For his efforts, Thomas was named the NBC National Coach of the Year in 2000. Thomas earned a Bachelor's degree from Oklahoma Christian University in 1989 and a Master s degree in sports administration from Fort Hays State University in 1996. He began his coaching career in 1990 at Oklahoma Christian High School before moving to Seward County Community College in 1991. The family resides in Mansfield. Often times, coaches are evaluated on the decisions they make.
First decisions tend to be the most memorable.
For Head Coach Clay Gould, the first thing he did after taking over the reins of the UTA baseball program was to bring in Jeff Curtis as his assistant coach. He will again coach first base and be in charge of the team s defense. Coaching one of the Southland Conference s youngest teams last season, Conkle helped the Mavericks make a 180 degree turn on the defensive side of the game. An energetic leader on and off the field, Conkle was making his return to Allan Saxe Stadium last year after serving as the Mavericks volunteer assistant coach in 1996. An Arlington native who played on the same Arlington High School teams as the late UTA head coach Clay Gould, Conkle found himself in the opposite dugout from Gould after transferring to Northwestern State University following his sophomore year at Paris Junior College.