09/21/2026
Thomas named inaugural Women’s Flag Football coach at RCSJ-Gloucester: 🏈🔥🏈🔥
BY BRIAN TORTELLA
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Chris Thomas had an itch that needed to be scratched.
And the leader of the Pitman football rebuild couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a head coach again— this time at the collegiate level.
Thomas will be the inaugural head women’s flag football coach at Rowan College of South Jersey’s Gloucester Campus, athletic director Brian Rowan announced on Monday.
Thomas previously served as the head football coach at his Alma Mater Pitman High School for 11 seasons before stepping down earlier this year. One of the toughest moments of his tenure came when low participation numbers forced the Panthers to fold their varsity program for a year in 2017. Thomas was pivotal in rebuilding the program to field a competitive varsity team. His best season came in 2024, when the Panthers finished 8-2.
“It’s an understatement to say I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this program in its first season,” said Thomas, a 2003 Pitman graduate. “To start a program from the ground up is always a tremendous opportunity, but when you consider the talent and resources that we have here, I can’t overstate how excited I am to get this thing started. We have the ability to be special, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish.”
According to Rowan, Thomas elevated himself above other candidates due to his knowledge of building a program, and his experience at Pitman was more than enough to positively attract Rowan’s attention.
"Chris stood out to us because this position requires more than someone who can coach football," Rowan said in a press release. “We needed someone who could build a program. Chris has demonstrated that throughout his career. He understands how to develop athletes, create a culture, and get people excited about being part of something. His leadership, football knowledge, and ties to South Jersey make him a great fit to become the first head coach of our Women's Flag Football program."
Women's Flag Football will become the 17th varsity sport offered at RCSJ-Gloucester and will begin competition during the Spring 2027 semester.
A West Virginia University alum, Thomas is currently an assistant with the Haddonfield football program under head coach Frank DeLano while still teaching special education at Pitman. Thomas says he still plans on remaining at Haddonfield in the fall.
Thomas will immediately begin assembling the inaugural Roadrunners roster, developing the program's identity and building relationships with high school coaches and prospective student-athletes throughout South Jersey and the surrounding region.
“We can take this program as far as we want from that standpoint," said Thomas. “It's pretty well known that in this area, we have some of the best athletes in the country right here in our midst. We can capitalize on all of the excitement being generated nationwide about flag football, get our local athletes here involved, and then take it all the way to a national championship.”
