Paul Thomas (basketball)

Paul Thomas is the women's basketball head coach at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California. He has also served as head coach at Cal Poly Pomona and Hamline University.

Early life

Paul Thomas began playing basketball in Creighton, Nebraska. He would attend Creighton High School, where he played forward. While at Creighton, Thomas was made an all-state forward and named the 1982 Bulldogs Most Valuable Player.^[1]

After high school, Thomas would spend the next two years at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. Thomas continued to play forward until he decided to focus on what he wanted to go into; coaching.

Thomas' history in coaching goes back to 1985. Thomas would transfer from Midland Lutheran and attend Wayne State College from 1985-1988. He would receive his bachelor's degree in 1986 and his master's degree in 1988 in physical education. While at Wayne State, Thomas also served as a student assistant for the women's basketball team and as an assistant coach for the Pender High School girls team.^[1]

Post Collegiate Coaching

In 1988, Thomas would get his first head coaching assignment at Hamline University, a NCAA Division 3 school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Success wouldn't come early for Thomas, as Hamline would go 1-24 in his first season (1-19 in the MIAC) and follow it up with a 0-25 season (0-20 in the MIAC) in 1989-90.^[2]

Seeking a new beginning, Thomas headed back to the assistant coach ranks at Cal Poly Pomona, where he would serve the next 16 years. Cal Poly Pomona changed Thomas' coaching career around. In all four seasons that Thomas served as assistant coach, Cal Poly Pomona would win the CCAA Championship. After four seasons, Thomas was promoted to head coach. Over the next 12 years, Thomas would compile a 235-108 record. Thomas would lead the Broncos to five additional CCAA Championships and back-to-back Division 2 National Championship titles (2001 and 2002). He would reach the Division II NCAA Tournament eight out of the 12 seasons with a 14-6 postseason record. He recruited and coached two National Players of the Year, six First Team Kodak All-Americans, four CCAA Players of the Year and 15 First Team All-Conference players all while winning the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year and NCAA District 8 Coach of the Year in 2002.^[1]

In 2006, Thomas moved up the ranks and joined Saint Mary's College, becoming the program's eighth women's head coach. To date, the Gaels have made numerous WNIT berths, and in 2011, they placed second in the WCC Women's basketball tournament behind Gonzaga.^[3] In 2015, Thomas was selected as one of three WCC coaches to be named co-coach of the year, along with Pacific Tigers coach Lynne Roberts and Gonzaga Bulldogs coach Lisa Fortier.^[4]

Thomas resides in Moraga. He has three children : Jacob, Michaela, and Annika.

Division I Head coaching record

References