Kurt Thompson, a 1984 graduate of Iola High School, will be inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame in December.
“I was fortune enough to be named head coach at Webb City (Mo.) at the age of 23,” Thompson told the Republic, Mo., Monitor, “so I’ve been a head coach for a lot of years. I was blessed to coach a lot of good players and assistant coaches.”
Thompson was head coach at Webb City for seven years, followed by a nine-year run at Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) High School and is in his fourth year leading the Republican Tigers.
“Coach Thompson has only been at three schools during his career,” and Republic athletic director Greg Garton. “In a time where coaches jump around from school to school, it shows that he is dedicated to trying to build a true program.”
Garton said what impressed him most about Thompson was his dedication to finding ways to improve.
“Almost every time I talk with Kurt he is working on ways to improve his program,” Garton said. “He has a great work ethic and is very driven. He sets high expectations for his players and this staff.”
Thompson is the son of Iolan Leon Thompson. After being graduated from Iola High School, he and brother Kent, who has a real estate agency and commercial interests in Iola, played football for Pittsburg State University.
