Lance Thompson - Football Coach - Florida Atlantic University Athletics

Lance Thompson

Title:
Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line
Phone:
561-297-1094

Proven Winner
Thompson was a member of national championship staffs at Alabama, Georgia Tech and LSU, He was a member of four SEC championship coaching staffs, two ACC championship staffs and one Conference USA divisional winner.

Additionally, he either coached or recruited players who participated in eight National Championship games, winning seven of those contests (Georgia Tech, LSU twice and Alabama four times).

Recruiting
Ranked as the No. 1 recruiter in the nation on the Ultimate ESPN 300 recruiting power rankings for 2014 when he was coaching at Alabama, and named Rivals National Recruiter of the Year in 2008, also with the Crimson Tide.

At FAU
Originally, joined the Owls in the spring of 2019 as the team’s defensive line coach and the program’s recruiting coordinator. In his first year, he has mentored a veteran defensive line that featured six seniors or grad students on the two-deep among the eight possible names. The unit combined for 43 tackles for loss, 22 of which were sacks, as well as recording 28 quarterback hurries. The front line also headed up a rushing defense that improved 50 spots nationally from 2018 to 2019, to 39th, giving up 52.3 less yards a game. The team's overall scoring defense was 59 spots better, ranking 33rd, and the squad finished 19th in FBS in red zone defense as well.

In 2021, returned to paradise as the Owls' linebacker coach, where he was received by an experience group, including the team's leading tackler in Chase Lasater, who recorded 72 tackles in nine 2020 games played, and Caliph Brice, who finished his 2020 campaign with 54 tackles, good enough for third on the squad. While he returned a solid group to work with they would undergo a change in system that moved several from inside to outside. Thompson was instrumental in helping implement defensive coordinator's Mike Stoops system, something the two were familiar with after their time at Alabama. Caliph Brice led the way with 58 tackles in just nine games played, due to injury.

South Carolina
Served three seasons at the University of South Carolina worked under the direction of head coach Will Muschamp, as the assistant head coach of defense and defensive line coach. In his second season, helped groom Dante Sawyer into a second-team All-SEC selection, while senior Taylor Stallworth had his finest season for the Garnet & Black. Additionally, junior college transfer Javon Kinlaw developed into a force proving his skill in 2018 with 38 tackles, including 10 for a loss of 40 yards.

Auburn
Member of Gus Malzahn’s Auburn staff in 2015, where he coached the linebackers.

Alabama
Thompson worked at Alabama three different times, from 1999-2000, 2007-08 and 2012-14. He helped Alabama's 2013 defense to hold opponents to 13.9 points per game, the fifth-best mark in Division I college football. His Alabama recruits included Julio Jones, A.J. McCarron, Mark Barron, D.J. Fluker and Trent Richardson.

Tennessee
Thompson was a member of Lane Kiffin’s staff at Tennessee, joining the Kiffin in his first season (2009) and remaining with the Volunteers until 2011.

LSU
Thompson worked with Nick Saban at both Alabama and LSU. He was the assistant head coach in charge of recruiting and the tight ends coach when LSU won the 2003 national title. He also coached the defensive line at LSU.

UCF
Served as the Knights defensive coordinator from 2004-06. In 2005, UCF won the Conference USA East Division title.

Georgia Tech
He worked in the ACC at Georgia Tech twice. The first stint was from 1988-98 and he returned in 2001. He held various roles, including defensive line coach, defensive ends coach, tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator and director of football operations. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Yellow Jackets in 1988.

Notable Players Selected in the Draft
Thompson has coached and/or recruited several players who have been selected highly in the NFL Draft, including such notables as Julio Jones, Mark Barron, Trent Richardson, D.J. Fluker, Chance Warmack, Marco Coleman, Cornelius Griffin, Marquise Hill, Laron Landry, Tyson Jackson, Coutney Upshaw and Coleman Rudolph.

Collegiate Playing Career
Thompson is a 1987 graduate of The Citadel, where he was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive lineman, while earning his bachelor's degree in education and mathematics.

Personal
Hometown: Riverdale, Ga.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from The Citadel ‘87
Family: Married to the former Mary Ann Guzy. Father of five children -- Allie, Christina and Lane Thompson, and Alli and Taylor Guzy.