Once Brian and Jaren Borland step onto the field, it’s all business. Once they step off the field, they are like any father and son.

Jaren, a junior linebacker for the Warhawk football team, transferred to UW-Whitewater after the 2009 season. He spent his first two years playing at Saginaw Valley State University (Mich.) as a running back, but has switched over to a linebacker after joining the ’Hawks.

“Before I came to UW-Whitewater, I played for another school and things didn’t work out,” Jaren said. “[UW-Whitewater] was just closer to home and it had a great football history. My dad coaching here was a help, but he didn’t get me on the field.”

This is the second year Jaren has played under his father, Brian, who has been the defensive coordinator for the ’Hawks for the past nine years. Brian said he couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to coach his son for the first time.

“Growing up, I coached him in youth baseball and not football, so this is the first time in an official capacity as a coach,” Brian said. “As a parent and as a coach, it’s been of the thrills and opportunities of my life and it’s been great. I thank the Lord for getting the chance to be together this way.”

Although many athletes wouldn’t want to play for their father, Jaren couldn’t agree more with his dad.

“I like it,” Jaren said. “I mean not many other people get to play for your dad. He’s a good coach and while I’m with him football wise, he doesn’t really treat me differently but it’s just great to have him there.”

On the field, Brian has treated Jaren like any other football player, even if it is hard sometimes.

“As a coach, I always work hard to … address his football performance as a coach, and not as a parent,” Brian said.

“It’s hard to do sometimes as a parent when your son is out there playing. I can’t tell you my eyes don’t wander to what he’s doing, but I don’t just focus on him. I’m trying to be objective and don’t want to be a disservice to other people on the team if he got over the top attention from me, and I don’t think that is right,” he added.

Although they are together most of the time, mostly on the field, Brian said when they step off the field, they try to stay away from football as much as possible.

“He has been at home with us since he transferred back, so at home he just needs to be my son and I need to be his dad,” Brian said. “We don’t talk a whole lot of football..He needs his space and we don’t need to be football 24/7.”

In fact, this isn’t the first time the Borland’s have had a history in football. Brian’s father, Glen Borland, coached Brian in high school and eventually joined the UW-Whitewater staff to coach under Glen as the linebackers coach.

“My dad was my high school football coach and then in my earlier years here at UW-Whitewater, my dad and I coached on the staff here together for eight years,” Brian said.

Because Brian has played for and coached with his father, he has learned how to cope with coaching with his son.

“I would it’s the same way, and its great, but sometimes it can be awkward,” Brian said. “I was the defensive coordinator and my dad was the linebackers coach, so I was his boss. You just try not to dwell on that part of it and just dwell on the coaching job and the relationship we have and that seems to work out best.”

Like any relationship, Brian has admitted things have had its ups and downs, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Sometimes there’s joy, sometimes there’s pain,” he said. “It hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Brian and Jaren will take the field Saturday at 2 p.m. at Perkins Stadium against UW-Platteville.