This week, the Montreat athletic department announced the hiring of Josh Thompson as the head coach of the Cavalier women’s basketball program.
Thompson, who brings a plethora of experience in the field with him to North Carolina, joins the Montreat family after an extended stint at King University. While the head coach for the NCAA Division II Tornado, the Mechanic Falls, Maine native amassed over 150 victories. Upon arriving at King in 2011, Thompson quickly turned the program around from a 5-21 team to one that regularly achieved records over .500. After his first season with the Tornado, Thompson never had a losing year, going 157-120 overall and 118-82 in Conference Carolinas (CC) action.
Thompson saw particular success late in the 2010s as he led the program to three consecutive conference championship games from 2016 to 2018, including a Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship in 2017. That year, the Tornado tallied a 25-7 (19-3 CC) record and reached the NCAA Tournament, while Thompson was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year.
Vice President of Enrollment Management and Athletics, Jose Larios, stated, “We had a number of quality candidates for our women’s head coaching position- more than ever before. I attribute that to the positive momentum our athletic department and college are experiencing. Coach Thompson’s experience and Christ-centered leadership took center stage. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have the Thompson family join ours!”
Prior to his decade as King’s head coach, Thompson held the same position at Nyack College in New York for eight years. From 2002 to 2010, Thompson captained the Warriors to several notable achievements, highlighted by conference accolades. After leading Nyack to an NCCAA East Region Championship in 2009, the team progressed to win the 2010 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) north division regular season and tournament. Due to the program’s feats, Thompson earned the 2009 NCCAA East Region co-Coach of the Year award and the 2010 CACC Coach of the Year honor. The Warriors also reached their initial NCAA Tournament with Thompson at the helm in 2010.
“I am so excited to be the next head women’s basketball coach at Montreat College,” mentioned Thompson. “I’d like to thank President Maurer, Vice President Jose Larios, associate athletic director Jason Beck and the search committee for the trust they have placed in me to lead this program. It is clear to me that Montreat is a special place and I am thrilled to be joining this Christ-centered community,” he added.
As a collegiate athlete, Thompson played all four years of his undergraduate degree for Nyack, where he led the CACC in assists as a senior. The team’s captain helped his squad to a CACC Tournament Championship in 2000 as the tournament’s MVP. Thompson went on to coach as an assistant at his alma mater before being promoted to head coach in 2002.
Thompson graduated from Nyack with a degree in interdisciplinary studies: youth ministry and psychology. He will be making the move from Bristol, Tenn. to the Montreat area shortly.
On his hiring, Thompson noted, “I will work tirelessly to build a women’s basketball program that the school and the community will be proud of in the classroom and on the court. I am committed to leading with humility and character, ensuring that our student-athletes grow and develop spiritually, academically, socially and athletically.”
