Tony Thompson has been on the Mountaineer coaching staff as a special teams analyst since June 2021.
He organizes, implements and maintains all aspects of game analysis, including direct oversight of the game planning for special teams, analyzes game film and formulates game plans to assist with game preparation.
He came to WVU after serving as an assistant coach at Stony Brook from 2009-21, coaching the outside linebackers (2007-08, 2011-12, 2020), defensive line (2009-10) and the special teams coordinator (2013-20).
At Stony Brook, he created and implemented special teams game plans, including development of playbook, supervised assistant and coaching staff to implement game plan, collaborated with defensive staff and head coach to develop the defensive plan and was responsible for daily development of special teams personnel, outside linebackers and defensive linemen. He also was the academic liaison for the football program from 2009-20, including helping the student-athletes select their classes and have weekly academic preparedness meetings.
The Seawolves won the Big South Conference from 2009-12 and completed in the NCAA FCS playoffs in 2011, ‘12, ‘17 and ‘18. SBU was in the top nationally for blocked punts (2016, 17, 19, 21), kickoff coverage (2012, 15, 17), kick return average (2015), punt coverage (2012, 18), punt return defense (2018) and punt return touchdowns (2016, 17, 18). The Seawolves also led the Big South in total defense (2012), scoring defense (2009, 12), rushing defense (2009, 2011) and pass defense efficiency (2012). He recruited three NFL players, coached all-conference kicker (2011, 12), punter (2013), specialists (2018, ‘21) and special teams player of the year (2021), All-American long snapper (2019) and the conference leader in field goal percentage (2019).
Prior to that, Thompson served as the linebackers coach and assisted the special teams coach at Hofstra (2006), served as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Franklin and Marshall (2003-05) and was the outside linebackers coach and assistant special teams coordinator University of Pennsylvania (2001-02). He started his coaching career at Stony Brook, coaching the linebackers (1997-99) as a graduate/student assistant coach and the defensive line (2000).
As a linebacker and long snapper during his collegiate career, Thompson played for Stony Brook after transferring from Western Connecticut. He began coaching as a Stony Brook graduate assistant for outside linebackers in 1997, where he would stay as a full-time staff member until 2000 when he moved to defensive line coach.
Thompson graduated from Stony Brook with his bachelor’s degree in history in 1997 and earned his master’s degree in arts and liberal studies with an advanced coaching certificate in 2000.
Thompson, and his wife, Erin, have two children, daughter, Laney, and son, Cade.
