Montana Football Hall of Famer and NFL veteran Joey Thomas made an immediate impact on the Wolf Pack secondary in 2024, and returns for his second season as Passing Game Coordinator and secondary coach in 2025.
Under Thomas' tutelage, the Wolf Pack secondary ranked second in the Mountain West and 39th in the country in passing defense, allowing just 198.6 yards a game. That was a stark improvement from the 2023 campaign in which the Wolf Pack defense gave up 254.1 passing yards a game, ranking dead last in the Mountain West and 112th in FBS.
One of the breakout stars of the secondary was cornerback Michael Coats Jr., who ended the regular season tied for fifth in the country with four interceptions, and tied for third with 13 pass breakups, adding up to his 17 passes defended. Only Miami's Raion Strader, with 19 passes defended (two interceptions, 17 PBUs), ranked ahead of Coats. Coats' season was highlighted by his performance in Nevada's 42-37 win over Oregon State on Oct. 12. In that win, he picked off two passes and broke up an additional five, making for seven passes defended in a single contest. Coats would go on to be named to the All-Mountain West First Team, Nevada's lone representative.
Thomas joined the Wolf Pack staff after serving as the Senior Defense Analyst at the University of Texas. With the Longhorns, Thomas worked extensively with a defense which ranked second in the nation in 3rd-down defense (26.5 percent), third in red zone defense (71.4 percent) and third in rush defense (80.8 yards per game). Thomas worked closely with cornerback Terrance Brooks and safeties Michael Taaffe and Jerrin Thompson, who helped lead a secondary that ranked fifth in the nation with 16 interceptions.
Thomas previously spent two seasons (2020-21) on the FAU staff, joining as an analyst in 2020 before being elevated to wide receivers coach in 2021. Prior to his time in Boca Raton, Thomas spent the 2019 campaign at Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas, serving as passing game coordinator, special teams coordinator, secondary coach, and the team’s academic coordinator. They were top five in the country in 3rd down efficiency, passing yards per game, & yards per reception.
He rose to the collegiate ranks following a stellar prep coaching career in the Pacific Northwest. Thomas served as head coach at Garfield High School in Seattle from 2016-19, where he was named the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” Coach of the Year in 2016.
From 2011-16, Thomas was at the helm of the Ballard High School football program in Seattle. There, Thomas led the Beavers to two division titles, appearances in the state tournament, and a 12-4 Metro record over his final two seasons.
A third-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2004 NFL Draft, Thomas helped the Packers capture the NFC North title. He would go on to play six more seasons in the NFL, with stops in New Orleans, Miami and the Raiders before beginning his career in coaching.
From 2000-03, Thomas turned in a playing career at Montana State which has him considered one of the best cornerbacks in Bobcat history. An All-America Honorable Mention and two-time selection to the All-Big Sky First Team, Thomas finished his Montana State career with 10 interceptions and 37 pass breakups.
In June 2025, Thomas was inducted into the Montana Football Hall of Fame.
