Bernie Thompson’s post-college plans weren’t the same as they are for most Division III athletes.

After a successful football career at Waynesburg University in which he earned first-team All- Presidents’ Athletic Conference honors twice, Thompson had a tryout scheduled with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Those plans changed, however, at a postseason All-Star game in Miami, Florida.

In December of 2014, one month after the end of his senior season, Thompson tweaked his knee in the National Bowl, a game that features players from Divisions 1AA, II and III. Although the injury wasn’t catastrophic, it was serious enough where he decided not to pursue the tryout.

Although his playing days were over, Thompson knew he didn’t want to move on from the sport he loved.

“After [the injury], I knew I was going to be around the game for the rest of my life,” Thompson said. “I always knew I’d be involved in football at whatever level for the rest of my life.”

After graduation, Thompson went back to his high school alma mater, Union Local High School, and served as an assistant coach for three years. When head coach Bruce Stiles stepped down after the 2017 season, Thompson, just 25 years old, was offered the head coaching job at his alma mater.

Initially, Thompson was uneasy about the idea of becoming a head coach less than four years after playing his last collegiate game. He realized, however, that coaching was something that he could see himself doing long-term, and decided to take the job.

“I knew it was a big deal,” Thompson said. “To be honest, I was a little hesitant, because I didn’t know if I was ready to take on [everything] involved with being a head coach. I know I’m passionate about football, I love football, but being a head coach is like [being] a CEO of a business, you’re running the whole show. So, at first I was a little hesitant…”

Although the Jets finished just 3-7 this season, Thompson sees his first year as a successful one and feels he is transitioning well into running a program.

“A year in, I feel like a veteran,” he said. “I feel very confident in myself and the people around me… I know a lot of people in [Union Local]. I’m very well known in the community. It says a lot about a high school to carry a 25-year-old head coach with zero coaching experience really. I thought our first year went well, I thought I had a good relationship with the kids, with the community.”

Thompson had a successful high school career, in which he shattered multiple Ohio Valley Athletic Conference receiving records, such as most career catches with 106 and most catches in a single game with 20. Union Local honored Thompson this past winter when the school retired his No. 28 jersey, which Thompson still allows to be worn.

Despite his achievements, however, Thompson—who stands at 5’10—wasn’t heavily recruited to play college football. He got his chance at Waynesburg, and former head coach Rick Shepas said that Thompson’s willingness to compete despite his small frame has helped him in football, both as a player and a coach.

“Bernie is an undersized guy with a huge heart and with a great passion for sports, and a competitive nature I think is his charismatic quality that makes him relatable to kids,” Shepas said. “I think the fact that he was such a competitor in high school, and his playing career continued in that same vein in college, I think it’s an inspiration to kids of all sizes that anything is possible if you have the desire and the passion to make it happen.”

At Waynesburg, Thompson was part of a class that went 30-13 over four years, peaking with a 31-28 overtime win over rival Washington & Jefferson in 2014. Many members of that class have gone into coaching, such as former quarterback Carter Hill, who is now an assistant at Youngstown State, and linebacker John Sikora, who is a graduate assistant at Stanford.

“My four years at Waynesburg were extremely special, man,” Thompson said. “Historically speaking, you could argue that was the best [four year period] in school history. So we had a very unique class. The 2014 seniors, they were extraordinary. The fact that everybody’s [become] successful not only in football but in life in general, I’m not shocked at all.”

Shepas said that for Thompson to reach his potential as a head coach, he must continue to gain knowledge of the profession.

“When you’re involved in education and coaching, no matter what level you’re on, every day is a learning experience…,” Shepas said. “Bernie’s an intelligent guy, he has a good foundation to grow from. If he’s the kind of coach I would like to see him be, he’ll continue to learn every year that he coaches…as a young guy, it’s important to be a sponge and learn as much as you can while you can from the best people you can.”

Although Thompson still wishes he could have had a chance to play professionally, he feels that he is serving his purpose in his second career.

“I think God put me in this world to be involved with football and more along the lines of coaching and impacting others,” Thompson said. “That’s really what my journey is, and now I have the opportunity to impact multiple high school kids each year, so that’s really what I’m grateful for.”