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Football: Thomas leaves football sidelines for family

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 26, 2009

LAND O' LAKES Call it an epiphany.

Three weeks ago during his spring break, Ricky Thomas was standing, talking to his 9-year-old son, Ricky Thomas, Jr.

The conversation was nothing of note, but the elder Thomas noticed that Ricky Jr. had grown to the height of his dad's chest.

Prior to that moment, Thomas was months deep into an internal contemplation of retirement. Following that break, and revelation, Thomas made up his mind, resigning his post as the Wiregrass Ranch football coach Friday.

"After walking that sideline for 30 years of my life, I think it's time for me to pay more attention to my family and my kids before they're out the door and I've missed it," said Thomas, whose coaching career began in 1979 as a Hernando High assistant. "[Ricky Jr.] is going to be 10 in a few months and until spring break, I didn't realize how tall he was.

"I've done this stuff long before he was born. As a player, I've had a great career. As a coach, I've had, I think, a pretty good career and hopefully I've made a difference in at least one kids' life. It was just something I felt like I had to do."

In two varsity seasons at the helm of the Bulls' program, Thomas compiled a 2-18 record. During the program's inaugural season, 2006, Wiregrass went 2-8 on a junior varsity schedule. Thomas went 47-37 as a varsity coach (49-45 including the 2006 JV season). On the middle school level, Thomas compiled a 108-11 record.

He admitted the life of a football coach's wife had been tough on wife Christina. There are times when Thomas would say goodbye to his children - Ricky Jr. and his 5-year-old sister Maddi – early in the morning before he heads to school. Most times, the kids were too tired to fully comprehend his goodbyes. That typically prompted a call home once they were awake to wish them a good day – for the second time.

Pasco High coach Tom McHugh gave Thomas a call and praised him for the work he has done. After Thomas left Weightman Middle School, McHugh took over the program. Ironically, Thomas was the coach at Pasco from 1996-2002.

McHugh said he has always heard good things about Thomas from teachers and others in the Weightman and Pasco communities, but it's a personal story that drives home Thomas' impact.

McHugh's son-in-law, Josh Borders, played for Thomas at Weightman. Borders was constantly teased by teammates and according to McHugh, Thomas put a stop to the teasing.

"To this day, when my son-in-law speaks or when he sees Coach Thomas, they have this thing. I can't describe the thing, but if they meet in the grocery store, it's just something special they have between the two of them. Like I said, he made a fantastic impression on Josh."

Thomas, a 1974 Pasco graduate, wrapped up his senior season by rushing for more than 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns. Thomas received a huge honor on October 26, 2007 when his No. 22 jersey was retired. Just before that night's game against visiting Pasco, McHugh and others on his staff presented the jersey to Thomas at midfield.

According to Thomas, that jersey, which has a home on the family's Wall of Fame in Wesley Chapel, is his most-prized accolade.

"Of all the awards I've received, all of them and I've got some from 1979 and 1975 from Pasco High School," Thomas said, "they're rusty and people forget those things. They don't matter. The thing that will stay with me and my family the most is that No. 22 is [retired]."

Thomas did admit, if his son decided to play football at Pasco, the jersey could come out of retirement.

McHugh said one of the college coaches present at a Nike coaches' seminar this weekend (attended by Florida's Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin of Tennessee, among others) informed the crowd of a study. The study revealed one of the most influential people in the life of a young man is his high school football coach.

"I never thought about that, but if you think about Ricky Thomas has been around for 30 years and if he only coached 50 guys a year for 30 years, that's 1,500 young men he's had something to do with," McHugh said. "If it's true that high school coaches can be one of the mist influential people in a young man's life, that's actually a pretty daunting statement."

Thomas, who led Pasco to a 10-0 1998 campaign, is a 1979 Bethune-Cookman College alumnus and attended NFL camps with the Dallas Cowboys (1979) and Denver Broncos (1981).

During that 1998 undefeated regular season, the Pirates won the Class 4A-District 8 championship and a first-round postseason game. Thomas was named the Tampa Tribune's Pasco County Coach of the Year as well. Thomas, who also led the Pirates to two Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, was named the SAC Coach of the Year in 1996.

Thomas admitted he had just one regret. At the time of the jersey presentation, his mother, Ida Thomas, was sick and his wife went to see her. The visit delayed Christina Thomas' arrival to the game, so his mother, wife and children missed the presentation.

Ida Thomas has since passed away.

But it's family that has finally tugged Thomas away from the field.

"Football owes me nothing," Thomas said. "I got a chance to travel the world, I got a free education out of it, I gave back 30 years of my career to the game. Just like any other job, you know when it's time to walk away. When I look at my family and look at my kids, it's time to come home at 2:30 or 2:45 p.m.; maybe just pick my kids up from school and just go fishing, or shoot some hoops or go do homework."

THOMAS' RECORD IN PASCO COUNTY

Pasco Middle (1980-90): 68-7
Weightman Middle (1991-95, 2005): 40-4
Pasco High (1996-2002): 45-29
Wiregrass Ranch (2007-08, varsity only): 2-18

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