Turlock Christian’s new Athletic Director—and boys varsity basketball head coach—Travis Thompson was told by college coaches to leave the place you’re at, better than when you started. He hopes to do that with the TC Eagles.
“I think you have to have a passion and drive to be an AD; if there is no drive or passion it will be mediocre, so I am hungry and driven,” said Thompson, who was named the new AD on May 25. “I want more for our kids and it’s for them and I want to give them a good experience like I had.”
The 27-year-old Thompson recently left his position as a head varsity boys basketball coach at Maranatha Christian Academy in Shawnee, Kansas — better than when he started, much better.
Thompson just concluded a three-year stint at MCA where he turned the program from a one-win team the prior year, to winning eight games and finally this past winter, he led MCA to its second-best season in program history.
“The 20 wins was the second most wins in school history because a team went 21-6 in one year in the ‘80s. We had the highest win percentage in school history,” said Thompson. “We went undefeated at home as well.”
The squad went 20-3 overall and 7-2 in league games while they were a scoring machine.
“It was tough to leave, we were picked to win state this next year… but I could not turn down being AD,” said Thompson. “But we set all sorts of school records there and when you have success, offers then start to come your way.”
That team went on to average a state-high 72.8 points per game, while allowing an average of 50.5 per game.
This is something that Thompson hopes to bring to TC basketball, an up tempo and fast paced style that could disrupt and cause chaos to the opposition.
“My thing is let’s get up and go, and I like to switch things up, because I never want them to feel comfortable and I want to be tough to scout,” said Thompson. “I want to change it up with half court traps and when we get a rebound we are going, we get up and go and I don’t want to slow things down, I want to play in your grill and we go out and execute that.”
Thompson is the third coach in three years for the TC boys basketball program. Last year’s TC Eagles team went 9-17 overall and 6-8, missing the postseason in the process.
He knows the process is doable, but it will take patience and time.
“My goal is to have a winning record here. We will be senior heavy but we have talent. Bringing stability and consistency is what I want to bring here,” said Thompson.
It also helps that Thompson has experience playing high school and college basketball at both the Division II and Division I levels.
Thompson was born and raised in Texas and attended Port Neches Grove High School.
Following graduation, he attended Centenary College in Louisiana (D-I) and Boyce College.
Thompson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Theological Studies and a minor in Bible Counseling from Northland International University.
Thompson holds his faith strongly and is very open about how it has helped him throughout his life.
“I wouldn’t be able to be here without [Jesus] to persevere what I’ve been through and I know the vision and I see it and I want to be a part of that and I thank the Lord for bringing me here,” said Thompson.
Part of Thompson’s adversity includes five knee surgeries through his collegiate career.
“Having the mindset of wins and losses and plaques and trophies, those things fade, but your relationship with God and others, that is eternal and bringing that mindset of never giving up and backing down and helping these young kids to identify who they are and bring glory to God with all we do,” he added.
