Get to know new Henderson County baseball head coach Ted Thompson
Henderson County baseball's run to the Kentucky state tournament semifinals this spring was similar to Tecumseh's run to Indiana's Class A state championship in 2022.
Both teams endured three-game losing streaks toward the end of their regular seasons. Then they turned it up a notch in the postseason before falling to eventual state champions. Ted Thompson was the head coach for that Tecumseh team, and Henderson County announced Thursday evening he will fill that same role for the Colonels.
Thompson compiled a 96-54 record in his six-year tenure with Tecumseh before resigning last month. The Braves won back-to-back regional titles during his first two seasons, followed by another sectional title in 2021. He aims to keep the success going on the other side of the Ohio River.
"It's an extreme honor," Thompson said. "One of the goals that I had was to be in a really nice program, and the administration and (the) athletic director (Mark Andrews) have given me the opportunity here at Henderson. And I'm excited about it."
"The Henderson County High School baseball team has a great tradition and we strongly believe that Coach Thompson is the right choice to develop the players and take the program to the next level," Andrews added in a press release.
Thompson, a 1991 Princeton Community High School graduate, has coached at various levels for nearly 30 years. He served as an assistant at Vincennes University as well as at Castle and Vincennes Lincoln. He also was a professional scout for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates before heading back to Southwestern Indiana.
Eventually, he found a home with Tecumseh. He cherished the relationships he built at the school and around Lynnville just as much as the run to the state championship.
"I built a large number of relationships in that community," Thompson said. "That really means something to me."
Thompson has enjoyed his conversations with former Henderson County coach Adam Hines over the last month. He knows Hines is someone he can always turn to for advice. Hines stepped down after six seasons in mid-June to prioritize his health but will continue to teach physical education and health at the school.
"Coach Hines has done an unbelievable job with the program," Thompson said. "What I'm going to do is continue to do things in a successful manner the way that (he) did it. It's just been a pleasure meeting him. He's just a quality human being."
The first order of business for Thompson is getting to know his new players and their parents as he establishes a relationship with his new community. There's plenty of positive energy surrounding the program after the team's magical run to Lexington.
The Colonels graduated eight seniors from this past season but carry over experience in some key positions. While the new season is still over eight months away, Thompson is excited about what could be a bright future.
"We're going to try and build on the success that they had last year," Thompson said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. There's a lot of excitement around the program, so it's a good time to be a part of the program."
Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.
This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Henderson County hires Ted Thompson as new baseball head coach
