Fishers High School

Bill Thomas has been an assistant coach in the Fishers High School girls’ basketball program for the past nine seasons and a fixture on a court somewhere the past 29 seasons. Since 2017, Thomas has been a key assistant to Lauren Votaw, although he served as interim head coach for 12 games this past season when Votaw and her husband, Jeremy, stepped away to adopt a child. “When Lauren told Bill that we were considering adopting a second baby, he told her he would do whatever was necessary to allow that to happen,” Jeremy Votaw said in nominating Thomas. “On top of that, Bill and his wife (Christi) organized a fundraiser to help with our adoption expenses. “Our daughter was born in Texas three days before Thanksgiving. Bill stepped in as our head coach from then until mid-January without blinking. He knew from the beginning that this would mean taking on additional responsibilities. Bill’s selflessness gave our family the stability we needed to commit to a second adoption, and it gave our coaches and players the stability they needed to continue through the middle of the season in Lauren’s absence.” With his variety of coaching experience, Thomas was prepared for the lead role. He was an IUPUI women’s basketball student assistant from 1997-99, assisted the girls’ team at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida in 1999-2000 and was an IUPUI full-time women’s assistant from 2000-02. He also was the Hamilton High School boys’ head coach in 2002-03, a DeKalb girls’ assistant from 2003-06, a Carroll (Fort Wayne) girls’ assistant from 2006-11 and a Blackhawk Christian girls’ assistant in 2011-12. He coached elementary and school-based girls’ travel teams starting in 2013, then returned to the high school girls’ game as an assistant to Votaw in 2017. During his tenure, he was a part of teams that won six sectionals and helped Fishers to a Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2023. “As a teacher and coach, I encourage my students and athletes to surround themselves with people who bring out the best in them,” Lauren Votaw said. “Undoubtedly, Bill Thomas does that for everyone he encounters at Fishers High School.” Jeremy Votaw alluded to a coaching maxim that states that the players won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. “Bill leaves no doubt that he cares about our players, starting with the day they walk into our gym and continuing after they graduate,” he said. “The first thing you notice about Bill is that he never stops being a dad, regardless of what’s happening or who’s around. That shows through the ways he connects with our girls and the ways he protects and serves them. “When third-graders arrive for the first day of summer camp, Bill introduces them like he’s the P.A. announcer at a Pacers’ game. He has inside jokes with our middle school players. He teases our high school players about how they’re doing in class. It makes them laugh, but, more importantly, it makes them know that he notices them and he cares about them when they’re not playing basketball.” Thomas is a 1991 graduate of Franklin Central, where he played basketball, tennis and baseball. He was a part of a Flashes’ basketball team that won the 1991 Marion County Tournament while playing for Mark James. Thomas went on to Purdue University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public relations in 1995. He then earned a second bachelor’s degree in English education from IUPUI In 1998. He has worked in education at Hamilton High School (2002-03), DeKalb High School (2003-05), Brooks School Elementary School (2016-17), Fall Creek Intermediate School (2017-19) and Fishers High School (2019 to present). He currently teaches health & wellness and freshman seminar, and he previously has taught English, English for New Learners and assisted with developmental preschool and special education. Thomas was recognized with a Fall Creek Intermediate Staff Person of the Year Award in 2019, multiple selections to the Hamilton Southeastern district’s Educator Honor Roll and the 2026 Fishers Tigers Legacy Award. From 2005-16, he was a stay-at-home father while operating a stone and glass engraving business, Making Memories Engraving, which created memorials for veterans, churches and custom engravings. Thomas also has served the community throughout the years. He currently volunteers with the Good Samaritan Network in Hamilton County and served as a small-group leader at Northview Church. An advanced master gardener learned through Purdue, he previously led the construction of a community garden as a member of Pathway Community Church in Fort Wayne. In 2010, he served on a Christian mission trip to the Dominican Republic that featured a youth basketball clinic. Darren Simms, a fellow teacher at Fishers, said Thomas has become one of the most trusted adults at the high school because he is someone who prioritizes relationships and student well-being. “Bill has a unique ability to mentor students who may feel disconnected from school, helping them develop confidence, accountability and a sense of belonging,” Simms said. “His classroom is a welcoming space where students regularly choose to arrive 30 minutes before school simply to talk, seek advice or start their day in a positive environment.” Thomas stepped down from his Fishers’ coaching position at the end of 2025-26, so he and Christi have more time to watch their daughters – Kate, a sophomore basketball player at Grace College, and Natalie, a Fishers senior who plans to play at Bethel University – in their college careers. “Bill has left a lasting impact on the FHS girls’ basketball program.” Lauren Votaw said. “His mentorship of me as a head coach, passion for leading a program with integrity and desire for excellence will be pillars of our program long after Bill retires.”