Aric Thomas enters his ninth season as an assistant coach for the Gators in 2026 with the primary responsibility of developing the program’s outfielders and hitters along with spearheading the recruiting efforts.
During Thomas’ eight seasons at UF to date, the Gators have posted a 362-117 (.755) record with five Women’s College World Series appearances, three SEC regular season championships and three SEC Tournament titles.
In 2025, Florida hit .334, a new single-season program record, and slugged 109 home runs, the second-most in a season in program history and most since 2011. The Gators ranked No. 1 in the nation in walks (299) and in the top-10 in the NCAA in hits (566), home runs (109), on-base percentage (.442), RBI (451), slugging percentage (.589), runs (476) and sacrifice flies (26).
Taylor Shumaker, named the 2025 NFCA Freshman of the Year, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in RBI (86), matching the Florida single-season record, which was set by teammate Jocelyn Erickson in 2024.
In center field, Kendra Falby was named the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner for the second season in a row, becoming just the second outfielder in the award's history to earn the prestigious defensive honor twice in their career.
In 2024, the Gators hit .330 with 100 home runs and 520 runs, all best in the SEC by a significant margin. The Gators were one of two teams to hit above the .300 mark (.306, Texas A&M), one of three teams with more than 70 home runs (92, Georgia; 84, Tennessee) and 149 runs ahead of the second-ranked team (Texas A&M, 371). UF’s offense also led the league in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples, walks, sacrifice flies and stolen bases.
Individually, the Gators had four different hitters who combined to lead the SEC in eight offensive categories during 2024: Korbe Otis (batting average, .434; walks, 59), Skylar Wallace (runs, 90; total bases, 152; stolen bases, 37), Kendra Falby (hits, 87) and Jocelyn Erickson (RBI, 86; sacrifice flies, 7).
Since Thomas' arrival in 2018, the Gators have produced multiple NFCA All-American hitters, including Taylor Shumaker, Kendra Falby, Korbe Otis, Skylar Wallace, Charla Echols, Hannah Adams, Amanda Lorenz, Kendyl Lindaman and Nicole DeWitt. The Gators have also had three SEC Player of the Year honorees during Thomas’ tenure, including Jocelyn Erickson (2024), Wallace (2023) and Lorenz (2018). Among that group, Wallace (2024) and Lorenz (2018) have also taken home SEC Tournament MVP honors.
Thomas, a highly respected name in the collegiate baseball realm, comes to the Gators softball program with 22 years of coaching experience. Most recently, Thomas spent four seasons with the University of Tennessee baseball program as their assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, UT made the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament in three consecutive seasons (2014-16) for the first time since 1995-97.
In 2016, Thomas’ first year running the offense, he coached Tennessee to the top of the SEC leader board and into the national ranks. The Vols stole an SEC-leading 95 bases and ranked 17th in the country in stolen bases per game. Tennessee was also the only SEC team to have three players record more than 50 RBI.
As the recruiting coordinator for the Volunteers, he helped orchestrate four Top-15 signing classes and the development of 18 Major League Baseball (MLB) draftees. That includes recent draftees such as Jordan Rodgers (2017 – Atlanta Braves – 6th Round), All-American Nick Senzel (2016 – Cincinnati Reds – 1st Round & 2nd Overall) and Christian Stewart (2015 – Detroit Tigers – 1st Round & 34th Overall).
Overall, Thomas has had a hand in the development of 97 MLB draftees in which 35 were selected in the first 10 rounds and six in the first round alone. Of those 97 players, 20 went on to make Major League Baseball rosters, which includes notable standouts such as Chase Utley, Jon Gray, Reggie Willis, Reed Johnson and Gregg Dobbs.
Prior to his arrival in Knoxville, Thomas spent two stints at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, as a volunteer assistant (1996-2001), assistant coach (2002-03 & 2011-13) and as the coordinator of baseball operations (2003-04).
While on OU’s staff, Thomas helped guide the program to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, two Super Regionals, two Big 12 Conference Championships and the program’s first conference tournament championship in 18 years with the 1997 Big 12 Conference Tournament title. During his coaching career in Oklahoma, Thomas had a hand in instructing 18 All-Americans, 11 all-district honorees and 20 first team all-conference selections.
Sandwiched between his two stops at OU, Thomas served as the head coach for the Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Baseball League during the summer of 2004 and at Eastern Oklahoma State College (2004-11). In his one season as the head coach for the Oilers, Thomas was named the Alaska Baseball League Coach of the Year after he led his team to a 26-18 record.
While at Eastern Oklahoma, Thomas was not only at the helm of the baseball program but he also served as the institution’s assistant athletic director from 2005-08 and as the athletic director from 2008-11.
During the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Thomas led the Mountaineers to back-to-back NJCAA Region II Championships and was named Region II Coach of the Year. The Riverside, Calif., native also had the Eastern Oklahoma baseball program ranked inside the NJCAA Top 25 for six out of his seven seasons with five squads ranking inside the top 15. In his fourth season at the helm, his 2008 squad went on to record a program record 41 wins.
He went on to finish his tenure with a 237-159-1 record and had a hand in guiding 70 student-athletes from Eastern Oklahoma to four-year universities or with the MLB.
In 1998 and 1999, Thomas was an assistant with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 1998, the Whitecaps were recognized as the Eastern Division Champions with a 26-16-1 record.
The familiarity between Walton and Thomas goes much deeper than just sharing an alma mater. The duo were actually teammates at OU during the 1994-95 seasons. During those two seasons, the Sooners made back-to-back trips to the College World Series (CWS) and won the program’s second national championship at the 1994 CWS.
In the 1994 championship game, Walton picked up the win after 2.1 innings of relief work on the mound and Thomas helped provide the run support for Oklahoma to clinch the title. From the leadoff spot in the lineup, Thomas led the team with three hits (3-for-5) to go along with three runs scored and one RBI in the 13-5 win over Georgia Tech.
Thomas finished his career with the Sooners as an All-Big Eight First Team selection (1995), NCAA All-Midwest II Regional Team selection (1995) and was an All-Big Eight Scholar Athlete (1994). His 61 career stolen bases still ranks sixth overall in the OU record books and also stands fourth among single-season leaders with 38 stolen bases in 1995.
Prior to arriving at Oklahoma, Thomas was a First Team Junior College All-American at Riverside Community College in 1993 and set school records for hits and stolen bases in a single game and stolen bases recorded in a single season.
Academically, Thomas holds an Associate’s of Arts degree from Riverside Community College (1993), a Bachelor’s of Arts in Marketing from Oklahoma (1995) and a Master’s of Science in Professional Studies in Education from Capella University (2005).
Thomas and his wife, Julie, have two children, Chloe and Brett.
Thomas Coaching Timeline
| 2017-present |
Florida Softball |
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator |
| 2013-17 |
Tennessee Baseball |
Assistant Coach |
| 2011-13 |
Oklahoma Baseball |
Assistant Coach |
| 2004-11 |
Eastern Oklahoma State College |
Head Coach |
| 2004 |
Peninsula Oilers (Alaska Baseball League) |
Head Coach |
| 2003-04 |
Oklahoma Baseball |
Coordinator of Baseball Operations |
| 2002-03 |
Oklahoma Baseball |
Assistant Coach |
| 1996-2001 |
Oklahoma Baseball |
Volunteer Assistant |
| 1998-99 |
Brewster Whitecaps (Cape Cod Baseball League) |
Assistant Coach |
