Kyle Westerberg, second from left, was introduced as the new Whitehouse head football coach on Monday. Also pictured, from left, are Whitehouse athletic director Adam Cook, Whitehouse ISD Board of Trustees president Greg Hood and Whitehouse ISD superintendent Christopher Moran.

WHITEHOUSE — Kyle Westerberg was officially introduced as the new head football coach of Whitehouse High School on Monday night.

The Whitehouse ISD Board of Trustees approved the hire during a meeting at the Whitehouse ISD Education Support Center.

“Congratulations on being named the head football coach of Whitehouse High School,” Whitehouse superintendent Christopher Moran said. “We’re thankful to bring in a champion. Welcome to Whitehouse.”

Westerberg has been the offensive coordinator at Barbers Hill High School since 2016. He also won a state title while coaching at Allen High School. Westerberg also spent time at Bay City, Arlington Sam Houston and Van Alstyne.

Westerberg coached under his father, Tom Westerberg, since 2014.

Westerberg said he lived out two of his big goals and that now was his time to become a head coach.

“My dad is my mentor. I played for him and then I wanted to coach for him,” Westerberg said. “I got those opportunities, and I know he is getting ready to retire at some point and time. Now, I’m just ready to run my own program.”

Westerberg said when Barbers Hill faced Whitehouse in the 2019 playoffs, the program immediately jumped on his radar. When the position opened following the departure of Marcus Gold, who left after going 23-11 in three seasons with the Wildcats to become the head coach at Wylie East, Westerberg knew it was a job he wanted to pursue.

“A lot of it had to do with 2019 when we played them and I saw the clientele,” Westerberg said. “What attracted me after that was that it’s a one high school town. Also, it’s a head football job. For your first one right out of the box, not having to worry about being the athletic director and head football coach made this one attracting.

“I also started doing a lot of research on the community itself. The community and how close-knit they are, it’s a place I want to raise my family.”

Westerberg and his wife, Lindsay, have two daughters — Parker, 9, and Peyton, 6.

Westerberg said he will have a better grasp of what things will look like once he meets the players, but he said the Wildcats will be a multiple spread offense.

“I know they’ve got some quarterbacks coming up that can play,” he said. “You’re going to see a fun, up-tempo offense. We’re not going to go 190 miles an hour, but we’re going to have a lot of fun with it and be very multiple.”

Westerberg said he knows from seeing the program up close that it is in a great position to succeed.

“Marcus did a great job, having the success they had the last three years,” Westerberg said. “I want to build on that success and take it further than it’s been in a long time. I feel like this place has got the tools and the resources to get this thing going to playing over Thanksgiving, and ultimately, our goal is to get to AT&T (Stadium) in December.”

Athletic director Adam Cook said the school district was originally looking to hire someone with head coaching experience and there were multiple candidates in the mix who fit that mold. But as the process went on, Cook said he kept thinking about Westerberg and how he would fit at Whitehouse.

“I think that when you’re looking for a head coach, you’re looking for someone that understands your community and culture,” Cook said. “Whenever we did the interview process, he was one that I kept looking at. To be honest, we were trying to get someone with head coaching experience and that was kind of at the top of our list, but we saw Coach Westerberg, and he stood out. And I remembered they did such a good job against us, so I called him on the phone while he was at a soccer game, and I knew we needed to bring this guy in.

“He came and interviewed, and it was pretty clear he has been a part of some great programs. And I think at the end of the day, he aligned with a lot of the things that we’re doing, and we were just looking for someone that could build upon the success that Coach Gold had here for us and take it to the next level. We had some very good candidates, and it was tough. In the end, Coach Westerberg was the one who rose to the top.”

The Wildcats are coming off of an 8-3 season and their fifth consecutive postseason appearance.

“I can’t wait to get here and get started,” Westerberg said. “I’m ready to watch the kids grow, and I want to make an impact right off the bat. I’m looking forward to working with the staff and being a part of the community.”

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