'I never wanted to overstay.' Southeast boys coach Lawrence Thomas hangs up whistle

Southeast boys basketball can measure its history in pre-LT and post-LT.

Before coach Lawrence Thomas, the Spartans won just one Central State Eight Conference title — 2002-03 when they tied Lincoln at 13-1 under coach Rick Montooth.

Since LT took the helm in 2008, Southeast has seven more: three outright and four ties.

Southeast also has added quite a bit of hardware to its school trophy case: six regional titles, three sectional championships and one Class 3A runner-up state tournament finish in 2018.

But now it’s time for someone else to uphold the new standard set by Thomas after he announced his resignation on Tuesday after 16 seasons and a 299-154 record, a 66% winning percentage.

“It’s time. I never wanted to overstay my welcome. I always appreciated ... the opportunity in the first place,” LT said on Tuesday. “I wanted to take it, run with it, try to do it in a first-class way and let the kids have fun. I think the goal has been fulfilled and now it’s time for someone else to take the mantle.”

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Thomas was The State Journal-Register's Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 school year.

Thomas made his mark on the CS8 quickly, beating Lincoln in an outright conference game 61-60 on a last-second shot by Lawrence Thomas II. It was Southeast’s first time as the solo CS8 champs.

Southeast — and LT — proved it was no fluke the following season when, after an 0-2 start in league play, the Spartans reeled off 12-straight wins in the conference to tie Lincoln for the conference title.

Southeast had joined Lanphier and Lincoln as the conference’s preeminent powers.

LT was an unorthodox coach — by his own admission — but it worked for him, and he took pride in finding his own path.

“I could not have even tried to do it any other way but my way,” Thomas said. “That was the only way I knew, and I didn’t know everything to start with. I had to trust my gut with a lot of things.

“More importantly than trusting my gut was humbling myself enough to know when to get out of my way and when to let the kids take it on. That worked out a lot more often than you would’ve thought.”

It was special for Thomas, 64, to succeed at Southeast. While he went to Springfield High, he grew up not far from the school on Ash Street. His three older siblings went there.

Thomas credits his success to his players and two longtime assistants — Larry Hale and ReChad Bradley, who were more confidants than just coaches. He also hired former Jacksonville girls coach Jeannette Barlow as his most recent right-hand assistant.

Thomas also charmed even his biggest rivals into friendships. Lincoln’s coach Neil Alexander and Lanphier’s Blake Turner both had good relationships with LT. When Lincoln left the CS8 for the Apollo in 2017 — only to come back last year — Thomas and Southeast presented Alexander and Lincoln with a going-away farewell gift. When Lincoln’s Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium floor was named for Alexander, Thomas came to watch.

“He won most of them so no wonder he likes me,” Alexander joked about LT after Lincoln’s CS8 finale in 2017.

Southeast and Lanphier have Springfield’s bitterest rivalry. But the two coaches were often seen sharing meals in hospitality rooms, laughs before games and warm handshakes after City Tournament wins.

Thomas and Turner showed up together to applaud Sacred Heart-Griffin for becoming the first boys basketball state champion from the CS8 in 2022.

“I know everybody knows about the rivalry and how big of rivals that we are ... but before our rivalry, he’s been a mentor to me since before I started coaching,” Turner said of Thomas.

“He’s been a coach to me, he’s coached me on how to be a better coach through the mentoring process and ultimately, through all that, we’ve become friends.”

Turner said he will truly miss Thomas.

“I’m going to miss the conversations that we had: his wisdom and his wittiness,” Turner said. “I like to think I’m one of those coaches who got him out of his comfort zone.

“LT’s not a big hugger and I’m one of those guys like that. I know he hates when people hug him but every time I see him, I make sure to hug him and mess with him. LT’s a funny guy.”

Thomas said he isn’t retiring; he will continue working security at Southeast. He also will still be a fixture near basketball courts.

“I’ll find somewhere to be,” Thomas said. “I’ll always find me some games. I’ll be in someone’s gym.”

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Southeast eyes new boys basketball coach after Lawrence Thomas resigns