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Shawn Thomas

Shawn L. Thomas

  • Title
    Special Teams Coordinator

Coach Shawn Thomas joins the Savannah State University football staff as the Tigers special teams coordinator.

Thomas comes to SSU after working two years as both co-coordinator and special teams coordinator at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. While on staff at Trinity the kicking game saw improvements with skill players as well as the overall special teams operations. Thomas also assisted a punting unit that averaged 39 or more yards on all punts, pinning opponents inside the five-yard line five times during the 2025 season. Coach Thomas' kickoff team, nicknamed the "Black Ops", allowed only one return during the 2025 season and only allowed opponents to reach the 25-yard line or less throughout the season.  Coach Thomas developed a number of kickers and punters during his two years at Trinity with senior kicker Jake Landreth landing honorable mention honors in Jacksonville. 

Prior to coaching at Trinity Christian Academy , Thomas spent time at the FCS level at Norfolk State University under head coach Dawson Odoms working with specialists who all achieved accolades for Player of the Week  in the MEAC during the 2023 season.  Under the coaching guidance of Coach Thomas Norfolk States special teams skill players were one of the more consistent kicker punter units in the MEAC.

Prior to Norfolk State, Thomas spent time at Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia where he was responsible for setting up one of the more consistent kicker and punter programs in the region. During his time at Camden from 2019-21, Thomas had three players named First Team All Region in the 7A conference. In addition, he also had a kicker ranked in the top 30 in the nation by Kohl Kicking Camp and led the conference in touch-backs.
 
Before Camden County, Thomas worked at Gates County High School in Gatesville, North Carolina from 2016-18. 
 
In 2012, Thomas made his way back to the collegiate level, joining the coaching staff at Elizabeth City State University where he helped the program compete for the CIAA championship against Winston-Salem State University. While at ECSU, Thomas assisted as a special teams coach, helping with scout reports and also trained and evaluated kicker, punter, and long snapper development. 
 
Thomas spent 2011 at Catawba College, where he was able to assist in improving the performance of snappers and kickers for the Indians and during the 2009-10 seasons, Thomas saw time as an assistant coach at North Carolina A&T State University, where he served as the specialist coach. He coached the placekickers, long snappers and punters.
 
Thomas started his college coaching career at Division III Guilford College in 2008, working with the Quakers punters and kickers.
 
Prior to coaching college football, Thomas spent five seasons kicking in the Arena Football League2 and the National Indoor Football League with teams in North Carolina and Florida 2000-2007. While with the Greensboro Revolution of the NIFL, Thomas recorded a record long 53-yard field goal.
 
He began his coaching career at North Davidson High School under the leadership of Mark Holcomb. While at North Davidson, Thomas coached the kickers and special teams. Two former players, Ben Hartman and Justin Durham, went on to have stellar college careers at East Carolina and Coastal Carolina, respectively.
 
An all-star kicker at Paxon School for the Advanced Studies, coached by Seth McCullough, in Jacksonville, Fla., Thomas was selected all-conference and all-city after booting eight field goals of over 40 yards. While at Winston-Salem State, Thomas was a four-year member of the Rams football program (1996-1999) under head coach Kermit Blunt. He earned First Team All-CIAA honors in 1997 and 1999. During the 1999 season, Thomas’ CIAA-leading 11 field goals and 27 extra points helped WSSU to the conference championship. Thomas was also an NCAA statistical leader in field during the 1999 season, ranking #14th in NCAA Division II in field goal percentages made.
 
Thomas has a B.S, in recreation administration, and received an ROTC Army Officer Commission from North Carolina A&T State University in 2007. He is a veteran and former Army medical captain in the military ,finishing with 23 years of service.