After completing his training at INF Vichy in 1984, Tholot signed his first professional contract with Toulon in the first division where he learned the ropes during three years.

In spite of the club's financial difficulties eventually leading to relegation at the end of the season, Tholot scored 14 goals in 34 competitive matches.

With 27 goals to his credit over two seasons, he was noticed by Bordeaux to play forward of Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Bixente Lizarazu.

First he signed a three-year contract with FC Sion ahead of the 1997–98 Nationalliga A season under head coach Alberto Bigon.

However, for the second half of the season their new coach Jean-Claude Richard loaned him out to English team Walsall, who at that time played in the Football League Second Division, second tier.

Although he had a successful time with them, reaching the Southern Area final in the 1997–98 Football League Trophy and scoring a goal in the second leg, the British club die not pull their buy-out option.

[8] However, in the 2000–01 Nationalliga A season Tholot was mainly being used by head coach Christian Gross as a substitute and so during the winter break he decided to move on.

[10] Following an auspicious coaching debut at Vevey Sports, Tholot was hired by FC Sion of the Swiss first division.

In June 2010, Tholot took on the managerial duties of LB Châteauroux where, in spite of severe financial restrictions, he managed to keep the club in Ligue 2 for three seasons.

[11] During the 2015–16 season, Sion qualified for the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, making it out of the group stage in a pool also including Liverpool, Bordeaux and Rubin Kazan.