Former Colonels coach accepts position at Northwestern

Former Nicholls State head football coach Jay Thomas didn’t take long to find a new job after being fired as the Colonels coach last November.

On Thursday, Thomas was introduced as the new defensive line coach at Nicholls’ Southland Conference rival Northwestern State.

Northwestern State head coach Bradley Dale Peveto said he felt Thomas would be a good fit because of his experience. Thomas has coached 12 different players who were all-conference selections on the defensive line in his career.

“He’s been a head coach in the Southland Conference for five years and has been coaching in this league for 13 years,” Peveto said in a news release. “Jay brings a wealth of knowledge coaching the defensive line and as a coordinator. He’s a great recruiter who clearly raised the talent level as head coach at Nicholls.”

At Northwestern State, Thomas will look to help a defensive that was torched in the 2009 season.

The Demons allowed 27 or more points nine times last season and gave up 50 or more points three times.

Thomas’ team at Nicholls rushed for 139 yards on the Demons last year in a 28-21 Colonels victory – one of only three wins the team had all season.

Peveto said he believes Thomas will be a great addition to the Demons rebuilding efforts in 2010 and beyond.

“Jay is a great guy, highly respected across the board, by football fans, high school coaches, and definitely by those who have competed against him and his Nicholls teams,” he said. “He’s the total package and we’re tickled to bring him into our program.”

Prior to his time at Nicholls, where he served as the defensive coordinator before he was the head coach, Thomas spent time at Southeast Missouri State as a defensive line coach.

The former Nicholls head coach also was a graduate assistant at LSU, where he worked with linebackers and the defensive line.