Henry “Turtle” Thomas is the Florida International University head baseball coach. Regarded as one of the top assistant coaches and recruiters in college baseball, Thomas brings more than 30 years of experience, 14 trips to the College World Series and 18-straight top-10 baseball recruiting classes to the FIU Golden Panthers.

Some of the most-successful programs in college baseball’s recent history grace Thomas’ resume, including Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisiana State and his most recent stop, at 2007 CWS participant, Arizona State.

Thomas played a major role in the Sun Devils’ success this past season, helping lead the team to a No. 3 national ranking. The Sun Devils (48-13) shared the nation’s best team batting average with Florida State and College of Charleston (.350), led the country in scoring (9.5 runs/game), fielding percentage (.978) and ranked in the top 10 in doubles, slugging percentage and winning percentage.

Thomas began his Division I coaching career at Clemson, where he spent eight seasons and helped the Tigers reach the 1980 CWS. He moved on to Georgia Tech and spent two years as the assistant head coach under current Miami head coach Jim Morris.

In 1998, he was named assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami by Hall of Fame coach Ron Fraser. The Hurricanes reached the CWS nine times in Thomas’ 12 years in Coral Gables, winning a National Championship in 1999, and going to Omaha six-straight seasons (1994-99).

He won a second national title his first season with LSU, in 2000. The 2000 title was one of three trips to the CWS that Thomas made in his seven seasons in Baton Rouge.

While experience and expertise as a coach are impressive, Thomas’ skills as a recruiter are unmatched. He had 18-straight recruiting classes ranked among Collegiate Baseball’s Top 10 at Miami and LSU. He is the only recruiting coordinator in the nation who has signed the No. 1 rated class four times, and he has never had a class ranked lower than ninth over the past 19 years. Thomas has also signed the second-rated class four times. Every class he signed at LSU ranked in the Top 6, including his 2004 class, which was considered the best in the country.

The roll call of major leaguers Thomas recruited and coached numbers more than 60. The list includes Charles Johnson, Alex Fernandez, Pat Burrell, Danny Graves, Alex Cora, Aubrey Huff and Brad Hawpe.

A 1975 graduate of High Point (N.C.) College, Thomas earned a master’s degree from UNC-Greensboro in 1978. He was a four-year letterman at catcher, playing two seasons at Campbell University before completing his final two undergraduate years at High Point.

Thomas is married to the former Maria Carmen Nateman, and they have three children, Kevin, Kristen, and Keith.

Turtle Thomas Quick Facts

Full Name: Henry Thomas
Nickname: Turtle
Married: To the former Maria Carmen Natement
Children: Kevin, Kristen, and Keith
Bachelor’s: High Point College (1975)
Master’s: UNC-Greensboro (1978)

Coaching Experience
1979-85 Clemson (Assistant Coach)
1986-87 Georgia Tech (Assistant Head Coach)
1988-99 Miami, Fla. (Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)
2000-06 LSU (Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)
2007 Arizona State (Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)
2007 Florida International University (Head Coach)