Being the son of the late, great head coach Jimmy Thomas as well as a tremendous football player during his playing days at Bushland, there weren’t many questions about the career path Jared Thomas would take.
Thomas’ path led exactly how many thought, and that’s following in the family business of the coaching world where he’s made quite the impact since getting his feet on the ground.
At just 23 years old, the Bushland and West Texas A&M graduate has solidified himself at Morton High School as the head baseball coach and a trusted assistant on the Indians varsity football team.
Thomas was a standout quarterback for Bushland under his father, Jimmy, who passed away on Nov. 21, 2022. With Thomas as the signal caller, the Falcons went 12-1, falling to Brock 20-17 in overtime during a 2019 regional semifinal clash.
Thomas now venturing into coaching isn’t a surprise, especially to current Bushland athletic director and head coach Josh Reynolds, who coached under Jimmy as well as the offensive coordinator for Thomas during his playing days.
“I love the Thomas family,” Reynolds said. “They were great to me and the Bushland school district. I know what coaching meant to Jared’s dad and he takes those same qualities with him to make an impact on kids today.
“Jared has always been very smart,” Reynolds said. “He’s a coach’s kid, so you could always see he had a great football IQ. Watching him grow up through junior high, JV, then varsity, you could always see Jared believed in himself and was a tremendous competitor. He never was the biggest or the fastest, but he played with so much confidence and was a great leader. Now he’s leading young men which is awesome to see. I know his dad would be so proud.”
During college at WTAMU, Thomas was able to contract coach with his father at Littlefield. That’s something he’ll never forget, and though he’s well aware he’ll always be known as “Jimmy’s son” to many older coaches around the Texas Panhandle and South Plains, Thomas will work hard to create his own name despite the proud moniker.
“I love being known as “Jimmy’s son,” Thomas said. “My dad set such a good path, and I want to make him proud, but I’m also motivated to be my own coach Thomas. He left me with a great reputation, so now I want to build that into how I coach and create my own style.”
As for his goals, Thomas plans on taking what he learned from his father and mentors before him and being the best young coach going forward.
“I want to learn what I did from my dad and those before me and keep learning and getting better,” Thomas said. “That’s building relationships with kids and making connections. I struggled with that last year but it’s really clicking so far this year. I want kids to know I truly care about their well-being and we’ll always be there for them.”