(New Braunfels) – The Comal ISD board of trustees voted 7-0 to formally approve the hiring of Travis Bush as the new head football coach at Canyon High School in New Braunfels on Tuesday.
The decision marked the official end of Bush’s tenure as head football coach and athletic director at Seguin High School, a stint that began in the spring of 2016 and spanned five seasons.
In an interview with KWED and the Seguin Daily News, Bush expressed his grattitude for the opportunity to lead the Matador program and be a part of the Seguin community.
“I’ve been blessed and been honored to have been the AD here, in this community that’s welcomed our family in,” Bush said. “For a coach, it’s not just a job. You’re committing your time, your family your career to a school, to a community. We took that chance on Seguin, and they took that chance on us, and did what we set out to do, and that was to make this place better than what it was, and change the culture, and it took all of us. It’s not just the head coach. It’s everyone involved.”
After consecutive 2-8 seasons in 2016 and ’17, Bush led Seguin to three straight playoff berths and two shared District 12-5A-Division I championships from 2018-20.
The 2018 Matadors went 8-3 and snapped the program’s 12-year playoff drought dating back to 2006.
Bush’s final Seguin team last fall went 7-3 and broke a number of school records on the offensive side of the ball. The 2020 Matadors averaged 52 points and 506 total yards per game. Senior quarterback Micah Rodriguez set the single-season school record for passing touchdowns, receiver Tristan Moreno for receiving yards and touchdowns, and running-back Marques Washington for rushing yards in this century.
Bush says Seguin fans will have a lot to be excited about moving forward when the school district hires his replacement to lead a program on the rise.
“It is in a good place,” Bush said. “Athletics, the football team is in a better place, the image of the school is in a better place, the facilities are in a better place, and because of that, it’s a good time and you can feel good about leaving right now knowing it’s in a better place. But also, you’re going to get a hundred applicants way better than me, because it is such a better place. We’ve got it in a position where you’re going to have some top-notch coaches interested in this thing now, and they’re going to get someone better than me and take them to the next level.”
Bush takes over a Canyon program that went 10-2, shared the district championship with Seguin, and advanced three playoff rounds just one year after an 0-10 season in 2019.
When former Canyon coach Joe Lepsis resigned in February, Bush was not actively seeking a new job. The opening intrigued Bush, and he ultimately found the position alluring for some of the same reasons that he was attracted to Seguin five years ago.
“A lot of similarities,” Bush said. “They pull from seven different zip codes, and I think it’s a community that needs to be united, a school that could unite more, and football-wise, in reality, they’ve had two winning seasons in ten years. So they’re still – it’s a new challenge, and that kind of lights a fire. It’s an opportunity to do different. It’s a different job. It’s got different challenges. It’s going to be 6A. So there’s a lot of things on that end that are an opportunity for me to still learn and grow in this profession.”
Bush adds that the relationships he built with athletes, students, colleagues, and families in Seguin made the decision to leave for a neighboring school difficult.
“Like I told the kids, it was strictly a business, professional decision of something that can help me learn and grow, but the thing that made it the hardest was the kids and the people here,” Bush said. “Great people, and the connections, and the relationships, what we’ve done – that’s what’s made it the hardest to make this decision.”
Wednesday was Bush’s first day on the job at Canyon High School. The Seguin ISD’s search for a new head football coach and athletic director is ongoing.