Danny Thomason is a man who needs no introduction when it comes to the type of person he is. A passionate, positive man who makes his presence known through his iconic “WOO” that sends a ripple of “woos” throughout any crowd he sits in.
While students get to see Thomason’s personality around campus and athletic events, they may not always get the opportunity to hear the story behind the man. Thomason recently sat down to discuss how he found his way and his thoughts on several of SNU’s fall sports.
SNU was not always part of Thomason’s plan. After his parents divorced, Thomason began attending the Nazarene church his grandparents attended. There, members of the church invested in him and helped shape his understanding of what it means to invest in others. “And it taught me the power of investing in other people,” he stated.
Although those members encouraged him to attend SNU, Thomason was initially resistant to the idea. It was not until he attended Extravaganza that he began to see the university differently. “I got exposed to the campus and loved the experience, but still, I was not going to come to school here,” he explained.
Later, while attending a Dallas District Church Camp, Thomason said he felt the Holy Spirit leading him toward SNU. Eventually, he made the decision to attend.
Nearly eight years after first coming to SNU, Thomason has spent seven and a half years serving as the university’s athletic director. His path to the position, however, was not something he expected.
After former athletic director Bobby Martin retired, Thomason said several people applied for the position. Eventually, SNU President Dr. Keith Newman approached him about the job. “I told him he was crazy,” Thomason exclaimed.
Thomason recalled being in Dr. Redwine’s office when he felt the same calling he had experienced as an 18-year-old.
“It was in Dr. Redwine’s office that the same Holy Spirit that spoke to me as an 18-year-old said very clearly, ‘This is what I want you to do,’ and it’s been seven and a half of the best years of my life,” Thomason mentioned.
As athletic director, Thomason has the opportunity to watch SNU’s athletic programs develop throughout the year. With several fall sports underway, he shared his excitement about the teams and coaches representing SNU.
For football, Thomason said he is especially proud of the priorities established by the coaching staff. “We have a group of coaches that, I think, do exactly what our priorities are here,” he mentioned. “That is spiritual growth first, academic second, and then success in the sport third.”
He also highlighted the academic performance of the football team. He mentioned, “They are an excellent group of men, and I would stack it up against any team in D2.”
Thomason is also excited about the addition of new women’s soccer coach Jovan Petrovic. He pointed to Petrovic’s testimony and his connection to his faith as part of what makes him excited about the program. “Jovan’s testimony is beautiful,” Thomason said. “He’s from Serbia, and Jesus found him here in the United States.”
For the men’s soccer team, Thomason expects the team to continue competing near the top of the conference after winning the conference four of the past five years.
Rugby has also given Thomason plenty to be excited about. Following the men’s team’s strong start against Texas A&M, he said the team believes there is still room to improve. “We whooped them pretty good, but they certainly feel like they are putting in a new system, and they feel like they can be even better,” he explained.
Thomason is equally excited about the women’s rugby team, which enters the season as the defending national champions. “The women’s team is the defending national champions, and I actually think we got better,” he said. “I know that is crazy when we won the national championship by 30 points, but I really think they’re better.”
Volleyball has also made an early statement this season. Thomason pointed to the team’s undefeated start as one of the strongest openings in SNU’s D2 era. “Come on! Off to the best start in the D2 era,” he exclaimed. “In the last 12 years, we have not gotten off to a 6-0 undefeated.”
Thomason is everything SNU tries to instill in their students. He is an amazing leader with a contagious personality that makes people feel seen and welcome. If you see Thomason around campus, be sure to tell him hi!
Photo by: Dez Williams