Donald Thomas enters his 23rd season at UNCW after spending eight years as an assistant coach at Maryland.
He coordinates the Seahawks' recruiting and assists with coaching the sprints and jumps. His efforts in recruiting at UNCW have helped the Seahawks win five Coastal Athletic Association championships on the oval.
Thomas has coached several NCAA qualifiers, CAA champions, All-CAA performers, school record holders, program top-10 performers, and freshman record setters during his tenure at UNCW.
Thomas, who coached the hurdlers and high jumpers in College Park, also recruited Maryland's 1999-2000 Track & Field News nationally-ranked recruiting class.
At Maryland, Thomas coached Vanessa Jones to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship, an ECAC Championship and three NCAA championship appearances in the High Jump. In 2000, Jones reached the finals of the High Jump at the Olympic Trials. Thomas also trained Thema Napier to an ECAC Championship and NCAA Championship appearance in the 400-meter hurdles. In 2002, Napier reached the finals of the USA Track & Field Championships in the 400 hurdles.
Thomas has coached athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Trials, USA Championships, NCAA Championships, earned All-East, All-ACC, All-CAA Honors and won CAA Track & Field Championships. He is a USATF Level One certified coach.
