Bob Thomason
Encyclopedia
Bob Thomason is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of the Pacific. He has held that position since the beginning of the 1988-89 season. Originally from Concord, Thomason is a 1967 graduate of Clayton Valley High School. The son of a coach, he went on to a fine career as a shooting guard at Pacific, earning all-conference honors as a senior while averaging 17.2 points and shooting 85.5% from the free throw line. His free throw accuracy still is the third-best in Tiger history. Thomason is third on Pacific's career list, making 180 of 215 free throw attempts for 83.7% accuracy. He is 11th on the career scoring list with an average of 15.3 points per game. Among other Thomason highlights as a player was his team-high 19 points in the 1971 Western Regional against a Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State team that downed the Tigers 78-65. He scored a career high 36 points against Loyola Marymount and added 31 against UC Santa Barbara during his senior campaign. Thomason earned his bachelor's degree in 1972 and his master's degree in 1985, both from Pacific in physical education. While at Pacific, he lettered three times in basketball and golf. He was a first team All-WCAC basketball pick as a senior.
Pacific Basketball before Thomason
The season before Thomason took control of the Tiger basketball program, Pacific suffered through a 5-24 year. There had been just one winning season in the last five. Thomason not only has guided the Tigers to 13 winning seasons, but he has also directed the Tigers to at least the semifinals of the Big West Tournament eight times. Success is no stranger to Thomason. He has won championships everywhere he has coached—at the high school, junior college and four-year college level. Now he's aiming for a championship at the pinnacle of college basketball—NCAA Division I. In three years at then-Division III Stanislaus State, he amassed a 52-27 record and reached the Southeast Regionals in just his second year at the helm. In 1987, Thomason guided the Warriors to a Northern California Athletic Conference championship, their first ever, and to the first 20-win season in school history. The year prior to Thomason's arrival at Stanislaus, the Warriors were 5-20. Before his term at Stanislaus, Thomason guided Columbia College to a 75-49 record, including the school's first-ever Central Valley Conference championship, in 1984-85. The year prior, Thomason led Columbia to a school-record 27 wins. In 2002, Thomason was inducted into the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his coaching days at Columbia College. In 25 seasons at the collegiate level (junior college and NCAA), his career collegiate coaching record stands at 449-316. In the high school ranks, he was 150-71, coaching three years at Escalon and five years at Turlock High School. He went 66-17 at Escalon and 84-54 at Turlock. Thomason guided Turlock High to a league title in 1979-80, its first in 25 years. He won a pair of league titles at Escalon, including a state title in 1975-76 with a perfect 27-0 record. Prior to his stint at Escalon, Thomason was an assistant at Stagg High School in Stockton for two seasons.
Recent NCAA Tournament Success
2003-2004
In 2003-04, the Tigers were 25-8, winning an NCAA Tournament First Round game, with an upset victory over number 5 seeded Providence in the first round. It was Pacific's second trip to the NCAA Tournament under Thomason. He led Pacific to a 75-73 win over Cal State Northridge in the Big West Conference championship game. Pacific also shared the Big West Conference regular season championship with a record of 17-1. Three times under Thomason, Pacific has had a 16-game winning streak.
2004-2005
In the 2004-2005 season Coach Bob Thomason led Pacific to new heights. The team was ranked as high as 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll. This team earned an automatic bid as an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat 9 seeded Pittsburgh in the 1st Round and finished the season with the most wins in school history at 27-4.
2005-2006
The Thomason led 2005-2006 team was an unexpected contender in the Big West Conference. After winning the Big West regular season and tournament titles Pacific earned a 13 seed and played the 4th seed Boston College Eagles. Thomason guided Pacific to the brink of another upset before falling in double overtime to the Eagles.
Pacific Basketball before Thomason
The season before Thomason took control of the Tiger basketball program, Pacific suffered through a 5-24 year. There had been just one winning season in the last five. Thomason not only has guided the Tigers to 13 winning seasons, but he has also directed the Tigers to at least the semifinals of the Big West Tournament eight times. Success is no stranger to Thomason. He has won championships everywhere he has coached—at the high school, junior college and four-year college level. Now he's aiming for a championship at the pinnacle of college basketball—NCAA Division I. In three years at then-Division III Stanislaus State, he amassed a 52-27 record and reached the Southeast Regionals in just his second year at the helm. In 1987, Thomason guided the Warriors to a Northern California Athletic Conference championship, their first ever, and to the first 20-win season in school history. The year prior to Thomason's arrival at Stanislaus, the Warriors were 5-20. Before his term at Stanislaus, Thomason guided Columbia College to a 75-49 record, including the school's first-ever Central Valley Conference championship, in 1984-85. The year prior, Thomason led Columbia to a school-record 27 wins. In 2002, Thomason was inducted into the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his coaching days at Columbia College. In 25 seasons at the collegiate level (junior college and NCAA), his career collegiate coaching record stands at 449-316. In the high school ranks, he was 150-71, coaching three years at Escalon and five years at Turlock High School. He went 66-17 at Escalon and 84-54 at Turlock. Thomason guided Turlock High to a league title in 1979-80, its first in 25 years. He won a pair of league titles at Escalon, including a state title in 1975-76 with a perfect 27-0 record. Prior to his stint at Escalon, Thomason was an assistant at Stagg High School in Stockton for two seasons.
Recent NCAA Tournament Success
2003-2004
In 2003-04, the Tigers were 25-8, winning an NCAA Tournament First Round game, with an upset victory over number 5 seeded Providence in the first round. It was Pacific's second trip to the NCAA Tournament under Thomason. He led Pacific to a 75-73 win over Cal State Northridge in the Big West Conference championship game. Pacific also shared the Big West Conference regular season championship with a record of 17-1. Three times under Thomason, Pacific has had a 16-game winning streak.
2004-2005
In the 2004-2005 season Coach Bob Thomason led Pacific to new heights. The team was ranked as high as 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll. This team earned an automatic bid as an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat 9 seeded Pittsburgh in the 1st Round and finished the season with the most wins in school history at 27-4.
2005-2006
The Thomason led 2005-2006 team was an unexpected contender in the Big West Conference. After winning the Big West regular season and tournament titles Pacific earned a 13 seed and played the 4th seed Boston College Eagles. Thomason guided Pacific to the brink of another upset before falling in double overtime to the Eagles.