Dulaney’s football and track and field coach, Paul Thompson, was recently promoted to head coach of the Dulaney Lions football team. Thompson has been coaching football at Dulaney for almost ten years, having come into the football program in 2013. Three years later, in 2016, Thompson came into the school building as a paraeducator. 

“I always wanted to work with kids,” Thompson said. “It kind of just fell in line.”

Thompson began playing football in high school, and continued playing college football for two years at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, AL. Prior to coaching at Dulaney, Thompson coached football at Howard High School, as well as the West Howard Warhawks recreation program.

One of Thompson’s favorite aspects of football is the competition. This viewpoint is shared by many of his players, including Elias Dixon-Gilbert, who will be a captain for Dulaney football’s upcoming fall season. Now in his junior year, Dixon-Gilbert has been working with Thompson for over three years, both on and off the field. 

“During my freshman year, Coach Thompson really took me under his wing…he saw my talent,” Dixon-Gilbert said. “I’m very happy that he took a chance on me.”

Dixon-Gilbert emphasized the effectiveness of Thompson’s intricate coaching style, and his belief that the team can utilize its efficiency to improve their record in the upcoming season. 

“Coach Thompson is really a great guy. I see why he was deemed as the head coach,” Dixon-Gilbert said. “He is the man for the job. I think he will take us to a great season.”

To Thompson, the most valuable thing about coaching is the relationships built between players.He loves reconnecting with Dulaney football alumni and seeing how they’ve grown up since their departure from high school.

“I just love the game, I love working with the kids, and I love seeing kids succeed at something they love,” Thompson said.

Thompson noted how the team’s motto is “see it to and through”; whether that be to and through a game, college, or the rest of their lives, Thompson made it clear that team bonds remain strong long after players graduate. 

Thompson is taking over the position of head coach in place of late coach Daron Reid. Reid’s impact on Dulaney football was significant, and the program has confidence that Thompson will successfully pick up where Reid left off. He hopes that the football program will continue to grow, and is looking forward to many more years of triumph for Dulaney’s football team.

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