Vern Thomsen
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 19, 1940 York County, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | December 16, 2023 (aged 83) Papillion, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1957–1958 | Fairbury |
| 1959–1960 | Peru State |
| 1965 | Lincoln Comets |
| Positions | Tackle, defensive tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1965–1966 | Weeping Water HS (NE) |
| 1967–1971 | Wahoo HS (NE) |
| 1973 | Nebraska Southern |
| 1974–1975 | Ellsworth (assistant) |
| 1976–1982 | Ellsworth |
| 1983–1987 | Northwest Missouri State |
| c. 1988–1990 | Scottsdale (line) |
| 1991–1995 | Iowa Central |
| Track and field | |
| 1973–1974 | Nebraska Southern |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 24–31–1 (college football) 88–38–1 (junior college football) |
| Bowls | 3–1 (junior college) |
| Tournaments | Football 0–1 (NCAA D-II playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 NJCAA National (1976) 4 Iowa Juco (1976–1977, 1979, 1981) 1 MIAA (1984) | |
Vernon Royce Thomsen (March 19, 1940 – December 16, 2023) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri for five seasons, from 1983 to 1987, compiling a record of 24–31–1. Thomsen was the head football coach at three junior colleges, Nebaska Southern College in Fairbury, Nebraska, Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa from 1976 to 1982, and Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa from 1991 to 1995.
Thomsen was born on March 19, 1940, York County, Nebraska to Frederick Wilhelm and Anna Due Thomsen. He graduated in 1957 from Exeter High School in Exeter, Nebraska.[1] He then attended Fairbury Junior College (now part of Southeast Community College) and Peru State Teachers College.[2] In 1970, Thomsen earned a master's degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.[1]
Thomsen spent one season, in 1973, as head football coach Nebraska Southern College, guiding his team to a record of 6–3. He also coached track and field at Nebraska Southern before resigning in 1974.[3] He led his teams at Ellsworth to a record of 56–12–1 in seven seasons and a NJCAA National Football Championship in 1976.[4] He resigned from his post at Northwest Missouri State after a 2–7–1 season in 1987, and went into the real estate business in Phoenix, Arizona. While in Arizona, Thomsen was line coach for the football team at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, Arizona. He returned to Iowa in 1991 as head football coach at Iowa Central.[5] He had a record of 26–23 in five seasons at Iowa Central before resigning after the 1995 season.[6]
Thomsen died on December 16, 2023, at Papillion Manor in Papillion, Nebraska.[1]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | NCAA# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1983–1987) | |||||||||
| 1983 | Northwest Missouri State | 5–6 | 2–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1984 | Northwest Missouri State | 10–2 | 5–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division II First Round | 5 | |||
| 1985 | Northwest Missouri State | 4–6–1 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1986 | Northwest Missouri State | 2–9 | 1–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1987 | Northwest Missouri State | 3–8 | 1–4 | 5th | |||||
| Northwest Missouri State: | 24–31–1 | 11–14 | |||||||
| Total: | 24–31–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Junior college football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | NJCAA# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Southern Bombers (Independent) (1973) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Nebraska Southern | 6–3 | |||||||
| Nebraska Southern: | 6–3 | ||||||||
| Ellsworth Panthers (Iowa Junior College Conference) (1976–1982) | |||||||||
| 1976 | Ellsworth | 9–1 | 7–0 | 1st | L Junior Rose Bowl | ||||
| 1977 | Ellsworth | 9–1 | 8–1 | 1st | 2 | ||||
| 1978 | Ellsworth | 6–3 | 5–3 | 2nd | 4 | ||||
| 1979 | Ellsworth | 10–0 | 8–0 | 1st | W Coca-Cola Bowl | 2 | |||
| 1980 | Ellsworth | 8–2 | 6–2 | 2nd | W Rodeo Bowl | 7 | |||
| 1981 | Ellsworth | 8–2 | 5–1 | 1st | W RC Cola Bowl | 5 | |||
| 1982 | Ellsworth | 6–3–1 | 4–2 | 2nd | |||||
| Ellsworth: | 56–12–1 | 43–9 | |||||||
| Iowa Central Tritons (Iowa Junior College Conference) (1991–1995) | |||||||||
| 1991 | Iowa Central | ||||||||
| 1992 | Iowa Central | ||||||||
| 1993 | Iowa Central | 5–4 | 3–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1994 | Iowa Central | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1995 | Iowa Central | 4–6 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| Iowa Central: | 26–23 | ||||||||
| Total: | 88–38–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ^ a b c "Vernon Royce Thomsen Obituary". Heafey Hoffmann Dworak & Cutler Mortuaries & Cremator. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
- ^ Schrader, Gus (November 10, 1976). "Red Peppers". Cedar Rapids Gazette. p. 43. Retrieved July 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Thomsen Resigns Fairbury Post". Kearney Daily Hub. Kearney, Nebraska. Associated Press. April 24, 1974. p. 8. Retrieved March 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Thomsen to NW Missouri". Waterloo Courier. Waterloo, Iowa. Associated Press. December 8, 1982. p. C1. Retrieved July 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Grett, Wayne (July 24, 1991). "Around Iowa; Iowa Central hires Thomsen". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. p. 2S. Retrieved March 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Iowa Scene; Thomsen leaves Iowa Central". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. January 19, 1996. p. 3S. Retrieved March 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Vern Thomsen". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
- ^ "Ellsworth Community College Football History and Record 1961-2016" (PDF). Ellsworth Community College. p. 31. Retrieved March 6, 2026.