Tommy Thigpen
Encyclopedia
Tommy Thigpen is an American
college football
assistant coach at Auburn University
, serving as safeties coach under head coach Gene Chizik
. He had spent the previous four seasons serving as linebackers coach
at North Carolina
. Prior to entering coaching, Thigpen had been a linebacker
in the National Football League
.
in Dumfries, Virginia
, where he was honored as a Parade All-American and Virginia Defensive Player of the Year. Thigpen was recruited to play college football
at the University of North Carolina
for head coach Mack Brown
. Thigpen was a three-time All-ACC
linebacker for the Tar Heels. He was co-captain of the 1992 team that went 9-3 and were Peach Bowl champions. Upon graduation, Thigpen played professionally for the New York Giants
and Barcelona Dragons
.
in 1998-99 under Carl Torbush
. He received his first full time position the following season coaching linebackers at Tennessee State
. In 2001-02, he was hired by new head coach Urban Meyer
as the cornerbacks coach and special team's coordinator at Bowling Green
where he helped coach one of the Mid-American Conference
's top defenses, leading the MAC in turnover margin in 2002. BGSU also finished second in the MAC in pass efficiency defense, while Thigpen's special teams also were impressive, blocking seven punts and one field goal.
When Meyer went to Utah in 2003, Thigpen was hired by Ron Turner as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Illinois. He spent the following season as the linebackers coach for the Fighting Illini
and was one of two assistants to keep their job when Turner was fired. Although new coach Ron Zook
asked him to stay on the staff, Thigpen decided to take the same position at his alma-mater, North Carolina, for the 2005 season. In each of his four seasons at Chapel Hill
he tutored UNC's leading tacklers, including Durell Mapp who came to Carolina as a walk-on and finished with the second most tackles in the ACC and now plays with the Green Bay Packers
. Thigpen was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference to attend the 2008 Minority Coaches Forum.
On February 15, 2009, Gene Chizik
announced Thigpen had been hired as the safeties coach at Auburn University
. He will split responsibilities coaching the Tigers secondary with Phillip Lolley
who was promoted to cornerbacks coach.
Thigpen was a coach for Auburn when they won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
.
An exceptional recruiter, Thigpen has been named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters on three occasions: in both 2007 and 2009 by Rivals.com
and in 2011 by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.com. Thigpen was also awarded the 2011 Scout.com/FoxSports.com SEC Conference Recruiter of the Year.
in 1993. He is married to the former Jacinda Webb and the couple has a daughter, Asia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
assistant coach at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, serving as safeties coach under head coach Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
. He had spent the previous four seasons serving as linebackers coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
. Prior to entering coaching, Thigpen had been a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Playing career
Thigpen played prep school football at Potomac High SchoolPotomac High School (Virginia)
Potomac Senior High School is a public secondary school in unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia, United States.Potomac Senior High School, which serves the nearby incorporated town of Dumfries was established in 1979. When the school first opened there were only freshmen and the students...
in Dumfries, Virginia
Dumfries, Virginia
Dumfries is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,937 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dumfries is located at ....
, where he was honored as a Parade All-American and Virginia Defensive Player of the Year. Thigpen was recruited to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
for head coach Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
. Thigpen was a three-time All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
linebacker for the Tar Heels. He was co-captain of the 1992 team that went 9-3 and were Peach Bowl champions. Upon graduation, Thigpen played professionally for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
.
Coaching career
Thigpen began his coaching career as a UNC graduate assistantGraduate assistant
A graduate assistant is a position who serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The individual typically assists professors or with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants, coaches with an athletic team, or university department...
in 1998-99 under Carl Torbush
Carl Torbush
Carl William Torbush Jr. was the college football Defensive Coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS...
. He received his first full time position the following season coaching linebackers at Tennessee State
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
. In 2001-02, he was hired by new head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
as the cornerbacks coach and special team's coordinator at Bowling Green
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
where he helped coach one of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
's top defenses, leading the MAC in turnover margin in 2002. BGSU also finished second in the MAC in pass efficiency defense, while Thigpen's special teams also were impressive, blocking seven punts and one field goal.
When Meyer went to Utah in 2003, Thigpen was hired by Ron Turner as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Illinois. He spent the following season as the linebackers coach for the Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and was one of two assistants to keep their job when Turner was fired. Although new coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
asked him to stay on the staff, Thigpen decided to take the same position at his alma-mater, North Carolina, for the 2005 season. In each of his four seasons at Chapel Hill
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
he tutored UNC's leading tacklers, including Durell Mapp who came to Carolina as a walk-on and finished with the second most tackles in the ACC and now plays with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Thigpen was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference to attend the 2008 Minority Coaches Forum.
On February 15, 2009, Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
announced Thigpen had been hired as the safeties coach at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He will split responsibilities coaching the Tigers secondary with Phillip Lolley
Phillip Lolley
Phillip Lolley is an American college football assistant coach at Auburn University, serving as cornerbacks coach under head coach Gene Chizik...
who was promoted to cornerbacks coach.
Thigpen was a coach for Auburn when they won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game
2011 BCS National Championship Game
The 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was the final college football game to determine the national champion of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season. The finale of the 2010-2011 Bowl Championship Series was played at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the host...
.
An exceptional recruiter, Thigpen has been named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters on three occasions: in both 2007 and 2009 by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
and in 2011 by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.com. Thigpen was also awarded the 2011 Scout.com/FoxSports.com SEC Conference Recruiter of the Year.
Personal life
Thigpen graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
in 1993. He is married to the former Jacinda Webb and the couple has a daughter, Asia.