Coach Shawn Bruns announced his retirement back in January from Flatonia Independent School District (FISD) effective June 30 after spending his entire 35 year career with FISD.
For the first 19 years Coach Bruns was the elementary P.E. coach while coaching high school sports.
In 2010, Bruns was named Co-Athletic Director and moved to teaching Health in the high school.
Bruns has coached junior high sports in addition to high school sports. He loves all sports, but his specialty has been baseball.
Bruns coached baseball for 25 years, then moved to the girls side to coach softball for 7 years, before finishing with 3 years back in baseball.
This last year Bruns has helped the district begin a junior high baseball program.
Under Bruns coaching the Flatonia baseball and softball programs the Bulldogs and Lady Dogs reached the playoffs 27 years, and the Bulldogs reached the state tournament 7 times in 1992, 1993, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2024.
The Bulldogs were three time State Champions in 1993, 2015 and 2016.
Athletic Directors that Coach Bruns worked under through the years include: Ned Butler, Ted Williams, Rick West, Jack Wylie, David Sine, Rodney Dowell, Chris Freytag, Brent Mascheck and Drew Bridges.
Bruns remembers many of his own coaches while growing up including: Bruce Webb, Jamie Lechler, Ronnie Homann, Larry Tidwell, David Husman, Tom Walker, Ted Vanek, Tom Strickland and Mark Migl.
Shawn Bruns graduated from Schulenburg High School in 1986, Blinn College-Brenham in 1988 and Texas A&M University- College Station in 1991.
His parents are Harvey and Gloria Oeding of La-Grange, and the late Nolan Bruns Jr. of Schulenburg.
Shawn has been married to Shawna Mica Bruns for 36 years. They have 4 grown children, 5 grandchildren, and attend Flatonia Baptist Church.
Shawn has coached with and against some great coaches including Chad Koehl, James Zaruba, Bryan Zimmerman, Rodney Williams, Jon Wunderlich, Steve Cerny, Daniel Boedecker, Shorty Cook, Brad Dumont, and Brad Oden, among so many others.
Coach Bruns has gotten to see many improvements to the FISD sports facilities over his 35 year tenure. When he first arrived, the Flatonia football field ran east and west.
The district built their new field, running north to south in 1999 and then turfed it in 2020.
FISD built a second gym in 2013, providing more space for PE classes and athletic practices. The weight rooms and locker rooms have tripled in size through the years.
Down at the ballpark, batting cages have been built, a softball field was added in 1999, and new dugouts were built at both the baseball and softball fields in 2023.
Coach Bruns has poured many hours into caring for and maintaining these fields.
Coach Bruns first thought he would become a sports writer, so he always took time to write the sports articles for his teams, often ending them with 'See ya at the ballpark!'
Sports writers and broadcasters he enjoyed working with while they covered the Bulldogs and Lady Dogs included: Chad Ferguson, Mike Foreman, Jeff Wick, Melanie Berger, and Gary Dusek.
Bruns plans to continue coaching the next generation about the games of baseball and softball, and making sure local fields look their best.
See ya at the ballpark!
