Coach Thatcher Joins SEARK Basketball Staff

Coach Thatcher takes the reigns of the Southeast Arkansas College Women's basketball team as the head coach and is the new assistant Men's basketball coach.

Coach Thatcher is no stranger to this; over his career, he has served as both head coach and assistant coach for both the men's and women's collegiate basketball teams throughout the country. As the Head women's basketball coach at Trinity Baptist of Jacksonville (FL), Coach Thatcher also served as the assistant men's coach recruiting coordinator, the women's and men's coach at Brewton Parker College (GA), the assistant women's basketball coach at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FL), the Assistant women's coach at Warner University (FL), the Head men's basketball coach at Florida National University (FL) (which launched the women's basketball program at FNU), and the Head coach at Grays Harbor College (WA), Bryant Stratton College (NY), and Southwest Virginia Community College (VA). 

According to others, his experience coaching both men and women has placed him with other coaches who have assumed this job in recent years at the university, junior college, and NAIA levels of college basketball. Additionally, coaching small college athletics teaches you that you can wear numerous hats throughout your career, which makes coaching the best career opportunity in life. According to former coworkers and coaches, coach Thatcher is a tireless recruiter who knows how to completely revamp a program in light of the shifting collegiate scene (Transfer Portal & NIL). When asked who influenced you most, he responded by replying, this is cutthroat business, so you find out who your friends are really quick (Cliff Clinkscales Head Professional Coach KW Titans) Chris Wright (Head Coach Langston University) (Preston Ingram Head Coach Maryville University) (Maureen Smith Head Coach Palm  Beach State College) (Tae Norwood Head Coach Palm Beach State College) (Desmond Frazier College Referee) ( Chase Teichmann Head Coach Georgia Gwinnett College) ( Teresa & Bill Bollinger Adopted Family) ( Art Pilin Alvarez CEO / President Miami Prep) ( Ken Wilcox CEO / President Prestige Worldwide Academy) this group of coaches, basketball personal and family that took me in our the ones who have been by myside on this basketball journey along with helping we stay in the business doing what I love most coaching and building programs. 

Coach Thatcher arrives at Southeast Arkansas College with over 100 career wins, national tournament appearances and national title. To highlight it all the opportunities when coach Thatcher was able to coach against  Team USA Women's National Gold Medal Team (HC: Dawn Staley) (Players: Sylvia Fowles, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Skylar Diggins), along with that high light was coaching against the Senior Men's Bahamas National Team in a 95-91 loss exhibition game to prepare for the 2022 Qualifying Olympics.


I look forward to coaching these young men and women, and helping Coach Kline lead the men's and women's basketball teams to the NJCAA Region 2 Championship and National Tournament.

Athletic Director and Head Men's Basketball Coach Chad Kline expressed his excitement about the hire, stating, "Coach Thatcher brings a wealth of experience, energy, and knowledge to our basketball programs. His background at multiple levels of college basketball will be a tremendous asset as we continue building competitive men's and women's teams here at SEARK."