SAN DIEGO – Former San Diego State student-athlete Jordan Thomas has been named an assistant coach with the Aztecs, head coach Brady Hoke announced today. Thomas will coach the defensive line.
Thomas spent the last two seasons working as a graduate assistant coach with SDSU before briefly joining the Lamar coaching staff following the 2019 campaign.
Last year, Thomas worked with the defensive line under Hoke. Thomas helped the San Diego State defense rank second in FBS play in both scoring (12.7) and rushing (75.4), fifth in total (287.8), and sixth in pass efficiency (110.3). The Aztecs had two players (senior Myles Cheatum and redshirt freshman Cameron Thomas) earn first-team all-league honors for the first time since 1974 and three overall make the all-Mountain West squad, while another (sophomore Keshawn Banks) received second-team honors. SDSU finished 10-3 in 2019 for its fourth season with double-digits wins over the last five years.
In 2018, Thomas assisted with the San Diego State linebackers for a team that ranked seventh in rushing defense (103.8), 21st in total defense (334.6) and 32nd in scoring defense (22.2).
Thomas started 34 times over his career at San Diego State at defensive end, while playing in all 52 games from when he arrived on campus in 2010 through the 2013 campaign. Thomas, Bryce Quigley and Rene Siluano became the first Aztecs in program history to play in four consecutive bowl games without redshirting a season.
Over this career, Thomas totaled 61 tackles (38 solo), 14 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In 2013, Thomas was named the team's defensive lineman of the year.
After leaving San Diego State, Thomas spent the 2016 season coaching the tight ends and defensive line at Mission Hills High School, before working with the linebackers at Division II Texas A&M - Kingsville as a graduate assistant in 2017.
Thomas earned his bachelor's degree in 2014 from SDSU.