LAUREL, Neb. - After three years as a defensive coach in northeast Nebraska, a coach working in high school sports for decades has stepped into another head coaching position.

Alan Gottula filled the vacancy at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge high school.

“Most people at my age kind of slow down a little bit, but I took a head coaching job this year," said Gottula.

Gottula is no stranger to the big chair.

“This is my 42nd year coaching high school sports,” said Gottula.

His love for football has been contagious. His three sons have all played in college and eventually coached.

“I always tell everybody I got a lot of analysts and you throw in three people who will look at film and get involved whether I want them to be or not," said Gottula. "They like to do that, they want to help.”

Gottula's oldest, Drew, played for Peru State College and coached at Omaha Westside. His youngest Cole works in California as a defensive coordinator at Dublin High School. But it’s the middle child that couldn’t let go of the game.

“He's a 39-year-old quarterback,” said Gottula.

Since 2007, Reed Gottula, has been playing American football in Europe.

"The older I got, the less I wanted to stop," said Reed Gottula. "It's just one of those things that I can't shake it out of my system."

For the past four years he's been the quarterback for the Triangle Razorbacks in Denmark and an offensive coordinator.

"Coaching and playing, there's nothing like it in the United States at least," said Reed.  

Reed plans to play until he's 40, but if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

"I'm going to play as long as I possibly can," said Reed.

Ever since, the Gottula’s treat the sport like more than just an after-school activity.

"Growing up around football the whole time, it's all I've ever known," said Reed. "...Everything I've learned was basically from him so pretty great deal, like I feel pretty fortunate."

“If you're going to last in this profession, you've got to fall in love with the process," said Alan.