07 LC 96
2778
Senate
Resolution 659
By:
Senator Golden of the 8th
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
Head Coach Tommy Thomas on the occasion of his 40th season as the Valdosta State
University Head Baseball Coach; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Head Coach Tommy Thomas has been a stalwart presence in the Valdosta State
dugout for 40 amazing seasons as the Blazers' head baseball coach;
and
WHEREAS,
during his 39 years of service, the senior statesman of the Valdosta State
University Athletic Department has become a legend in ranks of great baseball
coaches, posting an astounding NCAA Division II record of over 1,300 wins and
accumulating a 0.618 career winning percentage; and
WHEREAS,
in addition to having 34 winning seasons, Head Coach Tommy Thomas led Valdosta
State to the school's first national championship in any sport in 1979, and he
has directed his teams in 25 post-season appearances and eight trips to the
national tournament, winning two Gulf South Conference (GSC) Tournament titles
and two GSC Divisional titles; and
WHEREAS,
he is one of only six Division II coaches ever to surpass the 1,000 win barrier,
a feat he accomplished on April 25, 1997, when Valdosta State University
defeated West Georgia 9-2 in the GSC tournament; and
WHEREAS,
he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association National Coach of the
Year in 1979, the GSC's Coach of the Year in 1995 and 2002, the regional coach
of the year on seven occasions, and he was inducted into the American Baseball
Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006; and
WHEREAS,
he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Valdosta State University
in 1962 and was a star of the baseball team he would later coach, recording a
career 0.316 batting average;
and
WHEREAS, he earned a Master's in Teaching from Georgia Southern in 1966 and returned to his alma mater the following year, where, in addition to his coaching duties, he served as a professor in the school's Kinesiology and Physical Education Department for 37 years; and
WHEREAS, he earned a Master's in Teaching from Georgia Southern in 1966 and returned to his alma mater the following year, where, in addition to his coaching duties, he served as a professor in the school's Kinesiology and Physical Education Department for 37 years; and
WHEREAS,
Head Coach Thomas has the most wins in the history of Division II baseball, and
he continues to serve the Valdosta State University community with the highest
degree of dedication and expertise.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body heartily
commend the outstanding accomplishments of Head Coach Tommy Thomas on the
occasion of his 40th season as the Valdosta State University Head Baseball Coach
and extend to him their sincerest best wishes for his future.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Head Coach Tommy Thomas.