Varsity basketball coach Henry Thomas is going from layups, jump shots and slam dunks to Bibles, prayers and church services as he retires after 29 years in education. He will now become full-time pastor of Hamilton Chapel Baptist Church in Frisco, a position he’s held part-time for the past two-and-a-half years.
“With the basketball program, it’s become a year-round deal to be competitive. And it’s a constant deal,” Thomas said. “And [I’m] just finding with the pastoring of the church, it’s just very little time to do all those different things.”
Hamilton Chapel is one of the oldest churches in Frisco. Thomas has been attending there for six years.
“[Preaching] is a great job,” Thomas said. “Knowing that people have confidence in me to give them the gospel of Jesus Christ each Sunday, and be an example for others to live by.”
Thomas retires with 486 career wins, 144 of those coming in the last six years with the Farmers, including two district championships, four bi-district championships, and four area championships. Thomas said his time here has meant a lot.
“I tell everybody I meet that I wish that I would have found this school, instead of six years ago, 29 years ago,” Thomas said. “It’s a great atmosphere. I love the fact that it’s diverse, we’ve got every race, every creed, every color, our teachers are just awesome. I wish my five kids could have been a part of the high school here in Lewisville.”
Assistant coach Jeff MeGown was not ready to see him go.
“He’s been in it for a long time and he’s ready to get out,” MeGown said. “But as his assistant I have to back it. Am I sad? Yeah. I want to keep working for him until I have to [wheel] him into [the gym].”
Thomas said the best part of coaching has been watching his players grow.
“Mario Ohno and David Yamba, they started out as B-team freshmen basketball players and they moved up and became stronger, better shooters,” Thomas said. “We see kids in the 9th grade trying to touch the rim, and [when] they’re seniors and juniors they have two-hand dunks. That’s probably the biggest thing. And watching them go to college. A lot of them don’t get scholarships, yet they still go off to college, and make good careers and find good jobs, and they do a good job with their families.”
Junior guard Nick Post said Thomas will be missed.
“He has been such a great mentor and coach to me,” Post said. “Not having him for my final year of high school basketball is going to be difficult.”
But Thomas said he has no worries for next year’s team.
“I think we’re going to get better and better,” Thomas said. “We’ve got Ryan [Bowie], Ray [Dorsey], Cameron [King], and Nick [Post] who have started at one time or another all year round. And Ray has been a three-year starter. Cameron started early on this year.
“We’re going to have a great nucleus. And hopefully it will be the first time we have varsity football guys to play varsity basketball, so that’s going to be a plus for us. We’re going to be a little bit stronger and a little bit tougher.”
After he retires, Thomas said he plans to give his successor plenty of space.
“When I leave, probably the best thing for the new coach is just for me to stay away from it,” Thomas said. “Let them kind of develop themselves and let them do the job that they do best and let them coach the kids. Probably the further I am away from the basketball part of it, the better off it would be for those guys that I’ve been teaching for the past four years.”
Former Thomas Assistant Grant Wilhite said he’ll remember Thomas for his positive attitude, enthusiasm, and the loyalty he inspired.
“Players would run through brick walls for him,” Wilhite said.
Thomas said he’ll miss the spirit of LHS.
“For the past six years, whenever someone was in need, [be it] a death, a sickness, or anything where teachers or students had to pull together for support, LHS always came through,” Thomas said. “The giving spirit of this school makes me happy.”
