Purple Pride
May 11th, 2006, 01:13 PM
THOMPSON NAMED UCA ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATION * May 10, 2006
CONWAY, Ark_ John Thompson was named athletic director at the
University of Central Arkansas at a press conference Wednesday morning in the
university's board of trustees' meeting room. Thompson, an Arkansas
native and alumnus of UCA, succeeds Vance Strange who resigned the position
last week.
"We have found the right individual in John Thompson," said university
president Lu Hardin, who introduced Thompson to the media and a large
contingent of UCA supporters. "I'm confident John can get the job done
and continue the vision Vance Strange developed. I am very pleased to
welcome him back to the UCA family."
"I look forward to becoming athletic director at one of the great
universities in the nation," Thompson said. "It will be a privilege to work
under Lu Hardin's aggressive leadership. For a university to go from
8,500 students to 12,000 students in four years is extraordinary.
Together we have an unlimited future."
During his 24-year coaching career, Thompson was recognized as a top
defensive mind and had experience at five Southeastern Conference schools
- Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU and South Carolina. Thompson also
served as head coach at East Carolina University. While he was with the
Pirates, he coached a total of three first-team All-Conference USA
players and had seven players chosen to the Freshman All-Conference team.
As a defensive coordinator, Thompson's units led their respective
conferences in total defense three different times. Twenty-eight of his
defensive players were drafted or signed with National Football League
teams, 40 earned all-conference honors, five were named All-America, and
one former Northwestern State linebacker Gary Reasons has been inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thompson served as the defensive coordinator at Florida, Arkansas, LSU,
South Carolina, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and
Northwestern State. A native of Forrest City, Thompson began his coaching
career in the high school ranks in 1977 while pursuing his bachelor's
degree at UCA. He graduated from UCA in 1978 and continued to coach high
school football until moving on to the college ranks at the University
of Arkansas as a graduate assistant for head coach Lou Holtz in 1982.
Thompson was the defensive coordinator at Northwestern State from
1983-86. He went to Alabama to coach the linebackers for Bill Curry in 1987
before returning to Northwestern State for the 1988 and '89 seasons. In
1990, he became defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech and in his two
seasons there, his defense ranked No. 8 nationally in rushing defense,
No. 19 in scoring defense, and No. 23 in total defense.
Thompson was the mastermind behind the dominant Southern Mississippi
defense of the mid-1990s as he took over as defensive coordinator for the
Golden Eagles in 1992 and was given the additional title of assistant
head coach in 1993. He remained with that program until 1998. Along the
way, Southern Miss won or shared two Conference USA titles, ranked
among the top 25 nationally in scoring defense twice and made two bowl
appearances.
He had comparable accomplishments in 1999 as defensive coordinator at
Memphis as his Tiger defense ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense
and 20th in total defense.
In December, 1999, Thompson made his move to the SEC when he was named
Nick Saban's first defensive coordinator at LSU. Afforded with the
opportunity to move back to his home state, Thompson was co-defensive
coordinator at Arkansas in 2000, as the Razorbacks were second in the nation
in pass defense and led the SEC in both pass defense and total defense.
As the sole defensive coordinator in 2001, Thompson helped lead the U o
fA to the 2002 Cotton Bowl.
Thompson was appointed defensive coordinator at Florida in 2002 and the
Gators advanced to the Outback Bowl against Michigan. Allowing just
162.4 passing yards per game, his Florida pass defense ranked seventh in
the nation and was the best by a Gator team since 1989.
He recently moved to Conway after serving as defensive coordinator at
South Carolina.
Thompson's playing career includes time as a prep quarterback at
Forrest City High School and two seasons as a defensive back at Central
Arkansas. Thompson and his wife, Charleen, have two sons, Cabe and Hays.
ADMINISTRATION * May 10, 2006
CONWAY, Ark_ John Thompson was named athletic director at the
University of Central Arkansas at a press conference Wednesday morning in the
university's board of trustees' meeting room. Thompson, an Arkansas
native and alumnus of UCA, succeeds Vance Strange who resigned the position
last week.
"We have found the right individual in John Thompson," said university
president Lu Hardin, who introduced Thompson to the media and a large
contingent of UCA supporters. "I'm confident John can get the job done
and continue the vision Vance Strange developed. I am very pleased to
welcome him back to the UCA family."
"I look forward to becoming athletic director at one of the great
universities in the nation," Thompson said. "It will be a privilege to work
under Lu Hardin's aggressive leadership. For a university to go from
8,500 students to 12,000 students in four years is extraordinary.
Together we have an unlimited future."
During his 24-year coaching career, Thompson was recognized as a top
defensive mind and had experience at five Southeastern Conference schools
- Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU and South Carolina. Thompson also
served as head coach at East Carolina University. While he was with the
Pirates, he coached a total of three first-team All-Conference USA
players and had seven players chosen to the Freshman All-Conference team.
As a defensive coordinator, Thompson's units led their respective
conferences in total defense three different times. Twenty-eight of his
defensive players were drafted or signed with National Football League
teams, 40 earned all-conference honors, five were named All-America, and
one former Northwestern State linebacker Gary Reasons has been inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thompson served as the defensive coordinator at Florida, Arkansas, LSU,
South Carolina, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and
Northwestern State. A native of Forrest City, Thompson began his coaching
career in the high school ranks in 1977 while pursuing his bachelor's
degree at UCA. He graduated from UCA in 1978 and continued to coach high
school football until moving on to the college ranks at the University
of Arkansas as a graduate assistant for head coach Lou Holtz in 1982.
Thompson was the defensive coordinator at Northwestern State from
1983-86. He went to Alabama to coach the linebackers for Bill Curry in 1987
before returning to Northwestern State for the 1988 and '89 seasons. In
1990, he became defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech and in his two
seasons there, his defense ranked No. 8 nationally in rushing defense,
No. 19 in scoring defense, and No. 23 in total defense.
Thompson was the mastermind behind the dominant Southern Mississippi
defense of the mid-1990s as he took over as defensive coordinator for the
Golden Eagles in 1992 and was given the additional title of assistant
head coach in 1993. He remained with that program until 1998. Along the
way, Southern Miss won or shared two Conference USA titles, ranked
among the top 25 nationally in scoring defense twice and made two bowl
appearances.
He had comparable accomplishments in 1999 as defensive coordinator at
Memphis as his Tiger defense ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense
and 20th in total defense.
In December, 1999, Thompson made his move to the SEC when he was named
Nick Saban's first defensive coordinator at LSU. Afforded with the
opportunity to move back to his home state, Thompson was co-defensive
coordinator at Arkansas in 2000, as the Razorbacks were second in the nation
in pass defense and led the SEC in both pass defense and total defense.
As the sole defensive coordinator in 2001, Thompson helped lead the U o
fA to the 2002 Cotton Bowl.
Thompson was appointed defensive coordinator at Florida in 2002 and the
Gators advanced to the Outback Bowl against Michigan. Allowing just
162.4 passing yards per game, his Florida pass defense ranked seventh in
the nation and was the best by a Gator team since 1989.
He recently moved to Conway after serving as defensive coordinator at
South Carolina.
Thompson's playing career includes time as a prep quarterback at
Forrest City High School and two seasons as a defensive back at Central
Arkansas. Thompson and his wife, Charleen, have two sons, Cabe and Hays.