Commissioner Thomas enters his eighth year as commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on September 1, 2009. Under his dynamic leadership, the conference has solidified its financial stability, ameliorated compliance among member institutions and more than doubled the attendance within the last four years at the annual MEAC Basketball Tournament.
In 2005, he negotiated a television package with ESPN to broadcast Football, Men's & Women's Basketball and other MEAC sports events.
Thomas has been persistent and hardworking in his efforts to increase Corporate America's investment in the MEAC. He has brought on board Russell Athletic Corporation, Coca-Cola, State Farm, NIKE, Wachovia, ESPN and Colgate Palmolive.
Most notably, he was instrumental in negotiating the MEAC/SWAC Challenge beginning in the 2005 football season with ESPN, which provides the participating MEAC institutions with national television exposure and financial guarantees.
Continuing his work as a lively visionary, Thomas implemented a Highest Graduation Award for the member institution with the highest graduation rate for the academic year. The institution that achieves the honor receives $25,000.
This energetic administrator brings over 30 years of athletic and higher education experience to the MEAC.
As Director of Athletics, Hampton University excelled on and off the field of competition. In his twelve (12) years of service, Thomas guided Hampton from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I.
Under his leadership, the Pirates and Lady Pirates won MEAC championships in Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Softball, Women's Tennis, Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field, Men's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field, Men's Tennis, Football, and Men's Cross Country. The Pirates also won the 1999 MEAC Talmadge L. Hill Men's All-Sports Award and the 2002 Mary McLeod Bethune Women's All Sports Award, symbolizing the overall strength of the athletics program.
During his term at Hampton, Thomas demonstrated his strong commitment to student-athletics by developing the athletic academic support department to increase graduation rates for student-athletes.
While Director, Hampton men's basketball team beat Iowa State University, 58-57, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and made history when the Pirates went back to the NCAA Division I Tournament the following year. No other 15-seed who beat the 2nd seed had returned to the NCAA Tournament the following year.
Thomas served as the Head Football Coach at South Carolina State University from 1986-1988. Under his direction, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 15-18.
His leadership and managerial skills among national organizations have not gone unnoticed. During the 2001 season, Thomas served as Chairman of the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) Football Committee. He also served on the NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee and is a former board of director member of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Thomas was awarded the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics (NACDA) Athletic Director of the Year Award for the Southeast Region for IAA/AAA in 2002.
Thomas is a member of NCAA Division I Leadership Council, the NCAA I-FCS Governance Committee, the NCAA Division I Infractions Committee and the NLI Policy and Review Committee. He is the past chair of the NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) Commissioners Association. He also served on the NACDA Executive Committee.
The Heidelberg, Mississippi native was a letterman in football and track and field in high school and at the age of 16, embarked upon a collegiate career that is still in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) record books.
In 1974, he made history as the first and only offensive lineman to be named the Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He finished his collegiate football career as a three-year letterman, a two-time Pittsburgh Courier First Team All-American, First Team Black Mutual Sports Network All-American, and Outstanding College Athlete of America (1974). Thomas was also an honor student in college. On December 12, 2003, Thomas was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame. Thomas coached and played under the legendary Marino "The Godfather" Casem while at Alcorn State.
In 1978, the state legislature of Mississippi issued a proclamation proclaiming April 8 as the Dennis and Johnny Thomas Day (brothers) in the state for their achievements in scholarship, athletics, and leadership.
Thomas is a 1974 graduate of Alcorn State University, a 1975 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (master's) and a 1984 graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo (doctorate). He was selected Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1974 as an undergraduate and in 1983 as a graduate student. He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
