After seven years working the court and pushing Eagles athletes to strive for excellence, coach Chris Thomas will be moving on to a new home across town at Reagan High School.

Thomas, assistant varsity boy’s basketball coach and track coach, will become the head basketball coach at Reagan next year after making his mark on the lives of hundreds of Akins athletes.

It is the first time Thomas will work as a head coach, but Thomas says he believes he is up for the challenge.

“It’ll be a big change,” he said. “I have to start over with new kids, who really don’t know my coaching style.”

Despite the difficulties, Thomas said this is his time to move to a new position.

“I’ve been coaching for 16 years, and this is the first time I’ve been offered a head coaching job,” he said. After seven years working the court and pushing Eagles athletes to strive for excellence, coach Chris Thomas will be moving on to a new home at Reagan High School.

Despite the difficulties of moving to a new school and taking over an existing program, Thomas said it made sense for him to make a change at this point in his career.

“I’ve been coaching for 16 years, and this is the first time I’ve been offered a head coaching job,” he said.
Being with Akins for so long, Thomas has had a lot of time to experience with students at Akins, and he’s not parting ways

“I think coach Thomas, along with coach Peavy, both helped turn around the whole basketball program, and made it what it is today,” coach Jesse Hayes said. “We work hard, and have made it to the playoffs every year.”

Thomas will have a big journey ahead of him, as he’ll be with an entirely new school, that’ll be a different environment compared to Akins.

“I like a challenge,” Thomas said. “Seems like it’s going to be a challenging situation being at a new school, with all new students.”

Although he is leaving, the basketball program at Akins will live on, and continue to succeed, he said.

“I think it’s a very good opportunity for him,” athletic coordinator David Peavy said. “We’ve been here the same amount of time, and I think it’s his time to go on and get his own team.”

Thomas prepares to leave after this school year, to Reagan.

“Coach Thomas and I feel we’ve done everything we can for the program, and that it’s time to move on and go after other ventures,” Peavy said, who recently announced that he will be stepping down as head basketball coach.

Even the players are feeling the effect of him leaving.

“I think some of the things I’ll miss is his coaching style, and the way he interacts with his players,” junior Christian Newton said.

Thomas has become a big part of the Akins family, as he’s help lead the basketball team to great achievements.

Thomas, who is known for his serious demeanor and enforcing discipline among players by making them do push-ups, also has a lighter side, players said.
“I’ll probably also miss his jokes, and seeing him mess around with the players on the team,” Newton said.