AURORA | John Thompson has chosen to step down as head football coach at Smoky Hill High School.
In seven seasons, Thompson had a 21-49 career record, including a 4-6 mark in the recently completed 2012 campaign, which the Buffaloes ended with a 46-43 victory over Denver East.
Thompson informed his coaching staff of his intentions last week as the team’s season-ending banquet, then spoke to the Smoky Hill senior players at school on Monday. He was met with stunned silence.
“I wanted to make sure I talked to the seniors and they were definitely surprised; I don’t think anybody anticipated it and it’s not like anything is going on,” Thompson said.
“There was some silence and then I reminded them it was OK to move around a little bit. It’s hard to get up and face kids and tell them I’m not going to be in this job anymore. But I think it’s the right time.”
Thompson took over the head job at his alma mater in 2006 as the fourth coach in a five-year span, following Dan Gallas, Steve Carroll and Dennis Frederick, and went 2-8 in his first season. The 2007 season was historic, however, as Thompson guided Smoky Hill to the Class 5A state playoffs for the first time since 1990. The Buffs lost to Rocky Mountain in the first round to cap a 5-5 season.
Much of the senior talent from that playoff team graduated, which contributed to an 0-10 season in 2008, but Smoky Hill has won at least three games in each of the subsequent four seasons.
Thompson — who held his head job for the same number of seasons that his brother Gary coached at Eaglecrest — definitely feels the program is in a better place than he found it.
“When I came in, three of the previous four season were 1 win,” Thompson said. “It had been a long time since we’d won a homecoming game and now we’ve won three of the last four. I’d love to say we had 100 juniors and seniors come out, but so would every other team. That’s the part we haven’t taken care of. But the kids we have out for football are committed to football. They’ve done a great job and I’m proud to be associated with them.”
The Smoky Hill job is the first football job to open up among Aurora schools.
Whoever the successor is will inherit a team that had a lot of juniors with regular playing time, including starting quarterback Trent Clay.
Thompson has no immediate plans to coach elsewhere, but will keep his options open. He might also be interested in a post as an athletic director, the role his brother move on to and currently holds at Chaparral.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
JOHN THOMPSON’S COACHING CAREER AT SMOKY HILL
2012: 4-6 (missed Class 5A playoffs); 2011: 4-6 (missed 5A playoffs); 2010: 3-7 (missed 5A playoffs); 2009: 3-7 (missed 5A playoffs); 2008: 0-10 (missed 5A playoffs); 2007: 5-5 (lost in 1st round of 5A playoffs); 2006: 2-8 (missed 5A playoffs)
As a parent of one of Coach Thompsons players, I am sorry to hear that he will be leaving. We tend to measure a coach by only his wins and losses (see above article), but I have always found Coach Thompson to be a supportive and caring person to each player. It is difficult to compete with the larger Cherry Creek schools but he and his assistants always were encouraging and motivating to the players and there were some truly special moments during the season that my child will always remember.