning starters.

Hendrickson opens its season Aug. 25 with a nondistrict game at Belton.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Doug Pearce takes over for Chip Killian as Hendrickson football coach