UNT Coaching Candidate Chris Thomsen

Eagle-96 · November 8, 2015

The recruitment of two of those NFL draft picks also led to ACU vacating ten wins.

According to the committee’s report, two assistant football coaches helped a pair of players find an English correspondence class to take, enroll in the same course, allowed them to use the coaches’ school computers for writing papers and paid to mail the assignments.

outoftown · November 8, 2015

That kind of thing leading to vacated wins says more about what is wrong with the NCAA than it says about what is wrong with the coaches

Cr1028 · November 8, 2015

According to the committee’s report, two assistant football coaches helped a pair of players find an English correspondence class to take, enroll in the same course, allowed them to use the coaches’ school computers for writing papers and paid to mail the assignments.

Which constitutes....Citing major rules violations in both sports, the NCAA committee on infractions said some personnel at the Division II school “were lax on rules compliance, leading to violations of well-known, obvious NCAA rules.”

GMG24 · November 8, 2015

The recruitment of two of those NFL draft picks also led to ACU vacating ten wins.

that was when he was bringing them in on Track scholly's to play Football right? Don't like the violation, but I'm in agreement at least he knows 1. What that player looks like, and 2. Develops them into the NFL prospect.

HarringtonFishSmeller · November 8, 2015

So, this guy and Briles, Jr. both have NCAA recruiting marks against them. Fine. Give me Norvell or Riley.

eulessismore · November 9, 2015

D II is a different animal than FBS. You get a lot of great athletes at that level due to lower academic requirements and the ability to have immediate transfer eligibility. That said, some great FBS coaches have come from that level like Jim Harbaugh and many others. Withers is unique in he has a lot of FBS experience on top of his work at JMU.

JMU is definitely not DII, but FCS (also Division 1, with similar academic requirements). And I'm pretty sure that when Jim Harbaugh was coaching at the University of San Diego, his last stop before Stanford, it was also FCS (Patriot Conference, maybe, with teams scattered all over the country). Not to nitpick, but a major difference, as mentioned, in academic requirements.

Harry · November 9, 2015

JMU is definitely not DII, but FCS (also Division 1, with similar academic requirements). And I'm pretty sure that when Jim Harbaugh was coaching at the University of San Diego, his last stop before Stanford, it was also FCS (Patriot Conference, maybe, with teams scattered all over the country). Not to nitpick, but a major difference, as mentioned, in academic requirements.

You're correct I did not post each classification but there are major differences in all categories below FBS to my understanding. FCS allows players from FBS to transfer and be eligible immediately. FCS also has lower academic requirements than FBS. You also have juco's who can basically offer a player with lower HS academics a fresh start. That is why we see double signings so often with the jucos because they haven't quite qualified and want to hedge their bets. It's tougher as a mid major because you aren't usually considered a "dream" school and the player has options to get to said "dream" school via the juco ranks. Also there are some players who make it to the NFL through the smaller classifications schools as well.

StealthEagle84 · November 9, 2015

The article below is a very good read. Many great names come to mind that started as head coaches below the FBS rank. Grant Taeff, Jim Tressel, Brian Kelly, Jim Harbaugh. But as the article points out, the overall record indicates success elsewhere doesn't guarantee success at the FBS level. However, knowing how to build a successful program is virtually the same.

"I almost wonder how coordinators who have never had that role of doing it all, how many mistakes they make in year one and year two, and how many of those mistakes not only hurt the program, but hurt themselves from a career standpoint," (Dino) Babers said. "I wouldn’t trade my experience and knowledge I learned at Eastern Illinois for anything. It was invaluable and it was definitely needed for where I wanted to get to.”

http://m.trib.com/sports/college/wyoming/coaches-who-have-made-fcs-to-fbs-transition-lay-out/article_2c12eaca-ffa8-5b37-a1c6-65d78552ef7f.html

eulessismore · November 9, 2015

You're correct I did not post each classification but there are major differences in all categories below FBS to my understanding. FCS allows players from FBS to transfer and be eligible immediately. FCS also has lower academic requirements than FBS. You also have juco's who can basically offer a player with lower HS academics a fresh start. That is why we see double signings so often with the jucos because they haven't quite qualified and want to hedge their bets. It's tougher as a mid major because you aren't usually considered a "dream" school and the player has options to get to said "dream" school via the juco ranks. Also there are some players who make it to the NFL through the smaller classifications schools as well.

Harry, I'll correct myself about University of San Diego being in the Patriot Conference, it was really the Pioneer, which has schools all over the country, but I still have to question whether FCS necessarily has lower academic requirements; the Ivy League is FCS, but I'd say it's requirements are among the highest. Other FCS conferences, such as the Colonial and the Patriot, also have some schools with highly respected academics. Whether that has anything to do with NCAA requirements, I do not know. I honestly think trying to figure out the various levels, divisions, and conferences is one of the most confusing aspects of college sports.

Harry · November 9, 2015

Harry, I'll correct myself about University of San Diego being in the Patriot Conference, it was really the Pioneer, which has schools all over the country, but I still have to question whether FCS necessarily has lower academic requirements; the Ivy League is FCS, but I'd say it's requirements are among the highest. Other FCS conferences, such as the Colonial and the Patriot, also have some schools with highly respected academics. Whether that has anything to do with NCAA requirements, I do not know. I honestly think trying to figure out the various levels, divisions, and conferences is one of the most confusing aspects of college sports.

Agreed it is confusing. And you are right, Colonial and Patriot are big time exceptions. I have seen us go after players who were unable to get in but ended up going to juco or schools like Abilene Christian, Sam Houston etc. I probably should have clarified that.

