Rumor: Texas State has offered up New Defensive Coordinator Position

[BobcatDis]

Bruce Feldman of CBSSports is reporting that John Thompson will likely be offered to fill the vacant Defensive Coordinator Job soon.  As it stands right now it's just hearsay, but expect a decision to be made soon.  This comes after previous DC Craig Naivar left to join Stoops' staff at Kentucky on Friday.

 

John Thompson's Resume

Thompson has worked 26 seasons as a coordinator and was also the head coach at East Carolina for two years. Recognized as a top defensive mind, Thompson has worked as defensive coordinator or co-coordinator at Southeastern Conference schools Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina and LSU, as well as at Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State.  Thompson has seen more than 40 of his defensive players drafted by, or sign with, National Football League teams. Forty-four of his defenders earned all-conference honors, five were named all-America, and one, former Northwestern State linebacker Gary Reasons, has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 

 

Other accolades:
 

As the head coach at East Carolina in 2003-04, he coached three first-team all-conference players and seven all-freshman selections.
 

Thompson was the defensive coordinator at Florida in 2002, when the Gators' pass defense was ranked seventh in the nation, allowing just 162.4 yards per game. He also spent two years at Arkansas, serving as co-defensive coordinator in 2000 and then defensive coordinator in 2001. In 2000, the Razorbacks were second in the nation in pass defense while leading the SEC in pass defense and total defense. The following year, Thompson helped lead Arkansas to the Cotton Bowl.

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In 1990, he became the defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech for two seasons before moving to Southern Miss as defensive coordinator in 1992. He was given additional responsibility as assistant head coach in 1993. In Thompson's seven seasons at Southern Miss (1992-98), the Golden Eagles won or shared two Conference USA titles, twice ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring defense and made two bowl appearances.
 

In one season at Memphis in 1999, his Tiger defense ranked 11th in the nation in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense.

 

*Another candidate being considered is current cornerbacks coach Jason Washington

 

[BobcatDis]

It is now confirmed!   Former Arkansas State defensive coordinator John Thompson met with Dennis Franchione.  Soon after completing the interview Thompson was offered the defensive coordinator position and he accepted.

This is good news for Bobcats......Thompson brings a wealth knowledge and lengthy resume consisting of 30 years experience at the collegiate level as both an assistant and head coach.

 

Thompson was brought in by Guz Malzahn during his one year tenure and retained with Bryan Harsin before leaving also.  He was not retained when Blake Anderson took reign earlier this year.  Thompson was 2-0 in Bowl games as interim coach for Arkansas State.

Here's a story http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/with_a_2-0_record_as_arkansas.html

 

 

John Thompson

http://vimeo.com/73966691