Three years ago, Joby Bush couldn’t envision himself being a coach.

“Frankly, I didn’t think I’d be very good at it,” Bush said, leaning back in his chair in the Oklahoma State UniversityRodeo team’s offices.

At that point, he’d just concluded his collegiate career, competing in tie-down roping at the College National Finals Rodeo in 2024. He hadn’t quite figured out what his next step would be in life, but the even-keel Bush wasn’t too worried.

The OSU Rodeo Team was about to lose its two graduate assistant coaches. Both are Bush’s good friends. In their absence, the program would hire its first full-time assistant coach. Some felt Bush was the perfect candidate.

“I had several people think I would do a good job,” Bush said. “So, not knowing what I was going to end up doing, I threw my hat in the ring.”

A week after his final collegiate run, Bush interviewed for the position. And three years later, he is thriving in his assistant coaching role with the program. As OSU Rodeo prepares for its premier event, the Cowboy Stampede, hosted at the Payne County Expo Center from Oct. 15-17, Bush will partake in his eighth Stampede as either a participant or coach.

“I think what sets Stampede apart is the atmosphere,” Bush said. “There are many big rodeos that have great atmospheres, but there are not a lot of college rodeos like ours. I think the Stillwater community is special.”

Finding his footing

Bush grew up in Yale, a town of roughly 1,000 just east of Stillwater.

His father and grandfather both roped. His mother’s side of the family owned a ranch.

“I was kind of raised in the Western world,” Bush said.

He got started around the age of 7, competing in junior and high school rodeo. He found some success nationally, resulting in a rodeo scholarship and a two-year run at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bush lost two semesters of competition. After his time at WOSC concluded, Bush needed to find a new college home to continue competing. After initially being recruited by OSU Rodeo head coach Cody Hollingsworth in high school, Bush returned to Payne County.

“He welcomed me with open arms and has been really good to me,” Bush said.

After three seasons at OSU, Bush seamlessly transitioned into the assistant coaching role he holds today.

“I like being around college students,” Bush said. “It’s just a fun atmosphere. I get to rope with them, and what I’ve worked at my whole life, I’ve gotten to help other people do. It’s been a blessing.”

Amongst his peers

Bush became the first full-time assistant rodeo coach at 23.

It was an exciting moment, but it also created a challenge for the rookie: He needed to coach students who were around his age. Some were even his teammates just a year earlier.

“I try not to tell them what to do all the time,” Bush said. “I try to be a friend to them, but at a certain point, there also needed to be that respect level they had for me. So, my first year, I was just trying to maintain that balance.”

Hollingsworth, who is currently in his 15th season as head coach, has been a vital part of Bush’s growth as a leader and coach. After the position was created, the new duo needed to determine what the role entailed.

“I’ve learned as much from coaching as I have roping in my life,” Bush said. “It’s easy to teach technique, but it’s a little harder to teach people. They’re dealing with family issues, health issues, school issues. They’re balancing a lot. So, to actually know the people on your team, the way they need to be coached … knowing them as people is so valuable.”

The Cowboy Way 

It’s a Thursday afternoon at OSU Rodeo’s practice arena. A fresh rain has moved the tie-down ropers under the awning at the practice facility.

“It’ll be a light day,” Bush explains, walking from his office.

In between runs, Bush chats with the team members as they slowly trickle in, and pleasantries and laughs are shared in between Bush’s coaching moments. Now a seasoned member of the program, Bush is comfortable in the wake of another Stampede. Named the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association 2025-2026 Central Plains Region Rodeo of the Year, the event creates excitement among the team.

“It’s the best rodeo we’ve got,” said Cooper Langston, a senior tie-down roper. “It stands out for all of it. You can’t compare it.”

That eagerness isn’t lost on the veteran Bush.

“I grew up in the cowboy way of life,” Bush said. “I’ve been an OSU fan my entire life. I received my animal science degree from here. I know all the things OSU stands for, from having a strong character and a stronger work ethic. Then, stepping into this where the two worlds of rodeo and OSU collide, I think it’s the ultimate sign of cowboy culture, and that’s what I stand for.”

Bush still ropes professionally, but just on the side, as he explains. His days are now spent teaching, or as he describes it, “playing coach.” Being able to blend his passions for the university and rodeo is just a bonus.

Just as he did years ago, Bush hopes to elevate team members to the heights he reached during his time on the squad. It might not have been his first idea for a post-rodeo career, but Bush has found his calling.

Safe to say, it’s rubbed off on others.

“Best coach I’ve ever had,” Langston said. “He’s so encouraging and knowledgeable. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be at Oklahoma State.”

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