Coaches

Devon Thomas

Now in his 18th season as head coach of the Brenau Golden Tigers softball team, head coach Devon Thomas has led the Brenau team into a perennial contender for top national rankings.


In 2012, the squad entered the season ranked 3rd in the nation and finished 4th in the national poll.


The Golden Tigers first broke into the NAIA Division I national rankings in 2006, 2007, and 2008– and were the only all-women’s colleges ranked. The team finished the 2009 season as SSAC regular-season champs and No. 11 in the national poll after qualifying for the national tournament.


In the 2012 NAIA National Championship Tournament Thomas and the Golden Tigers made it to the Final Four, finishing in third place.


In the 2017 season, the squad reached its highest national ranking- #2 - and won 31 consecutive games.


While at Brenau, Thomas has amassed a 524-184-1 record as head coach. During his tenure, Thomas has coached 54 All-Conference team selections, 70 All-Academic team selections, two All-Conference freshman team selections, three conference Players of the Year (2009, 2011 and 2017), one Divisional Player of the Year (2014), three Divisional Pitchers of the Year (2012, 2013, 2014), three conferenceFreshman of the Year (2009, 2010, 2011), one Divisional Freshman of the Year (2014), two NAIA All-Region Selections,five NFCA All-Americans, five NAIA All-Americans and two National Tournament All-Tournament Team Selections (2012). He also coached the 2017 NAIA National Pitcher of the Year (Kathleen "Eli" Daniel).


Thomas has earned three conference Coach of the Year honors (2009, 2012, 2017). In 2019, he earned his 500th career victory against Clark Atlanta. After his 200th victory, he was inducted into the NFCA Easton Victory Club for 200+ wins. He has also been a finalist for NAIA National Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2012. Thomas has had fifteen 30+ win seasons in a row (2006-2019), three 40+ win seasons (2009, 2011, 2012) and one 50+ win season.


Thomas coached high school softball for 10 years at two different schools. His teams had combined overall records of 209 wins and 82 losses (.718 winning percentage). During that time, his teams won five region championships and finished twice as region runners up; they made a state final four appearance, three State Final appearances and seven state Sweet Sixteen appearances. He set records for wins at both schools.


He was voted Georgia Athletics Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1999, 2002 and 2004, coached the North-South All-Star Game in 2000 and was also voted the North Georgia All Area Coach of the Year in 1999, 2002 and 2004.


Thomas was born in Gainesville, Ga., and graduated from North Hall High School in 1990. He earned an Associates of Science degree in middle grades education and an Associates of Art Degree in business administration from Gainesville State College, and he earned a bachelor of Education degree from Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga.