Inductees

Back in 1981, after his first head football coaching job made him realize that he wasn’t ready to be a head coach, Mark Thomas got a call from none other than Jefferson City High School coach Pete Adkins (MSHOF Legend 2013).

On his way to becoming the winningest coach in state history, Adkins needed an assistant to lead the freshman team. But then he threw Thomas a curve in the first staff meeting of the year, directing him to coach the offensive and defensive linemen.

“I was shocked,” said Thomas, a former high school running back. “All I knew was that, as a player, linemen were friends of mine because I would want them to block for me. … It was probably the most significant job change I ever had.”

Significant in a positive way, that is. The role propelled Thomas to a 40-year career coaching football, including 24 seasons as a high school head coach whose 161 wins and four state titles have led Thomas to induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2020.

Thomas has been a part of seven teams that have played in state championship games either as a player, assistant coach or head coach – and six of those teams won it all.

His head coaching career Osceola (1980), Odessa (1985-1987, 2013-current), Boonville (1996-1998), Kearney (1999-2006) and Belton (2011-2012). A William Jewell College graduate, he also served as an assistant twice at Jefferson City (1981-1984, 2006-2010) and the University of Central Missouri (1988-1995).

As a high school head coach, he was a combined 161-104 through Oct. 16, 2020, having won four state championships. Those titles cover Boonville (1998 in Class 3), Kearney (2002, 2003 in Class 4) and Odessa (2019 in Class 3). He also helped Boonville win Class 3 in 1974 as a senior running back, and also was an assistant when Jefferson City won Class 5 in 1985. Thomas’ 2015 team was a state runner-up.

“(At Osceola), there was too much of the game I still needed to learn,” said Thomas. “At Jeff City, I learned how to plan, organize and leave no stone unturned.

Football had long been his life, and he wanted to make an impact, as so many had for him.

“I was always one of the better athletes and always competitive,” Thomas said. “However, (Boonville assistant Ken Brumley) pushed me to be the best I could possibly be. And my dad was my first coach. He motivated me, pushed me and taught me to have a work ethic.”

William Jewell assistant Rodger LaBeth mentored Thomas, who became a student assistant after injuries denied him of playing his senior season.

“Rodger convinced me I could be a head coach even though I had my doubts,” Thomas said. “He used to say, ‘Don’t be afraid to take risks.’”

Thomas never forgot, and hopped back into head coaching at Odessa, whose 1985 team qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs returned again in 1987 before Thomas took an assistant coaching role at the University of Central Missouri.

“(UCM) helped me understand how to manipulate your system to fit your players,” Thomas said.

That served him well. While he was disappointed that applications to become an assistant at other colleges didn’t materialize, Thomas set about turning around high school programs.

In 1998, two years after Boonville finished 2-8, the Pirates won state. Brandon Perry was a 2,000-yard rusher on that team.

At Kearney, the program was 1-9 the year before his arrival. A midseason loss to Raymore-Peculiar in a competitive game fueled the 2002 season, which saw Kearney beat Webb City at Webb City in the state semifinals and then hold off Eureka 36-22 in the finals.

Many players returned the next season, as Kearney turbo-clocked everybody. Nine players played both ways.

Thomas’ 2019 Odessa team won Class 3 with a group that were eighth-graders inspired by the 2015 state runner-up season.

Overall, it’s been a quite a career for Thomas, who credits many for his success: Wife Judy, step-children Clint Watts, Grant Reid, Morgan Grace Reid and Amanda Reid; coaches such as Adkins, Ron Cole, Ted LePage and UCM’s Terry Noland; and assistants Benny Palmer, Roger John, David Rash, Greg Smith, Matt Sullivan, Christian Stock, Chuck Clemens, Barry Blank, Jeremy Helton, Kiefer Kratz and Evan Pingel.

“I give Judy a lot of credit for my career,” Thomas said. “Because of her support, it inspired me to keep going.”