Canyon ISD names John Peterson as its new athletic director
CANYON - The Canyon Independent School District (ISD) announced Monday at a special meeting that John Peterson has been named its new athletic director.
He will replace Toby Tucker, who recently departed and has moved on to become superintendent of New Home Independent School District. Peterson has been in the district since 2016 and coached baseball and football for seven years at Randall High School. He has also been the Canyon ISD assistant athletic director for the past two years.
Growing up in McKinney, Peterson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Tyler and his master’s degree in sports administration from Midwestern State University. He coached in Levelland and Lubbock before joining Canyon ISD.
“I am so excited; it has been a long journey to get to this point,” Peterson said. “Everywhere I have gone I have taken all the good from all the various places and jobs I have done. When I was at Randall, I was an administrative assistant so I really worked on the administrative side, which will be so important in this new role. Being able to wear many different hats is kind of where my strengths are. I am excited to be able to continue that.”
Peterson said that he learned a lot from working with Tucker.
“Toby has been so inspirational to me as well as Cory Hamilton,” he said. “Those two people really shaped me. The success that Canyon ISD has had in the past and will have in the future will very much have my spin on it. The foundation that Toby laid is instrumental to our success, and I intend to build off that. I am so appreciative of everything that Toby has taught me; he has been a mentor to me. I have learned so much from him, and I cannot wait to put my spin on it.”
Peterson said that he always dreamed of being an athletic director.
“This has always been a goal of mine, and that's why I went back to get my master's in sports administration,” he said. "I have always wanted to lead an athletic department. I love to work with coaches and kids, to help them achieve their goals that they could not achieve individually. I am so excited to accomplish this goal in not only the best district in the Panhandle, but one of the best athletic departments in Texas.”
Weighing in on the retirement of longtime Randall High School basketball coach Leslie Broadhurst, Peterson felt that his accomplishments and time at the school were integral to making Canyon ISD athletics a big part of what it is.
"He is such a pillar of the community, the work he did at Randall High School with the culture he created," Peterson said. “He started the basketball program at Randall, and he has had so much success. What many people do not see is what he does off the court. He is such a role model to me. If I were having a difficult day, I could always go to Coach Broadhurst for advice, words of wisdom or just a laugh. I cannot thank Coach Broadhurst enough for all he has done for me, the school and the community.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon ISD board names John Peterson as new athletic director
