The Rockdale Tigers have hired former Taylor Ducks Offensive Coordinator Pete Heintze for the same position for the upcoming 20232024 season.
Coach Heintze, who also teaches history, will join new Head Coach Hunter Hamrick’s staff, as they begin the process of restoring the program to the successes enjoyed 5-10 years prior.
Coach Heintze is a third generation Rockdalian, graduating in 2014 after playing defensive end and tight end for the Tigers.
He is the son of Scott and Robin Heintze of Rockdale.
During his time at Texas State University, he volunteered as an offensive assistant for the Tigers during their State Championship season in 2017. Spending those weekends breaking down game film was the first step in his development to becoming a quality offensive coordinator.
In 2018 he joined Coach Brandon Houston’s staff at Buffalo High School for 2 years. Coaching varsity football, basketball and baseball while there. He left in 2020 and took a job in Elgin to be closer to Rockdale. He then reunited with his mentor, Coach Houston, as the offensive coordinator in Taylor for 2021 and 2022 football seasons.
The years prior to his time at Taylor, the Ducks failed to win a game, going 0-20 during that span. The offensive scoring under Coach Heintze improved by 174% in his two years there. The Ducks also made the playoffs last season.
Now he brings his skills to Tiger Stadium for what he refers to as, “the end goal job. If you asked me when I was 12 what I wanted to do, it was to be the OC for the Tigers. This is the top of the mountain for 12-year-old Coach Heintze.”
When you speak to Heintze three things are obvious: his love of family, his love for his players and his love of football.
Married to his high school sweetheart, fellow Rockdale graduate, Mackenzie for nearly eight years they are excited to meet the new challenges in their hometown, where they are closer to family and old friends.
The couple have two future Tigers in daughter Hadley, 5, and son Zayne, 3.
Seeing the impact coaches had on the young men in junior high led the coach to find his path in life, stating, “I really wanted to be that person for the kids.”
When asked if the best part of coaching was winning, calling the perfect play at the perfect time or the adrenaline rush taking the field on Friday nights, he replied that those were all great, but for him it is, “Seeing the joy in kids when they get it. Whether it’s when they win a big game, or making a big catch, or seeing a teammate do something they haven’t seen them do before, seeing that pure euphoria out of the kid. That’ll put a smile on your face every single time, and it doesn’t get old.”
“Seeing the kids explode with emotion, that’s probably my favorite thing,” he added.
Coach Heintze credits a lot of people in life in helping his personal development, his wife and children, his parents, Coach Willard, Coach Houston and his grandfathers.
His grandfathers have a particular place in his heart. Unfortunately, they have both passed in recent years, but Coach Heintze honors them with tattoos of their birthdates on his person.
“Every step I take I feel like they’re with me. I carry them with me everywhere I go,” Heintze said. “Every decision I make, I kind of think about what they would do.”
It’s going to be exciting to see what the new coaching staff does with these talented Tigers in the fall.
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