He attended Plano High School where he played on the 1971 state championship team.
Thomas began his coaching career with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League in 1983.
He then moved to the National Football League to be a coach of the Houston Oilers until 1992.
Thomas started coaching at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Buffalo New York in 2006.
One student of specific note to Thomas was Naaman Roosevelt, who went on to break the record for most touchdown passes in a single season in western New York, and to play receiver at the University of Buffalo.