CANYON, Texas - Buffalo Football head football coach Josh Lynn has announced the addition of Tripp Thomas to the West Texas A&M coaching staff, Thomas will work with the WT linebackers.
 
"Adding a coach the caliber of Tripp Thomas is huge for our football program. Tripp has proven himself as one of the best defensive minds in the nation" said Lynn "Coach Thomas brings a wealth of experience to our linebacker's room, his passion for the game and our student-athletes is a perfect fit at West Texas A&M."
 
Thomas comes to Canyon following seven years at Colorado School of Mines. He spent the last four seasons at the Defensive Coordinator in Golden, leading the Orediggers to the NCAA Division II National Championship game in 2022 and 2023. Mines won three consecutive Region 4 Championships (2021, 2022, 2023) as Thomas was named a finalist for National Coordinator of the Year in 2023.
 
Thomas joined the Mines football coaching staff as a defensive assistant in the summer of 2019 and was promoted to defensive line coach in the winter of 2020 and then defensive coordinator in the winter of 2022.
 
In his first season at Mines as a defensive assistant in 2019, Thomas helped mold an Oredigger front that led NCAA Division II in third-down defense and ranked sixth in rushing defense and 11th in scoring defense. Promoted to the defensive line spot in the winter of 2020, Thomas' success continued as the Orediggers again ranked among the national leaders in scoring defense, turnover margin, and sacks.
 
In his first season in charge of the defense, Thomas led one of the nation's best units as Mines made its inaugural trip to the NCAA Division II Championship game. The Orediggers' 71 sacks led every level of college football as linebacker Nolan Reeve tied Mines' single-season individual record with 13.5. The Orediggers also led NCAA Division II in turnovers gained with 33 and ranked fifth nationally in defensive touchdowns with five. Mines' entire starting defensive 11 earned All-RMAC honors and cornerback Mason Pierce went on to win all-America honors. 
 
In 2023, the Orediggers were one of the nation's best defensive units as they set a program record for wins at 14-1 and returned to the DII National Championship game. Mines led the nation in turnovers gained for a second straight season with 33 and was third in scoring defense at 13 points per game. They were led by a pair of all-Americans in Nolan Reeve (also the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year) and cornerback Jackson Zimmermann, with 10 defensive starters overall earning all-RMAC honors including the entire front seven being on either the first or second team. 
 
In 2024, Mines' defense had seven all-RMAC selections and an Academic All-American in Joel Diaz while ranking in the national top 20 in third down defense and red zone defense. 2025 saw senior corner Jackson Zimmermann receives his third consecutive all-RMAC nod with 33 tackles and two interceptions to go along with a forced fumble and six pass break-ups.
 
Thomas came to Golden following time as the linebackers and strength & conditioning coach during the 2018 season at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri. Prior to that he was defensive coordinator for Mountain Home High School in Arkansas during the 2017 season and was the defensive line and strength & conditioning coach at Graceland University from 2015-16.
 
The Memphis, Tennessee native is a graduate of Missouri Valley College with a degree in Corrective Exercise and Education. Tripp and his wife Shelby are the proud parents of two sons, Barron and Otto.