RHS names new coach

At their meeting Thursday, the Russellville City School Board approved veteran women’s basketball coach Corey Thomaston as the new varsity girls basketball head coach for Russellville High School.

Thomaston, a native of North Alabama, has 16 years of experience coaching women’s basketball, 14 of which are at the collegiate level.

RCS Athletic Director Mark Heaton said Thomaston’s experience and drive to succeed will be major assets for the girls basketball program at Russellville.

“When we were looking for a head coach for girls basketball, we were looking for two things,” Heaton said. “The first thing was the person themselves – we wanted someone whose values were in line with our vision, and that meant someone with impeccable character, a strong sense of integrity and someone who could be well-respected, both on and off the court.

“The second thing was someone who had a true passion for girls basketball – not just basketball in general or Russellville athletics in general. We wanted someone who has experience coaching girls and feels a God-given calling to coach those girls to reach their full potential and to build up this program to be one that is both competitive and respected.

“We are certain we have found all of these qualities in Coach Thomaston. Corey has been a well-respected coach at both the high school and collegiate levels and has experience building programs and recognizing talent. We think he will be the perfect fit for our program, and we are glad to have him on board.”

Thomaston said he was excited about the opportunity to join the Russellville Athletic Department and be part of the vision Heaton has for Russellville sports and female sports in particular.

“I graduated from Winston County, and I grew up knowing about the success that was always equated with Russellville athletics,” Thomaston said. “I want to use my experience to build up the girls basketball program to be a championship caliber program. I definitely think the potential is there, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”

Thomaston, who has been the head basketball coach at Shoals Christian since 2015, spent two years as the assistant coach at the University of North Alabama from 2000-2002 before moving on to Radford University in Virginia as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2002-2007. He was then named the head coach of LeTourneau University in Texas, a position he held until 2014.

During these years, Thomaston earned recognition as the 2011-2012 ASC East Division Coach of the Year, produced eight ASC All-Conference honorees, produced four ASC East Division All-Freshman honorees, recruited the 2011-2012 ASC Newcomer of the Year and was a two-time ASC East Division Team Sportsmanship Award Winner.

Thomaston said he wants to use his collegiate coaching experience to prepare his players for what’s to come after high school.

“I have a great opportunity here to empower the ladies who are part of this program and prepare them for what’s ahead,” he said. “I want to step in and impact their lives in a way that they will be prepared for whatever it is they want to do moving forward.”

Thomaston said he appreciates the Russellville City School System and Coach Heaton for this opportunity.

“Coach Heaton has a great vision for Russellville athletics, and I am ready to work within that vision. I am a team player, and I am looking forward to working with the players and with the coaches to make this program the best it can be.”