Cass High School announced that Matt Thompson will be taking over as head baseball coach this fall. Thompson has deep roots in Cass, exemplified by the football stadium named after his grandfather Doug Cochran. Thompson graduated from CHS in 2005 and has served as the Colonels’ assistant coach for the past 9 years.
He told WBHF that he’s excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead the program. He said that he aims to leave an impact on the players’ lives on and off the field.
“Even if they make it to the Major Leagues and become Hall of Fame baseball players – which would be great – they’re still not gonna play baseball their entire lives,” Thompson said. “There’s gonna be time after they’re done where they’re gonna need a good foundation of tools to be successful.”
Thompson said that he hopes to carry on former head coach Tim Ayers’ balance of pushing players while also showing that he cares. He also noted that Ayers allowed assistants like Thompson to come into their own as coaches.
The Cass baseball team reached the state playoffs this spring under the direction of coach Ayers, and Thompson said that he wants to keep growing from that experience to become one of the top programs in the county.