John Thome (American football)

John D. Thome (January 8, 1942 – November 4, 2011) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Lakeland College—known now as Lakeland University—in Plymouth, Wisconsin from 1967 to 1980, compiling a record of 77–54–2. Thome was also the head basbeall coach at Lakeland in 1972 and from 1977 to 1980.

John Thome
Biographical details
Born(1942-01-08)January 8, 1942
Port Washington, Wisconsin
DiedNovember 4, 2011(2011-11-04) (aged 69)
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Playing career
Football
1960–1963Oshkosh Sate
Basketball
1960–1961Oshkosh Sate
1962–1964Oshkosh Sate
Baseball
1961Oshkosh Sate
1963–1964Oshkosh Sate
Position(s)Quarterback, fullback, halfback, defensive back (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1964Chilton HS (WI) (assistant)
1965–1966Chilton HS (WI)
1967–1980Lakeland
1982–1983Illinois Benedictine (DC)
1986–1993Howards Grove HS (WI) (assistant)
1994Plymouth HS (WI) (assistant)
1995Oostburg HS (WI)
1996–1997Kiel HS (WI) (DC)
Basketball
1964–1965Chilton HS (WI) (assistant)
1965–1967Chilton HS (WI)
Baseball
1972Lakeland
1977–1980Lakeland
Head coaching record
Overall77–54–2 (college football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
6 Gateway (1967–1971, 1974)
1 IBFC (1979)
Awards
Football
IBFC Coach of the Year (1979)

Thome was born on January 8, 1942, in Port Washington, Wisconsin, to Rosalia Horn Thome and Wilfred N. Thome. He graduated from Port Washington High School in 1960 and attended Oshkosh State College—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh—where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. Thomas played football for four years at Oshkosh State at a number of positions: quarterback, fullback, halfback, and defensive back. He began his coaching career at Chilton High School in Chilton, Wisconsin in 1964.[1] After a year as an assistant in football and basektball, he was promoted to head coach in both sports.[2] Thomas led Chilton's football team to a record of 15–1–1 in two seasons as head coach before he was hired as the head football coach at Lakeland in April 1967.[3]

Thome was named the Illini–Badger Football Conference (IBFC) Coach of the Year in 1979. He resigned from his post at Lakeland in the spring of 1981.[4] In 1982, Thome was hired as the defensive coordinator at Illinois Benedictine College—now known as Benedictine University—in Lisle, Illinois.[5]

Thome was inducted into the Lakeland College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Hall of Fame in 2001.[6][7][8][9]

Thome died on November 4, 2011, at Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.[10]

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Lakeland Muskies (Gateway Conference) (1967–1974)
1967 Lakeland 8–14–01st
1968 Lakeland 7–24–01st
1969 Lakeland 8–14–01st
1970 Lakeland 6–33–01st
1971 Lakeland 6–3–13–03rd
1972 Lakeland 4–5–11–1–13rd
1973 Lakeland 6–32–12nd
1974 Lakeland 6–32–1T–1st
Lakeland Muskies (Illini–Badger Football Conference) (1975–1980)
1975 Lakeland 5–51–23rd
1976 Lakeland 1–90–45th
1977 Lakeland 2–71–34th
1978 Lakeland 7–33–12nd
1979 Lakeland 7–33–1T–1st
1980 Lakeland 4–62–35th
Lakeland: 77–54–233–17–1
Total:77–54–2

References

  1. Brooks, Tiger (May 10, 1964). "OSC's John Tome To Coach At Chilton". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. p. 4. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  2. "John Thome Named Mentor At Chilton". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. August 18, 1965. p. 39. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  3. "John Thome New Lakeland Grid Coach". Wausau Daily Herald. Wausau, Wisconsin. Associated Press. April 8, 1967. p. 12. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  4. "Lakeland coach resigns". Oshkosh Northwestern. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. United Press International. March 24, 1981. p. 18. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  5. "Ex-Lakeland Coach Thome To Benedictine". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. August 26, 1982. p. 28. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  6. Lubach, David (October 19, 1997). "Lakeland honors Thome". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B1. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  7. Lubach, David (October 19, 1997). "Thome/Coach inducted into Hall of Fame (continued)". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B7. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  8. Thompson, C. Adam (March 23, 2001). "Longtime football coach Thome to be inducted into WFCA's hall of fame". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B1. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  9. Thompson, C. Adam (March 23, 2001). "Thome/Football coach be inducted into WFCA Hall of Fame (continued)". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. p. B2. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Newspapers.com .
  10. "John Thome". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2020 via Legacy.com.
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