Jill Thomas enters her 12th season as head coach of the Henderson State women’s basketball program in 2024-25. Thomas has won 167 career games at the helm of HSU women's basketball program and has a career record of 222-185 in 14 seasons as a head coach.
In her time at Henderson, Thomas has led the Reddies to the Great American Conference Tournament ten times, the league semifinals four times, coached 16 All-Conference selections and has had 24 players earn Academic All-GAC honors. Thomas has also been dominant against cross-street rival Ouachita Baptist and is 18-6 in her career against the Tigers.
In her 11th season, Thomas delivered her best season in Arkadelphia yet, leading the Reddies to the program's first ever GAC Championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006. The championship season yielded a two-year extension on her contract through the 2027 season.
The magical 2023-24 campaign saw Thomas become the school's all-time leader in wins with 167 in her career following the program's first 20-win season since 2019-20 and third consecutive 13-win conference season. Under Thomas, Henderson State is the only school in the Great American Conference to have won at least 13 league games in six of the last seven seasons.
In 2022-23, Thomas led Henderson to its sixth consecutive GAC Tournament appearance on the backs of a 14-8 conference record, tying the best finish in league play since 2017-18. During the season, Thomas reached 200 all-time wins as a head coach while being three shy of 150 victories at HSU at the start of the 2023-24 season.
During the COVID-19 complicated 2020-21 season and after losing several key starters, Thomas guided a young and inexperienced Reddies team to a 7-6 record and a second-place finish in the GAC Eastern Division. HSU earned a first-round bye at the GAC Tournament, defeated previously unbeaten and No. 14 Arkansas Tech, and ended the season by winning six of its final seven games.
The 2019-20 campaign was yet another strong season for Thomas' established program. The Reddies won 20 games, including 14 conference contests, finished 11-2 at home in the Duke Wells Center, and advanced to the GAC Semifinals for the second time in three seasons. Senior Hailey Estes earned All-GAC First Team recognition, while fellow senior Pink Jones garnered Second Team honors. Under Thomas' tutelage, Estes ended her career as HSU's all-time rebounding leader and Jones broke the school's career assist record.
In the 2018-19 season, Thomas again guided Henderson to the GAC Tournament with 18 wins and 13 conference victories. Junior Pink Jones earned her second-straight selection to the All-GAC First Team and Hailey Estes was an Honorable Mention All-GAC performer.
Thomas led the Reddies to a magnificent season in 2017-18, as Henderson won 21 games, defeated rival Ouachita Baptist three times and advanced to the GAC Tournament semifinals for the first time ever. Pink Jones was named First Team All-GAC, while Haleigh Henson was a Second Team All-GAC selection and also broke the GAC record for 3-pointers made in a career with 282.
In 2016-17, the Reddie women's basketball program led the entire Henderson State athletic department with a team GPA of 3.49, and boasted 10 players who had a 3.0 or higher. On the court, freshman Pink Jones led the way for Henderson, earning honorable mention All-GAC honors, as well as GAC Freshman of the Year recognition.
During the 2015-16 season, Henderson finished with a 14-15 record overall and a 13-9 mark in GAC play, the first winning record in league play since the Reddies joined the league. The Reddies recorded its first win over Harding in Searcy since 2006 with a 66-62 upset of the Bisons. Henderson would go on to sweep the series against Harding. The Reddies also swept the series with in-town rival Ouachita Baptist.
The 2014-15 Reddies finished with a 10-17 record overall and an 8-12 record in Great American Conference play, good enough for a seventh-place finish in the league standings. During the course of the year, the Reddies recorded a 91-85 win over GAC Champion Harding ending the Bisons 11-game win streak as well as a pair of wins over Ouachita Baptist.
Thomas coached two-time Great American Conference Defender of the Year Aungelique Sledge who was also an All-Region pick. Sledge also earned First-Team Academic All-American honors.
In her first season with the Lady Reddies, Thomas led Henderson State to a 13-14 record. The Lady Reddies had a 9-4 record at home, including winning eight straight home games to begin the season.
Prior to her arrival to Henderson, Thomas spent four seasons as head coach at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina from 2009 to 2013.
In 2013, Thomas was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year after guiding the Lady Falcons to a 27-5 record and their first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament win.
During her four years at the Misenheimer, N.C. institution, Thomas compiled a 65-48 record with nine of her players earning all-conference honors, and seven conference players-of-the-week selections.
“The three things that I stress is work ethic, character, and team accountability,” Thomas said. “Our student-athletes must lead by example and be good representatives of Henderson State University. I feel that it also very important for us to be visible throughout the community.”
Thomas’ teams have not only performed on the court, but in the classroom as well. More than a dozen of her players have been on the Pfeiffer’s Presidential Honor Roll, seven players earned all-academic all-conference honors, and one of her players was named Capital One Academic All-American in back-to-back years.
Prior to her stint at Pfeiffer, Thomas was an assistant women’s basketball coach at Dakota Wesleyan University where she also worked as a Resident Director and Intramural Coordinator. Thomas also spent a season as an assistant coach at Mitchell High School in Mitchell, S.D.
In addition to valuable coaching experience, Thomas played on the NJCAA Division I and NAIA Division II levels. While at Northwest College she set the school record for most points in one game. While serving as team captain at Black Hills State University, Thomas was selected as a Dakota Athletic Conference Player of the Week and earned a DAC All-Conference award.
Thomas is a 2004 graduate of Northwest College having obtained an associate degree with honors in physical education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Wellness Management with a minor in coaching in 2006 from Black Hills State University. Thomas acquired a master’s degree in education from Dakota Wesleyan University in 2012 with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction.
CAREER RECORD AT HENDERSON STATE
| YEARS |
WINS |
LOSSES |
| 2013-14 |
13 |
14 |
| 2014-15 |
10 |
17 |
| 2015-16 |
14 |
15 |
| 2016-17 |
8 |
20 |
| 2017-18 |
21 |
9 |
| 2018-19 |
18 |
11 |
| 2019-20 |
20 |
10 |
| 2020-21 |
7 |
6 |
| 2021-22 |
19 |
11 |
| 2022-23 |
17 |
12 |
| 2023-24 |
20 |
12 |
| TOTALS |
167 |
137 |
CAREER CONFERENCE RECORD
| YEARS |
WINS |
LOSSES |
CONFERENCE |
| 2013-14 |
8 |
12 |
Great American |
| 2014-15 |
8 |
12 |
Great American |
| 2015-16 |
13 |
9 |
Great American |
| 2016-17 |
8 |
14 |
Great American |
| 2017-18 |
16 |
6 |
Great American |
| 2018-19 |
13 |
9 |
Great American |
| 2019-20 |
14 |
8 |
Great American |
| 2020-21 |
7 |
5 |
Great American |
| 2021-22 |
13 |
9 |
Great American |
| 2022-23 |
14 |
8 |
Great American |
| 2023-24 |
13 |
9 |
Great American |
| TOTALS |
127 |
101 |
|
