Every legendary coach, before they became legendary, had to start somewhere. Think of Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichick, and John Wooden to name a few. All three of those coaches certainly didn't inherit a dynasty. It took time, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to changing the landscape of the program or organization before success was evident.
 
In short, this is the story of Mark Thomas, who will be inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame this Saturday as he receives the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement award.
 
The award is named after longtime coach, educator and athletic director at UW-Superior. It recognizes other accomplishments outside of Yellowjacket competition, honoring career achievements in coaching. Any individual nominated for this award must be a graduate of UWS and display exceptional coaching abilities at any level.
 
Safe to say, Mark had all these covered.
 
A native of Spring Valley, Wisconsin, Thomas was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. When college was approaching, he had a few options but ultimately chose a spot significant to his family.
 
"My choices were between UWS, Augsburg and UW-Platteville," Thomas said. "A couple of factors played heavily into my decision. I knew in my heart I wanted to be a PE teacher and coach, especially high school football and baseball. On top of that, I wanted to be 2-3 hours from home and Coach (Mertz) Mortorelli really sold UWS. He was very supportive of my desire to play both football and baseball."
 
"Another big factor was my dad playing both basketball and baseball at UWS. My dad is my hero, so that helped make my college choice easier."
 
 
From there, Thomas came to UWS and was a four-year letterwinner, quarterbacking the football team while catching for the baseball team. He graduated in 1983 and became the assistant football, baseball and girls' basketball coach at his alma mater, Spring Valley High School.
 
"I knew from a young age that I really wanted to coach," Thomas said. "My dad coached our high school football and wrestling programs, taught PE/Health classes, and ran our summer recreation baseball program for as long as I can remember. He was the main influencer. I love sports and the value they provide, so I wanted to be a part of that for as long as possible."
 
While a student at UW-Superior, he assisted the football team his senior year as well as assisted the girls' track and field team at Superior High School. Following graduation in 1983, he returned to his alma mater of Spring Valley High School, assisting the football, baseball and girls' basketball programs.
 
Thomas made the leap to collegiate coaching before the 1986 season, becoming the assistant football coach at UW-Stout. His duties, however, weren't something he had a ton of experience in.
 
"I was named the inside linebackers coach and knew little to nothing about the position. I got hired a few days before the season began, so I had a ton to learn in a short time. That first year was certainly a challenge and a big learning experience," Thomas said. "Thankfully I had a lot of good coaches around me to make it work."
 
The following year, Thomas describes making one of the hardest decisions in his coaching tenure.
 
"I was approached by the UW-Stout Athletic Director and offered me the chance to be the head women's basketball coach. I had not been a head coach in any sport before. I had been assisting the football and baseball teams at Stout, so he had a chance to witness my coaching. He was also aware of how our program had progressed at Spring Valley High School, and I was in the right spot at the right time."
 
"We went 22-1 the previous year and were returning 90% of our scoring. Despite leaving a very successful high school program that was returning a group of highly talented players, I felt ready for the chance to lead the program at UW-Stout."
 
And so began his head coaching career ahead of the 1987-88 season. The Blue Devils program he adopted had won two games in the last two seasons, and in just his third year, UW-Stout finished with a win percentage above .500 for the first time in program history.
 
"We had a couple years of recruits on campus and two years of development. We committed to a style of play that was unique, playing full court defense and an up-tempo/run offensive scheme. As we improved, we began to receive more resources, and the student-athletes were given a much better experience. From there, we recruited to our style of play we were committed to and the majors we offered."
 
"We had 21 majors at Stout when I first started. Many were unique and not offered at a lot of other institutions, so we really focused on prospective student-athletes that wanted our majors. It was normal for us to play 12-16 players a night, so we genuinely offered "playing time" no matter their age."
 
That recruiting process certainly worked, as Thomas continued to produce winning seasons, 21 in a row to be exact. From adopting a team with just two wins in two years, Thomas transformed the UW-Stout women's basketball program into a national powerhouse in arguably one of the best NCAA Division III women's basketball conferences.
 
His best season came in 2004-05, as the Blue Devils finished with an overall record of 24-7, a program record that stands to this day. Thomas has been named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coach of the Year twice, coming in back-to-back seasons of 2004-05 and 2005-06.
 
Thomas led his teams to 10 national appearances and was a six-time WIAC Coach of the Year. Under Thomas' tutelage, the Blue Devils came away with five conference titles. Furthermore, he became the first WIAC women's basketball coach to have reached 400 career wins. To date, Thomas has accumulated 106 seasons of coaching between high school and college.
 
He notes specific core values is what drove the shift of Stout's program.
 
"We made being a student-athlete a very big thing," Thomas said. "Mental and physical toughness, team-first mentality, grit matters, no fear, buy into the process, treat others with respect, and loyalty. I never really wavered from those, but each team was unique on what they believed "they" needed to work at."
 
Despite having opportunities to coach elsewhere, Thomas stayed close to home and enjoyed cultivating relationships with those around him.
 
"I did have a couple of chances to leave and be an assistant basketball coach in Division 1, but I was living the dream of coaching year-round. I got to coach football with my dad as well as a few years of baseball. I have a lot of family in the area and was lucky enough to coach two nephews in football and coach my sister for eight-straight years."
 
Come Saturday when Mark is inducted, he will join his hero, Bob, as the only father/son duo in UW-Superior's Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
"My dad was the biggest influence and mentor on me," Thomas said. "He was tough, but kind, and expected your best every second you were on the field. It is very humbling and such an honor to share this prestigious honor with my dad. As my hero, I only hoped to be as successful as he was. I just went to work everyday to serve my players, coaches and school to the best of my ability, which is something I watched my dad do everyday."
 
"I met amazing people, played football with one of my cousins, and even met my wife here at UW-Superior. UWS provided me a great opportunity and atmosphere to grow, and I'm very thankful for that."
 
The 2026 UW-Superior Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 in the Great Room of the Yellowjacket Union. For more information on the ceremony, including purchasing tickets, visit our Hall of Fame page.