Drew Thomas joined the UCF baseball staff in June 2023 as the pitching coach.
In his first season of coaching at UCF, Thomas helped lead the Knights to a 37-21 overall record and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 with a trip to the 2024 NCAA Tallahassee Regional. Thomas also helped UCF win six Big 12 Conference series in the program's first year in the league to finish eighth with a 14-15 conference mark, as well as to a deep run at the 2024 Big 12 Championship by going 2-1 and reaching the semifinal round.
Thomas also helped six Knights earn All-Big 12 Conference postseason honors, which included four pitchers, as well as junior left-hander Dominic Castellano receive ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I Southeast All-Region Second Team accolades—UCF’s first pitcher to be named All-Region since 2017. Thomas helped four more Knights earn CSC Academic All-District accolades.
As the team's pitching coach, Thomas helped the Knight pitching staff improve its team ERA by well over a point during his first season—from a 5.80 team ERA in 2023 to a 4.43 team ERA in 2024. The 4.43 ERA also marked the second-best ERA in the Big 12 Conference and the 20th-best ERA in the nation. He also helped the team’s WHIP improve from 1.55 a season ago to 1.28 this season—which marked the second-best WHIP in the Big 12 and also ranked 10th nationally.
Thomas spent 16 years with Coastal Carolina--including a 2016 College World Series title--then worked as pitching coach for Brewers affiliate Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League in 2023 after a season in the same role with the franchise's Carolina Mudcats team in the Carolina League in 2022.
In addition to the 2016 CWS crown, Thomas' Coastal Carolina coaching resume includes 11 NCAA Championship regional appearances, three super regionals, nine conference regular-season championships and nine conference championship tournament titles.
His pitching staffs finished among the NCAA top 40 in ERA eight times, including three top-10 finishes (10th in 2009, eighth in 2010, third in 2012). Coastal ranked among the NCAA top 15 in fewest hits allowed per nine innings four times (12th in 2009 and 2011, seventh in 2010, eighth in 2012). His teams led the conference in ERA six times (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016), strikeouts seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019) and saves five times (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016).
His work helped produce 13 Major League Baseball draft picks, including current Major Leaguer Keith Hessler, fifth-rounder Pete Andrelczyk, fifth-rounder Cody Wheeler, second-rounder Anthony Meo, fourth-rounder Josh Conway, 10th rounder Anthony Veneziano and third-rounder Zach McCambley.
He mentored eight All-Americans (Bobby Gagg in 2007, Cody Wheeler in 2009 and 2010, Nick McCully in 2009, Anthony Meo in 2010, Matt Rein in 2011, Aaron Burke in 2012, Andrew Beckwith in 2016 and Alex Cunningham in 2017). He coached the conference pitcher of the year six times (Bobby Gagg in 2007, Cody Wheeler in 2009, Anthony Meo in 2010, Matt Rein in 2011, Aaron Burke in 2012, Andrew Beckwith in 2016).
In 2016 when Coastal Carolina won the CWS, Thomas' pitching staff led by Andrew Beckwith and first-team All-American Mike Morrison paced the Chants. Beckwith was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player as well as the Big South's Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year and Big South Pitcher of the Year. He led the NCAA in wins (15, a Coastal record) and he ranked 16th in the NCAA with a 1.85 ERA.
Thomas came to Coastal Carolina from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he had worked since 2003. He was the roving pitching instructor for the Florida Collegiate Instructional League and also was the pitching coach for the Pendleton Academy. From 2001-02, Thomas was a private pitching instructor in Springfield, Illinois, and head coach of the Mason County Legion in Springfield.
Thomas pitched in the San Diego Padres organization in 1998-99 and played for the Canton Crocodiles of the Frontier League in 1999-2000. He was the 2000 Frontier League Relief Pitcher of the Year, a Frontier League All-Star and a second-team Baseball America All-Independent team member.
Thomas graduated from Illinois State University, where he earned a degree in history.