Arkansas Tech University Athletics

Roy Thompson enters into his first season as head football at Arkansas Tech after being announced as the program's 18th head coach all-time on December 10.

Recently named as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year, Thompson comes to Tech from Ouachita Baptist where he just completed his 12^th year overall on staff. During the past eight seasons played (2020 season not played due to COVID-19) since his return to Ouachita in 2016 as the co-defensive coordinator, Thompson has built the Tigers’ defensive unit into one of the top units not only in the Great American Conference (GAC), but in all of DII.
 
Since 2018, when Thompson took over the reins of that side of the ball as defensive coordinator, Ouachita has had three seasons in which its points allowed per game were under 20.0, ranking it in the top-10 nationally in DII. The other three seasons, the highest points allowed in a season was 20.7 points per game. Over that same stretch, Thompson’s defensive unit allowed under 320.0 yards per game four times, ranking in the top-35 nationally.
 
For the 2024 season, Thompson’s defensive unit is ranked 5^th in DII in scoring defense (12.0 ppg) and 21^st overall in total defense (276.3 ypg). On Oct. 19, Thompson and his defense shined brightly under the lights of primetime in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season as Ouachita hosted then top-ranked and defending national champion Harding.
 
Heading into that game, Harding had won 25 consecutive games and had an offensive attack that was averaging 554 yards of total offense and 61 points per game. By the final horn, Thompson’s defensive unit stoned Harding to the tune of just 288 yards of total offense and 13 points as the Tigers beat Harding.
 
Thompson’s time at Ouachita also yielded a ton of championship hardware as well as NCAA postseason experience.
 
Out of the eight seasons played with Thompson on staff, Ouachita won the GAC championship five times and reached the NCAA playoffs each of those seasons as well, with the most recent coming this season. Of those five conference titles, three saw the Tigers go unbeaten in the regular season.
 
Prior to his time at Ouachita, Thompson spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons as the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Mendocino College in Ukiah, Calif. Thompson’s defensive unit finished the 2015 season ranked No. 4 in total defense in the state of California as well as the No. 1 defense in the Pac-7 Conference and No. 15 nationally in total defense.
 
A 2006 graduate of Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., Thompson began his collegiate coaching career the following fall as the defensive line coach at Highland Community College before returning to his alma mater as the defensive line/linebackers coach for the 2008-2009 seasons. Thompson’s next stop brought him to Ouachita for his first stint as he was the defensive line and linebackers coach from 2009-2012.
 
Thompson and his wife, Julia, have three daughters - Jadyn, London and Cameron - and one son, Trey.