Recruiting Areas: North Denver Metro, Boulder; Central Texas (Austin, San Antonio areas)
Tripp Thomas joined the Mines football coaching staff as a defensive assistant in the summer of 2019 and was promoted to defensive line coach in the winter of 2020 and then defensive coordinator in the winter of 2022.
In his first season in charge of the defense, Thomas led one of the nation's best units as Mines made its inaugural trip to the NCAA Division II Championship game. The Orediggers' 71 sacks led every level of college football as linebacker Nolan Reeve tied Mines' single-season individual record with 13.5. The Orediggers also led NCAA Division II in turnovers gained with 33 and ranked fifth nationally in defensive touchdowns with five. Mines' entire starting defensive 11 earned all-RMAC honors and cornerback Mason Pierce went on to win all-America honors.
In 2023, the Orediggers were one of the nation's best defensive units as they set a program record for wins at 14-1 and returned to the national title game. Mines led the nation in turnovers gained for a second straight season with 33 and was third in scoring defense at 13 points per game. They were led by a pair of all-Americans in Nolan Reeve (also the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year) and cornerback Jackson Zimmermann, with 10 defensive starters overall earning all-RMAC honors including the entire front seven being on either the first or second team. In 2024, Mines' defense had seven all-RMAC selections and an Academic All-American in Joel Diaz while ranking in the national top 20 in third down defense and red zone defense.
His work with the defense in 2019 helped Mines lead NCAA Division II in third down defense and rank #6 in rushing defense and #11 in scoring defense, and that success continued into 2021 as the Orediggers ranked among the national leaders in scoring defense, turnover margin, and sacks.
Thomas was most recently the linebackers and strength & conditioning coach during the 2018 season at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri. Prior to that he was defensive coordinator for Mountain Home High School in Arkansas during the 2017 season, and was the defensive line and strength & conditioning coach at Graceland University during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Thomas is a graduate of Missouri Valley College with a degree in corrective exercise and education.
