Longest-tenured GCHS football coach produced 10 winning seasons
After 10 winning seasons in his 15 years as the head football coach at Garden City High School, Brian Hill has resigned from his position effective immediately.
The announcement came on Monday when he submitted his resignation letter to GCHS Athletics/Activities Director Matt Bayer.
“I just feel like it’s time for another challenge,” Hill said in a telephone interview this week. “Also, I think it’s a good time to have a new voice here with the program.”
Bayer, a 2005 graduate of GCHS, played under Hill at Garden City Community College, and is in his first year as the school’s athletic director.
“I can’t thank Coach Hill enough for all he has done for Garden City High School over the past 15 years,” Bayer said in response to Hill’s resignation. “He has been a tremendous leader, role model and coach. He will be missed and hard to replace.”
Hill, 52, also ends his career at GCHS as the second-most winningest coach (79-65, .549), was only exceeded by Dave Meadows (88 wins), who coached 12 seasons with the Buffs (1988-1999) and coached the 1999 team to the school’s only Class 6A state championship.
Bayer said that one of the traits he appreciates most is Hill’s approach to his student-athletes.
“I know first-hand how much he cares about this program and the kids and coaches he has had over the past 15 years,” Bayer said. “He has worked his tail off and gave his all to Garden City and it doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Hill’s best seasons were in 2013 when the team advanced to the 6A state semifinals before being eliminated by Derby; the 2016 team that went through the regular season undefeated before dropping a second-round playoff game to Lawrence-Free State and finishing 9-1; and the 2017 squad that posted an 8-3 record and reached the state quarterfinals.
Hill said he will value the memory of coaching both of his sons – Derek (2014) and Peyton (2014-16).
“The personal opportunity to coach both boys will always remain special to me,” Hill said. “Peyton coached with me for one year and I also was privileged to have my brother (Brandon) on the staff in recent years. Those are lifetime memories.”
During his tenure with the Buffs, he coached 11 players who were selected to the prestigious Kansas Shrine Bowl West team; and he was the head coach of the West squad in 2012 afterserving as an assistant in 2011 and then again in 2017.
“This decision did not come easily, as this role has been one of the most meaningful and fulfilling chapters of my life,” Hill said in his resignation letter. “When I look back on these years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”
In 2014, Greyson Tempel, the quarterback of that 2013 state semifinal squad, was voted the Most Valuable Player for the West Shrine team. His most recent Shrine Bowl selection was lineman Sebastian Lopez. Another of his top defensive players, Demarcus Elliott, played at the University of Indiana.
“A coach is only as good as the assistants he has and the players who go out on the field and play,” Hill said in his interview. “I’ve been blessed to have great players, but also to see them develop into young men and be successful in life.”
Hill was four times the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, guided the Buffs to three outright WAC championships and shared the title on three other occasions. In the historic rivalry Hatchet Game, Hill was 8-7 against the Red Demons, the most wins by any Buffs’ coach against Dodge City.
“Winning the Hatchet will be among the most special memories because of the importance it has within the community and the school,” Hill said.
One of Hill’s other significant records will be his 7-0 won-loss mark when playing at Hays. In his 15 years, even the years where Hays won WAC titles, Hill never came home with a loss.
“It probably is one of the crazier things to have happened,” Hill recalled. “We beat some awfully good Hays teams up there.”
Hill, a graduate of Holcomb High School, attended Garden City Community College where he quarterbacked the Broncbusters and then completed his college career at Emporia State University. He was the offensive coordinator at Hutchinson Community College from 1995-2000 before arriving at GCCC where he served as offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2010 before being hired by the Buffaloes.
Among the many accomplishments, Hill-coached teams set 28 school records, had the largest comeback in school history and had three of the top five all-time leading rushers, the top three all-time leading passers and the top three all-time leading receivers.
“Thank you for trusting me with this program and supporting us through every season,” Hill said in remarks to the school’s administration and to the greater Garden City community. “Your support fueled us and made every victory sweeter and every challenge worthwhile.”
Hill said his future plans are undecided, but for now he will retain his head track coaching position and his teaching duties.
“I’m going to be selective in what I choose to do,” Hill said. “I’m just stepping down from the one position. I know I still want to coach football in the future because that’s who I am. I just felt like I’ve been in Garden City 25 years (10 at GCCC, 15 at GCHS) and it was a good time to look at a change.”
Hill said he had been pondering the decision since the end of the ’24 season, a 34-7 loss to rival Dodge City in the Week 9 Bracket Game of Class 6A.
“There was no rush to do something and I just thought I’d let the dust settle,” Hill said. “I still have the passion to coach. I am appreciative of the opportunity that was given me to lead this program. I feel like we did a lot of good things within the community to connect our kids to do good things.”
As the biggest high school in western Kansas and within the Western Athletic Conference, Hill said the Buffs always had a target on their back.
“Everybody wants to beat the biggest school,” Hill said. “I think there is a lot of respect for Garden City and I hope that when teams stepped onto the field they knew they were going to get our best shot.”
Bayer will take the lead role in the search for Hill’s replacement and plans are to have a new coach hired by early 2025.
