Paul Thomas Head Women's Basketball Coach - 11th year Wayne State (Nebraska) '86

Email: pbthomas@csupomona.edu
Phone: (909) 869-2824

Entering his 11th season as Cal Poly Pomona’s head coach after taking over the reigns from legendary coach Darlene May in 1994, Paul Thomas has succeeded in keeping the Broncos in the spotlight as one of the nation’s elite NCAA Division II programs.

That was a goal Thomas set for himself when he took the job and, after guiding the Broncos to back-to-back national championships in 2001 and 2002 and to four West Regional championship game appearances in the last five years, he can consider that mission accomplished.

Cal Poly Pomona, which won three national championships for May, is now tied with North Dakota State for the most national championships (5) in NCAA Division II. After defeating Chico State and Cal State Bakersfield in the 2004 NCAA playoffs, the Broncos now have 48 postseason victories, which is the most in NCAA Division II.

Now in his 15th year overall at Cal Poly Pomona, Thomas has firmly established himself as one of the finest mentors in the country. He was honored as the WBCA’s NCAA Division II Coach of the Year, the Division II Bulletin’s National Coach of the Year and the CCAA Co-Coach of the Year for the 2001-02 season. He has led the Broncos to a 204-84 record in his first 10 seasons as head coach, including a dazzling 104-16 record over a recent four-year stretch that included three conference championships and two national titles.

Thomas is a member of the WBCA’s Board of Directors.

Thomas incorporated some of his own theories and philosophies and also continued many of the time-honored traditions of May while returning the Broncos to the top. With Thomas' vision and the dedication of his team, a new goal has been set: keeping the Broncos the best women's basketball team in the country.

While winning the two consecutive national titles, Thomas led the Broncos to a two-year record of 55-7, including a 39-5 mark in the CCAA. Cal Poly Pomona won both regional championships in Kellogg Gym and then swept through the competition in Rochester, Minn. In 2001, the Broncos beat North Dakota, 87-80, in the final for their first national championship since 1986. In 2002, the Broncos defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State, 74-62, in the title game. Both games were televised on ESPN 2.

In 2000-01, the Broncos finished with a 27-3 record, including a 20-2 mark in the CCAA. In 2001-02, the Broncos wound up with a 28-4 overall record and a 19-3 mark in the CCAA. Despite numerous injuries to key players and with the added challenge of defending a national title, the Broncos won their third straight CCAA title, beat Western Washington in the final seconds of the West Regional final to advance to the Elite Eight and then won all three games in Rochester by double-digit margins.

The Broncos lost the bulk of their 2001-02 squad and finished with a 13-14 record in 2002-03. Even with a young and inexperienced squad, the Broncos finished with an 11-11 record in the CCAA. In Thomas’ first 10 years as head coach, the Broncos have only had one losing season in conference play.

It didn’t take long for Thomas to get the Broncos to bounce back. Cal Poly Pomona returned to the postseason in 2003-04 and advanced to the regional championship game for the fourth time in the past five years. Over that span, the Broncos are 117-31 and are the only team in the NCAA Division II to reach four regional title games.

A firm advocate of Coach May’s philosophy and coaching tactics, Thomas has carried on the proud tradition of the women’s basketball program. He has led the Broncos into the NCAA Division II playoffs seven times in the last eight years and guided the Broncos to five conference titles in the past eight years. Thomas has shown he is a tremendous playoff coach, compiling a 14-5 postseason record with the Broncos, including a 12-1 mark in Cal Poly Pomona’s last three trips to the playoffs.

Thomas joined Cal Poly out of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota where he served as head coach for a pair of seasons. Prior to joining Hamline, Thomas was the women's assistant coach at his alma mater of Wayne State College. He worked with the Wildcats for three seasons (1985-88) earning his bachelor's degree (1986) and his master's degree (1988) in physical education. Thomas also worked at Pender High School in Pender, Nebraska where he was a girls' basketball assistant coach.

Thomas played two years of college basketball at Midland Lutheran College (Fremont, Nebraska) before transferring to Wayne State to concentrate on coaching. He played his high school ball at Creighton High School in Creighton, Nebraska where he was an all-state forward and the team’s Most Valuable Player for the Bulldogs.

Paul and his wife Sue Ellen live in Phillips Ranch with their son Jacob (7) and daughters Michaela (5) and Annika (2).

For more information on Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball, please direct e-mail to pbthomas@csupomona.edu