Off topic- Prominent high school football coach in Iowa shot to death

[Da Coach]

This is not something we see happen often in small-town Iowa-

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x488810803/Iowa-prep-football-coach-fatally-shot-in-school

[DannyCooksey]

This is the coach from one of the communities devasted by a tornado last summer. This coach's house was destroyed. His 1st priority was to his team and the high school. They had to rebuild the field in time for the opening of the season in September. The field is named after the coach.

He has produced several NFL players over the years in a very small town. This small community has had an inordinate amount of tragedy in just a year's time. Very sad. Speculation is that it was a disgruntled former player that pulled the trigger.

[DUBulldog]

There's an MVC basketball connection to this tragic story. Coach Thomas' son, Aaron, played 4 years for Kurt Kanaskie at Drake in the late 90's-early 00's.

[DannyCooksey]

There's an MVC basketball connection to this tragic story. Coach Thomas' son, Aaron, played 4 years for Kurt Kanaskie at Drake in the late 90's-early 00's.

Given how beloved and respected this coach was i would guess it will be extremely difficult to find any semblence of an impartial jury. I saw an article that said the shooter has a brother who will be a senior player on the team this fall.

[PTTB]

Extremely sad day in the Cedar Valley. Parkersburg is about 10 miles from Cedar Falls. What a terrible tragedy. By all accounts Ed Thomas was a standup man who taught his athletes class and a winning attitude (not just for sports, but for life). Per the tv report, the gunman's father and Ed were deacons together at the same church, and the son had been having some difficulties for a while. I guess Ed had even prayed with the gunman's father for his son. It's pretty unreal.

There is a thread at PN about this story. I guess the vigil is on ESPNews currently (or was). On PN there is a poster who's husband lived with the shooter for a while. It's interesting info on a sad day.

http://www.panthernation.com/showthread.php?t=25509

[DoubleJayAlum]

There's an MVC basketball connection to this tragic story. Coach Thomas' son, Aaron, played 4 years for Kurt Kanaskie at Drake in the late 90's-early 00's.

Current Creighton assistant (and former UNI player) Darian DeVries is from that town and played QB under the coach. The victim was DeVries' coaching mentor. They just showed an interview taped earlier in the day and DeVries couldn't talk without getting all choked up.

Here's an Omaha World Herald article about the whole thing: http://omaha.com/article/20090624/SPORTS02/706249838

[Fyrebyrd]

Current Creighton assistant (and former UNI player) Darian DeVries is from that town and played QB under the coach. The victim was DeVries' coaching mentor. They just showed an interview taped earlier in the day and DeVries couldn't talk without getting all choked up.

Here's an Omaha World Herald article about the whole thing: http://omaha.com/article/20090624/SPORTS02/706249838

He wouldn't be related to the player from the Lions with the same last name is he? (I didn't click the link which probably provides such answer.)

Ya, just read the article..interesting.

Still, a very sad event for someone of such positive stature to a community and the nation.

[DoubleJayAlum]

He wouldn't be related to the player from the Lions with the same last name is he? (I didn't click the link which probably provides such answer.)

Yes, they are brothers.