An avid soccer enthusiast and youth coach for many years, Dave Thomas has seen the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer program grow from its very first practice in 2005.

Thomas is in his 19th season as the assistant coach for the Blue Dragons.

Over the first 18 seasons of Blue Dragon soccer, HutchCC has produced a stellar record of 247-64-9. The program has won five Jayhawk Conference Championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016), three Region VI championships (2007, 2010, 2011) and has posted 15 consecutive winning seasons, made six berths in the Region VI championship game and three appearances in the District B tournament, once in the finals.

The 2011 season will always be memorable for Thomas and the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson won a share of a third-straight Jayhawk Conference championship, a third Region VI championship and a berth in the NJCAA District B Tournament. Hutchinson finished 17-3 and was ranked No. 3 in the nation.

In 2010, Thomas helped guide the Blue Dragons to an undefeated regular season, an overtime victory in the Region VI championship game over Butler and saw the program come within one victory of advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament. The 2010 Blue Dragons finished 21-1 and attained the program’s highest ranking ever, finishing at No. 3 in the final NJCAA women’s Division I national poll.

Thomas joined the Blue Dragon soccer staff after nine years of coaching club soccer teams in Hutchinson.

He retired from Sears management after 30 years and taught marketing and retailing at Hutchinson Community College part-time from 1994-96. Thomas also serves as Hutchinson Rotary Club secretary and is a past chairman of SCORE.

He’s also served on the Hutchinson city planning and zoning board.

Thomas is a 1964 graduate of the University of Missouri, earning a B.A. in marketing. Thomas lettered three times, running sprints for the Missouri Tiger track team.

Thomas and his late wife, Jan, have three children: Lisa and Scott (twins) and Steve. The couple also has four grandchildren: Jake; Amie; Seth; and Cali.

Thomas was born on April 23, 1941 in Brookfield, Mo., and graduated from Brookfield High School in 1959.