Glenn Thomas

Glenn Thomas is in his second season at Nebraska in 2025. Thomas has more than two decades of college and NFL coaching experience and serves as Nebraska’s quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator.

 

Thomas’ impressive resume includes five seasons working with Matt Rhule at Temple and Baylor. In each of those stops, Thomas and Rhule developed record-setting quarterbacks in Temple’s P.J. Walker and Baylor’s Charlie Brewer. 

 

Overall, Thomas is in his 17th seasons as a collegiate coach, serving at the coordinator level in 11 of those seasons. He has eight seasons of experience on NFL staffs and was influential in the development of NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan.

In his first season at Nebraska in 2024, Thomas helped Dylan Raiola become the first true freshman quarterback in Husker history to win a bowl game. Raiola set three Nebraska freshman passing records in 2024.

 

NEBRASKA (2024)
2024: Thomas helped true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola have a productive first year in Lincoln in 2024. Raiola started all 13 games while becoming the first true freshman quarterback in Nebraska history to lead his team to a bowl victory. He completed 275-of-410 passes (67.1 percent) for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns. Raiola set Nebraska freshman records for completions, completion percentage and passing yards. Overall, Raiola ranked third on Nebraska's season completion percentage chart and seventh on NU's season passing list.

Nationally, Raiola was one of the top freshmen quarterbacks in 2024. A semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award, Raiola led all FBS freshmen and ranked 14th nationally in completion percentage. He also led all true freshmen and ranked third among all freshmen in passing yards.

BEFORE NEBRASKA
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Thomas came to Lincoln after one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023. Thomas served as an offensive assistant, helping the Steelers to an appearance in the AFC playoffs. 

ARIZONA STATE: Before spending the 2023 season in Pittsburgh, Thomas was Arizona State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022. He oversaw a rushing attack that saw Xavier Valladay notch the 10th-best rushing mark in school history with 1,192 yards and 16 touchdowns. Additionally, under Thomas’ tutelage, quarterbacks Trenton Bourget broke the ASU record for single-season completion percentage at 71.4 percent.

UNLV: Thomas was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UNLV in 2020 and 2021. He helped lead the Rebels to several historical accomplishments during that time, including helping running back Charles Williams break the program’s career rushing record and earn first-team All-Mountain West honors. In both of Thomas’ seasons at UNLV he contributed to the development of the Mountain West Freshman of the Year. In 2020, wide receiver Kyle Williams achieved the honor, while quarterback Cameron Friel earned the award in 2021. Friel broke the school record for season completion percentage by a freshman, connecting on 62.4 percent of his passes.

BAYLOR: Thomas was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Baylor from 2017 to 2019, assisting in transforming the program. In 2019 the Bears went 11-2 with a No. 7 ranking and a Sugar Bowl appearance. During Thomas’ three years in Waco, quarterback Charlie Brewer developed into one of the top quarterbacks in school history, throwing 69 touchdowns in three seasons and being named a semifinalist for the 2019 Davey O’Brien Award.

TEMPLE: Thomas worked with Rhule at Temple in 2015 and 2016. In two years with the Owls, one as quarterbacks coach and the second as offensive coordinator, Thomas helped the program post the school’s first back-to-back 10-win seasons and bowl berths and capture the 2016 American Athletic Conference title. The 2016 offense averaged 413.6 yards and 32.4 points per game under Thomas’ direction. As quarterbacks coach in 2015, Thomas mentored junior QB P.J. Walker, who threw for 3,295 yards and 22 touchdowns.

ATLANTA FALCONS: Before his time at Temple, Thomas spent seven seasons in the NFL from 2008 to 2014. He was the Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach for three seasons after being promoted from offensive assistant. During the three seasons when Thomas guided quarterback Matt Ryan, the former first-round pick threw for more than 4,500 yards and 26 touchdowns in each campaign. Ryan earned Pro Bowl honors after the 2012 and 2014 seasons and cemented himself as the best quarterback in franchise history.

In 2012, Ryan set franchise single-season highs in passing yards (4,719), touchdown passes (32) and completion percentage (68.6). Atlanta’s offense also featured perennial Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Julio Jones at wide receiver, Michael Turner at running back and legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez, an NFL Hall of Famer.

MIDWESTERN STATE: Thomas started his full-time college coaching career at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas, from 2001 to 2007. As a graduate assistant coaching wide receivers from 2001-04, the Mustangs won the Lone Star North Division Championship in his first season. Thomas oversaw the school’s passing game and quarterbacks in the 2004 campaign and helped guide MSU to its first NCAA Division II playoff appearance in school history. Thomas transformed MSU’s offense into a powerhouse while serving as coordinator from 2005-07. During his final season, the Mustang offense led the nation in total offense (550.0 yards per game) and rushing yards per game (317.0).

During his time at Midwestern State, he spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason. He assisted with wide receivers and quarterbacks (2002-03, 2005), and first met future Falcons coach Mike Smith during that time. The two also worked together during Smith’s tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars for one season in 2004.

PERSONAL
A native of Eastland, Texas, Thomas began his coaching career as a student assistant at Texas Tech. He earned his degree from Texas Tech in 1998 and received a master’s degree from Midwestern State in 2004.  Thomas and his wife Felicia have two children, Hayden and Dylan.

COACHING CAREER
2024-25: Nebraska (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2023: Pittsburgh Steelers (Offensive Assistant Coach)
2022: Arizona State (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2020-21: UNLV (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2017-19: Baylor (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2016: Temple (Offensive Coordinator)
2015: Temple (Quarterbacks Coach)
2012-14: Atlanta Falcons (Quarterbacks Coach)
2008-11: Atlanta Falcons (Offensive Assistant)
2005-07: Midwestern State (Offensive Coordinator)
2001-04: Midwestern State (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers)