John Thompson (American football coach)

John Thompson
Biographical details
Born	October 16, 1955 (age 68); El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
1970s	Central Arkansas
Position(s)	Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1982	Arkansas (GA)
1983–1986	Northwestern State (DC)
1987	Alabama (LB)
1988–1989	Northwestern State (DC)
1990–1991	Louisiana Tech (DC)
1992	Southern Miss (DC)
1993–1998	Southern Miss (AHC/DC)
1999	Memphis (DC)
2000	Arkansas (co-DC)
2001	Arkansas (DC)
2002	Florida (DC/MLB)
2003–2004	East Carolina
2005	South Carolina (co-DC/ILB)
2007	Ole Miss (DC/DB)
2008–2011	Georgia State (AHC/DC/ILB)
2012–2013	Arkansas State (DC/LB)
2012	Arkansas State (interim HC)
2013	Arkansas State (interim HC)
2014–2015	Texas State (DC)
2017–2018	Blessed Trinity HS (GA) (DC/LB)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2006	Central Arkansas
Head coaching record
Overall	5–20
Bowls	2–0

John Thompson (born October 16, 1955) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University from 2003 to 2004 and at Arkansas State University on an interim basis twice—first during the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl and then in the 2014 GoDaddy Bowl. He has compiled a career college football coaching record of 5–20.^[1]

Coaching career[edit]

Thompson was hired by head coach Ed Orgeron, who played under Thompson at Northwestern State University. Thompson has also served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas, the University of Florida, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech, and the University of Memphis. From 2003 to 2004, he was the head football coach at East Carolina University.

His most recent coaching position, prior to Ole Miss, was as co-defensive coordinator at South Carolina, but he left to return to his alma mater, the University of Central Arkansas, as the athletic director. Thompson then accepted the position as defensive coordinator at Georgia State University. Thompson accepted the defensive coordinator position for the Arkansas State Red Wolves on February 25, 2012 under Head Coach Gus Malzahn. Thompson, his wife, Charleen, and two sons, Cabe and Hays, currently live in Alpharetta, Georgia outside of Atlanta.

Head coaching record[edit]


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
East Carolina Pirates (Conference USA) (2003–2004)
2003	East Carolina	1–11	1–7	10th
2004	East Carolina	2–9	2–6	T–10th
East Carolina:		3–20	3–13
Arkansas State Red Wolves (Sun Belt Conference) (2012–2013)
2012	Arkansas State	1–0*			W GoDaddy.com Bowl
2013	Arkansas State	1–0*			W GoDaddy Bowl
Arkansas State:		2–0		* Only coached bowl games
Total:		5–20

References[edit]

^ Wolken, Dan (August 19, 2015). "John Thompson has had football jobs at 14 colleges — six in the SEC — and zero regrets". USA Today. Retrieved August 1, 2021.

[1] Wolken, Dan (August 19, 2015). "John Thompson has had football jobs at 14 colleges — six in the SEC — and zero regrets". USA Today. Retrieved August 1, 2021.

[1]