Greg Thrasher is in his second season as a member of the SWOSU Football coaching staff and he will again coach defensive backs for the Bulldogs in 2016.
In his first season, Thrasher helped mold a defensive secondary that ranked fourth in the Great American Conference in pass defense (204.4 yards per game) with 13 interceptions. SWOSU finished the year with an 8-4 record, placing second in the Great American Conference to earn a berth in the Live United Texarkana Bowl, the program’s first-ever NCAA postseason contest.
Anchoring the defensive backfield in 2015 was First Team All-GAC and All-Region III selection Trevon Hartfield, who set a new single-season school and GAC record with 25 passes defended (20 breakups, 5 interceptions). Following the 2015 season, Hartfield was selected to compete in Dream Bowl IV, an all-star event in Virginia Beach, and he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals.
Thrasher came to SWOSU after three seasons at Abilene Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas, where he served as the Wide Receivers Coach under Head Coach Todd Moebes. While with the Cougars, Thrasher assisted on a team that won two Bi-District Championships, one Area Championship and advanced to the Texas State High School Playoffs in 2013.
Before starting his coaching career, Thrasher held various positions after graduation from the United States Naval Academy. He played cornerback and free safety for Navy from 2004-07, earning two varsity letters and starting 15 of 20 career games. In his senior season, Thrasher made a career-high 10 tackles in a 46-44 triple overtime victory over Notre Dame, Navy’s first win over the Fighting Irish since 1963. Navy also retained the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy during each of his four seasons with victories over Air Force and Army in each season.
A native of Carrollton, Texas, Thrasher was a National Prep Star coming out of Newman Smith HS, where he played football and ran track. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the United States Naval Academy in 2008 and he is now pursuing a master’s degree in Sports Management from SWOSU.
