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A former All-ACC linebacker at North Carolina, Tommy Thigpen enters his fourth season as the Tar Heels' linebackers coach. An exceptional recruiter, Thigpen was recently named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters in 2007 by Rivals.com. Thigpen tutored the team's leading tacklers in each of his three seasons in Chapel Hill, including Durell Mapp, who led the team in 2006 and 2007. Mapp, who came to Carolina as a walk-on, left as one of the most prolific tacklers in recent Tar Heel history and signed an NFL free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. He finished second in the ACC in tackles per game and was a second-team All-ACC selection. Thigpen also coached Carolina's 2005 leading tacklers, linebackers Tommy Richardson and Larry Edwards. Richardson was named honorable-mention All-ACC, while Edwards had his two best seasons under Thigpen, leading the team in tackles for losses in 2005 and 2006. Thigpen was hired from Illinois, where he coached for two years and had been asked to remain on Ron Zook's Illini staff. He was the cornerbacks coach in 2003 and the linebackers coach in 2004. Thigpen achieved accolades as a Parade All-America and Virginia Defensive Player of the Year at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Va. A four-year letterwinner at North Carolina from 1989- 92, Thigpen was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference linebacker, earning first-team honors in 1991. He was co-captain of the 1992 team that went 9-3 and beat Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl, the first of seven straight bowl games for the Tar Heels in the 1990s. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Carolina. Thigpen played professionally for the New York Giants in 1993- 94 and the Barcelona Dragons in 1995-96. He began his coaching career as a UNC graduate assistant in 1998-99. He then coached linebackers at Tennessee State in 2000. In 2001-02, he coached cornerbacks and was the special teams coordinator at Bowling Green State. At Bowling Green, Thigpen helped coach one of the Mid-American Conference's top defenses, as the Falcons forced 27 turnovers to lead the MAC in turnover margin in 2002. BGSU also finished second in the MAC in pass efficiency defense. Thigpen's special teams also were impressive, blocking seven punts and a potential game-winning field goal attempt by Western Michigan to preserve the Falcons, early undefeated season. Thigpen is married to the former Jacinda Webb and the couple has a daughter, Asia. In May, Thigpen was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference to attend the Minority Coaches Forum in Phoenix. The Thigpen File |
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