Matt Thompson '25
Matt Thompson ’25 came to Illinois College to play basketball and earn a degree. What he found was a deeper calling: a passion for coaching and teaching that he now carries into his new role as a high school physical education teacher and head boys’ basketball coach in the Crocker School District.
“It’s a little scary stepping into this right after college,” Thompson admits. “But I’m ready. They wouldn’t have hired me if I wasn’t.”
A double major in education and kinesiology from Sedalia, Missouri, Thompson was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team. His time at IC was marked by historic success: four straight tournament appearances and back-to-back conference championships. His experience playing basketball taught him the value of teamwork, resilience and leadership.
When illness and injury sidelined him, Thompson took on a more coaching-focused role within the team. That shift changed everything. “I realized I was getting more fulfillment from guiding others than from being on the court,” he says.
IC gave Thompson the tools to turn that realization into a career. His student teaching experience confirmed his desire to teach high school, while an internship with Coach Bowman provided practical training for his future physical education and weights courses.
Thompson also credits IC’s education department with preparing him to succeed. “At a big school, it’d be easy to slip through the cracks,” he says. “Here, people notice. The support is real, and the resources are always there if you use them.”
As he steps into his first full-time role, Thompson brings not just a degree, but a vision. “Illinois College gave me the experience, the confidence, and the calling. I’m not just ready to teach. I’m ready to lead.”