Permian offensive line coach Derron Gatewood was teaching, sitting in class when his phone started ringing.
Gatewood, a 2014 Panthers’ graduate, looked at the number and the first thing that came to mind was “He must of dialed the wrong number.”
“He” was University of Texas offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood.
And no, he didn’t misdial.
Gatewood answered the phone, instantly changing his life.
“As we were getting closer to signing day (in December), Coach Flood called me and said he had an opening and was I interested,” Gatewood said. “He caught me off guard.
“He told to talk with my wife (Rylee) about it and gave me a couple days to think it over. I‘m super excited, making the leap to coaching at the collegiate level, it’s always been my dream.”
Gatewood has been laying the groundwork for this move for several years, beginning with his playing career at the University of Texas-El Paso after he graduated from Permian in 2014.
He was one of the top offensive linemen in the country and was placed on the Rimington Award watch list his senior season, which showcases the top centers in the nation.
After graduating, he wanted to get into coaching but didn’t want to go the GA (graduate assistant) route so he started calling around and one of the first calls was to Permian head coach Jeff Ellison.
Ellison’s first year with the program was 2013, coinciding with Gatewood’s senior campaign, so the duo knew each other very well.
“My wife was going to nursing school, so I called around and talked with Coach Ellison,” Gatewood said. “We would talk all the time when I was in college and when they (Permian) would come to El Paso to play they would come to the Sun Bowl.
“I enjoyed it so much my first year (2020). I had to figure a lot of things out and he was my mentor; once I got my feet wet, I enjoyed going to work every day and it was good to have familiar faces around me.”
After coaching the freshman his first year (2019-2020), Gatewood moved up to the varsity level and never looked back.
He added strength and conditioning, powerlifting and recruiting coordinator to his duties and it was the latter that finally got him his look.
Creating contacts with all the college coaches, he would meet with them when they came in to talk about certain players.
And the Panthers always have a number of players capable of competing at the next level, so Gatewood had plenty of visitors.
Finally, in the spring of 2022, Flood came to the Permian Basin and was at a Panthers’ practice watching lineman Harris Sewell.
What Gatewood didn’t know was that Flood was paying equal attention to him, as well.
“Coach Flood came to make a visit and he stayed over with the offensive line,” Ellison said. “When he was done, he came over and said ‘He’s really good,’ about Derron.
“It’s really great to see him grow and see what he was able to do with us the last two years. He’s a hard worker, he’s always prepared, does a great job with the offensive line, is extremely smart, has great character, his wife is a great person, they are a great couple.”
Gatewood, Rylee and their daughter will be making the move to Austin in the middle of February.
He will immerse himself in the Longhorns’ program and when the team starts spring ball in March, Gatewood will be right in the middle helping Flood develop the offensive line.
Along with whatever else is needed to make the team successful.
“When I talked to him (Flood) I asked him ‘what made you think of me?’ and he said that when he came down to recruit he watched the O line, made a mental note and thought I would be a good fit.
“We went down to Austin and everyone was welcoming and Rylee connected with a couple of coaches wives, too, and they talked about housing, places to go, everything. We (he and Rylee) talked about the move and she was good and that was one of the biggest things because all of our family is here and moving away and kind of not knowing anyone is the hardest transition.
“But this is an opportunity of growth for the family and one we thought we had to take.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