TheReal_jayD · November 14, 2018

On 10/13/2015 at 4:53 PM, TheTastyGreek said:

If we could get him as a package deal with his old AD at ACU (Jared Mosley), I'd take that deal.

Bump. What about now? We have half the package

PlummMeanGreen · November 15, 2018

Have I missed something here in midst of the hot wedding DJ season like:

😲 DO WE HAVE AN OPENING THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED?😱

GMG!

Edited November 15, 2018 by PlummMeanGreen

TheTastyGreek · November 16, 2018

On 11/14/2018 at 6:45 PM, TheReal_jayD said:

Bump. What about now? We have half the package

I think I've been to one game in one sport since the end of the 2015 football season.

We could bring back Eppy and Shanice Stephens and I probably wouldn't notice for months.

So, other than my usual advocacy for Zombie Landry, I recuse myself from any potential coaching search committee.

meangreen11 · December 7, 2022

Not saying he will get the job but this guy is a very good coach and spent a lot of time with Jared Mosley at ACU and they were both very successful there. Definitely a name to keep in mind as he was at TCU with Patterson and knows Texas recruiting.

Chris Thomsen - Football - Florida State Seminoles

FSU BIO LINK: https://seminoles.com/staff/chris-thomsen/

Edited December 7, 2022 by meangreen11

TalonsUp · December 7, 2022

On 10/13/2015 at 6:24 PM, casual fan said:

He would be a very Boise State type hire.

He has been a successful HC from a smaller school with local roots.

He has shown he can recruit good Texas players to a small school. That's not an easy thing to do.

He is now an assistant head coach at a big school. (Arizona State) He also was TT interim HC when they beat Minnesota in a 2012 bowl game.

He is still early in his career at 44 or 45.

54-55

ExADofficeIntern · December 7, 2022

This may not be a sexy hire, but I would really like to see someone with a track record in terms of him being a ACU HC, multiple P5 Gigs, and success within the state in terms of recruiting. I have not done deep dive into him, but he has things that could be a help in recruiting

Cr1028 · December 7, 2022

18 minutes ago, ExADofficeIntern said:

This may not be a sexy hire, but I would really like to see someone with a track record in terms of him being a ACU HC, multiple P5 Gigs, and success within the state in terms of recruiting. I have not done deep dive into him, but he has things that could be a help in recruiting

Hey, you said something I’m not adamantly opposed to. We are making progress here.

SilverEagle · December 7, 2022

I find it interesting that after his stint as HC of ACU, he didn't seem to go after any other HC positions. He seems to be a perennial coordinator.

Also, someone made a comment in another thread about how Colby Carthel physically appears. Well, that photo of coach Thompson makes him look more like a professor of economics (maybe even the department chair) than an assistant or head football coach.

Hunter Green · December 7, 2022

On 11/7/2015 at 10:00 AM, Ben Gooding said:

Well then block me as I don't want an old man heading this program ever again. Get it. It's bad for business. Now, block me.

You boys need to switch to decaf!

Hunter Green · December 7, 2022

On 11/7/2015 at 10:39 AM, Ben Gooding said:

He is not engaging me in "discussion." He's being condescending. I am just trying to not let this fan base let someone sway us into another bad coaching decision. Thomeson has done nothing as far as I'm concerned. He hasn't had to recruit with his name at the FBS level, no one has heard of him, and he has been a freaking offensive line coach for the last 5 or 6 years. That is not someone I want here running this program. It doesn't even have to be 32 years young. Thomeson is at an appropriate age at 45, but no older than that. But, again, no one knows who this is. This isn't going to give us any kind of tick in recruiting and Billy can vouch for this, we really need an uptick in recruiting more than ever. Thomeson may be a winner at ACU where he can pile up FBS rejects and win with them and that is great and good for him. But he hasn't had to recruit at this level with his last name at an FBS program. If he was a stock, I'd pass.

I think we can all rest assured that this board is not going to sway any decisions made by our administration. By not having made any decisions on the AD or HC tells me they are doing due diligence and will make the best hire that's available for for both positions. I personally favor Jared for the AD, but that, and $10.50 will get you a cup of coffee. In the meantime, let's all take a chill pill and trust that the best decision will be made. After all, it is out of our hands.

Hunter Green · December 7, 2022

On 11/7/2015 at 10:22 AM, Cr1028 said:

For those who are anti-Briles because of NCAA violations, ACU vacated 10 wins because of the actions of Thomsen's staff so there is that.

Thomsen has been at the FBS-level as a position coach for 2 years. Lincoln Riley has been a coordinator at the FBS level for 6 years and been an FBS-level coach for ten years and a student assistant coach for 3 years before that so he has 13 years coaching at the FBS level. The coaching that Thomsen did before Riley started his career was as an ACU assistant and as a HS OC. Sometimes it isn't the age but the length and type of experience that matters.

Canales has way better experience than Thomsen as far as I'm concerned.

But, can he master the portal?

SilverEagle · December 7, 2022

2 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

I think we can all rest assured that this board is not going to sway any decisions made by our administration. By not having made any decisions on the AD or HC tells me they are doing due diligence and will make the best hire that's available for for both positions. I personally favor Jared for the AD, but that, and $10.50 will get you a cup of coffee. In the meantime, let's all take a chill pill and trust that the best decision will be made. After all, it is out of our hands.

Well, back when Wren Baker was hired, I remember commenting on the board that my preference was Jared Mosley. So, they went and hired him as the assistant AD. So there!......😎

Hunter Green · December 7, 2022

9 minutes ago, SilverEagle said:

Well, back when Wren Baker was hired, I remember commenting on the board that my preference was Jared Mosley. So, they went and hired him as the assistant AD. So there!......😎

Point taken!