June 7, 2005

AUBURN - Butch Thompson, an assistant coach at Georgia for the past four seasons, has been named as an assistant coach for the Auburn baseball team, Head Coach Tom Slater announced today. Thompson replaces Chris Finwood, who has been hired as the head coach at Western Kentucky.

"We are very excited to add Coach Thompson to our staff," Slater said. "He brings eight years of experience from the state of Alabama as well as head coaching experience, which is very important to me. He led the recruiting at Georgia, which led them to a SEC Championship and a College World Series appearance. He is a quality baseball man and a quality person. We are thrilled to be adding someone with his character to our baseball staff."

Thompson, a native of Amory, Miss., served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2002-05 for the Bulldogs and will focus on recruiting while also coordinating the defense, working with outfielders, infielders and catchers for the Tigers.

"My family and I are so excited to be returning to the state of Alabama," Thompson said. "People make the difference and Tom Slater knocked my socks off when I had a chance to meet him. His energy and the desire of the staff he has already put together is what attracted me. I think I have been blessed every place that I have been and this is a great place with a great facility. I am just glad to be a part of it. This is where my heart is now."

During his time at Georgia, Thompson guided a pitching staff that helped win the SEC Championship and earn a College World Series berth in 2004. The 2004 pitching staff posted the third-lowest opponent batting average in school history while also collecting a school-record 17 saves. During his time in Athens he coached two All-SEC pitchers, a Freshman All-American and had two of his players sign free agent contracts with major league baseball clubs.

Thompson, 34, joined the Bulldog staff in July 2001, after seven years as an assistant on Brian Shoop's staff at Birmingham Southern (BSC), including the last four as the pitching coach. The Panthers captured the 2001 NAIA World Series and compiled a 55-11 record.

During his tenure at BSC, the Panthers made four appearances in the NAIA World Series (1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and amassed a record of 331-107.

Thompson's final BSC pitching staff featured a pair of 2001 professional draft picks in Mike Nickoli, a fourth round selection of the California Angels, and Seth Bobbitt, a 28th-round pick of the Houston Astros. 

Thompson began his coaching career at Huntingdon College in 1993, serving as the Hawks' pitching coach and head assistant. He returned to BSC in 1994 before serving as head coach at Jefferson State Community College in 1997, leading them to a 39-21 record and capturing the AJCAA Region 22 State Championship and a third place finish in the NJCAA Division II World Series. It was the first World Series appearance in the school's history. For his accomplishments, Thompson was named Regional Tournament Coach of the Year, ABCA Alabama Junior College Coach of the Year, and Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

A 1992 graduate of BSC, he earned a bachelor's degree in history and in 1996 completed a masters degree in sports administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Thompson pitched at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss., before playing his final two seasons at Birmingham-Southern.

Thompson is married to the former Robin Ashe of Birmingham, Ala. They have three daughters, Anna (6) and Olivia (4) and Madelyn Gail, born April 5, 2005.