Saint Francis University Hires Decorated Gordon Thomson as Cross Country and Track & Field Coach

LORETTO, Pa. (July 24, 2009) – Saint Francis University has hired Gordon Thomson, who has 22 years of head coaching experience, to be the next head coach of the Red Flash men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs, Director of Athletics Bob Krimmel announced on Friday.

Thomson, who has extensive experience coaching on the national and international levels, comes to Loretto after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the Clemson University men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs. He had spent the previous seven years as head coach of the DePaul men’s and women’s programs, and 15 seasons as head coach at Loyola-Chicago.

Thomson begins his duties at Saint Francis immediately, but will spend the next week in Chula Vista, Calif., where he will be the lead instructor for the Emerging Elites Coaching Summit, which is sponsored by USA Track & Field, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

“Gordon Thomson brings an outstanding background as a coach, teacher and leader in cross country and track & field,” Krimmel said. “Coach Thomson has made a positive impact on the students and universities he has served during his coaching career. Our student-athletes and staff are excited to welcome Gordon to the Saint Francis family, and look forward to his dynamic leadership as our coach.”

While at Clemson, Thomson worked exclusively with the women’s distance program for his first two years. During his third season, he was in charge of coaching all phases of the Tiger cross country program for both the men and women.

“I am super excited to join the Red Flash family,” Thomson said. “I have long appreciated Pennsylvania high school track and field, so I am looking forward to recruiting some of the best and brightest to Saint Francis. I would like to thank Bob Krimmel and the search committee for this opportunity. It was a pleasure to meet them. I can’t wait to get on campus to be a part of this athletics program. I think that Bob Krimmel’s vision for athletics is inspiring and I am looking forward to being a part of it.”

Thomson coached both of Clemson’s cross country teams to Top-10 finishes at NCAA Southeast Regionals in 2008, while both teams earned all-Academic honors. Thomson also recruited and coached Jenna Baker to All-Atlantic Coast Conference and All-Region honors. She became the first Tiger runner to earn All-Region honors since 1998.

Prior to becoming an assistant at Clemson, Thomson’s tenure at DePaul produced 18 student-athletes who won Conference USA Championships, and four student-athletes who earned NCAA All-America honors. In 2002, he coached Erin Moffett to the first-ever women’s cross country All-America honor at DePaul. She went on to earn All-Region honors in 2001, and Thomson also coached three-time All-American Carey Ryan in the men’s hammer throw. Ryan finished third at NCAA’s in the hammer throw.

During 15 seasons as head coach at Loyola-Chicago, Thomson was in charge of both the men’s and women’s programs. He was a 10-time Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now the Horizon League) Coach-of-the-Year, while his men’s distance athletes earned nine All-America awards. He coached the school’s first female All-American in 1992 in the outdoor 10,000 meter run.

During his tenure at Loyola-Chicago, Thomson coached two members of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in Eddie Slowikowski and Jim Westphal. Slowikowski was a three-time NCAA All-American and broke the four-minute mark in the mile run. He was a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500m.

Westphal was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2006 after a highly decorated career under Thomson’s guidance. He earned four All-America honors and holds seven school records. Westphal went on to become a three-time member of the World Cross Country Championships team, and he was also a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in 1996.

Thomson coached Marc Burns, who was an All-American in 1989 and 1990 and holds school records in the 4x800m relay (indoor) and distance medley relay, 4x1500m relay, and 4x1600m relay (outdoor). Burns went on to coach the Loyola-Chicago program and is now the head cross country coach at Wichita State.

Prior to his head coach experience, Thomson served a total of three years as an assistant coach with the Northwestern University and University of Florda men’s and women’s track and field programs.

In one season at Northwestern, he coached sprints, hurdles and throwing events, as well as sprints and relays for the Wildcat football athletes. Several athletes scored at the Big Ten Championships.

Before joining Northwestern, Thomson oversaw recruiting and coaching for all distance events in two years at Florida. He oversaw an NCAA-record performance in the 10,000m by Beth Farmer in 32 minutes, 49.1 seconds. Florida finished seventh at the 1981 AIAW Cross Country Championship. While coaching for the Gators, Thomson coached 1988 Olympian Shelly Steely, and present Villanova head coach Gina Proccacio.

Thomas has significant experience coaching with USA Track & Field. In July of 2004, he was a USA men’s assistant coach (distance events) at the IAAF World Junior Championships, in Grosseto, Italy. In March 2006, he was the USA men’s assistant coach (distance events) at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia. From 1997-2005, Thomson served as USA Track and Field’s men’s Olympic Development Chairman for the 3,000m steeplechase.

Additionally, Thomson was appointed as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships, which were held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was at those championships  that Thomson displayed his coaching versatility. In overseeing the throwers, he coached four athletes to gold medal performances.

Thomson also served as President of the United States Cross Country Coaches Assocation from 1998-2000. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Florida in 1982. He also obtained his master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences from Florida in 1987. Thomson wrote his thesis  on “Hurdling versus Stepping the Steeplechase Waterjump.”