Althea Thomas is in her second year as an assistant coach for the track and field program at UAB and is currently serving as the team's recruiting coordinator. Thomas played a significant role in signing eight high school seniors, all of which hold state titles, state records or All-America honors.
As an assistant coach Thomas works primarily with the heptathletes and jumpers. In her first year at UAB, she coached three athletes who scored at the Conference USA Indoor Championships by placing in the top-eight in four events collectively. At the 2009 Conference USA Outdoor Championships she coached a Conference USA champion and had four athletes score by finishing in the top-eight in five different events. Three of those athletes posted regional qualifying times at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships.
Prior to coming to UAB, Thomas was the head track and field coach at Sharon High School in Sharon, Mass., where she coached five Division 2 Class B outdoor all-state athletes. She has also spent time coaching and teaching at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Ala. While there, Thomas coached 11 all-state athletes, along with the 2005 Class 6A 4x100-meter runner-up.
A former runner, Thomas was a star on both the collegiate and high school levels. At LSU, Thomas was part of the 2000 and 2003 NCAA Division I Championship track and field teams. She was a two-time All-SEC performer in the 400-meter hurdles and was a national champion in the 4x400-meter relay in 2000. As a high school runner at Pelham High School in Pelham, Ala., Thomas won 15 state titles in six different events from 1996-99.
Thomas graduated from LSU in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and a minor in both biology and psychology. She also holds USTAF Level I certifications.
