Joel Thomas enters his ninth season as the Saints running backs coach after 16 years of coaching in the college ranks. Since arriving in 2015, the club has led the National Football League with 148 rushing touchdowns. In total, Thomas' running backs have registered 25 individual 100-yard performances since 2015.
Under Thomas' tutelage, Alvin Kamara has earned five Pro Bowl selections as the only player in the NFL to have at least 1,300 total yards from scrimmage in each of the last six seasons, three of them 1,500 or more. Since his debut in 2017, Kamara's one of only two players in the NFL with at least 8,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 70Â touchdowns, tied for the franchise lead by reaching the end zone 72 times.
In his eighth season in New Orleans, Thomas tutored Kamara to his sixth straight season with at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage (1,387). He became the first Saint to lead the team in rushing five consecutive seasons, carrying 223 times for 897 yards, while ranking second on the team in receiving with 57 grabs for 490 yards. Kamara moved into a tie for first place in club record books in total touchdowns (72) and rushing touchdowns (49). Kamara also moved into second place in club record books in total yards from scrimmage (8,888), third place with 5,135 career rushing yards and fifth place with 430 receptions. Mark Ingram II added to his totals as the franchise's all-time rushing leader (6,500) and is only the third player in club records with 8,300 yards from scrimmage (8,304).
In 2021, Thomas tutored Kamara to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl campaign, as he led the team in both rushing and receiving despite missing four games, carrying 240 times for 898 yards with four touchdowns and catching 47 passes for 439 yards and five scores. Kamara had three 100-yard rushing games for the first time and his 102.8 scrimmage yards per game ranked fifth in the NFL. Kamara finished the season with 4,238 career rushing yards, moving into fourth place in club record books. After being re-acquired by the Saints at midseason, Ingram became the franchise's all-time rushing leader.
In 2020, Thomas oversaw the NFL's sixth-ranked rushing attack. New Orleans led the league with a club-record 30 touchdowns on the ground, tied for the NFL's sixth-highest total all-time. Kamara, selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, shattered the team record and led the NFL with 21 touchdowns, ranking second with 93 first downs and third with a career-best 1,688 total yards from scrimmage. In addition to running for a career-high 932 yards on 187 carries (5.0 avg.), Kamara led NFL running backs in receiving with a team-best and career-high 83 grabs for 756 yards and five touchdowns, as he became only the second Saint to lead the team in rushing and receiving in the same season. Latavius Murray served as a solid complement to Kamara in the running game, carrying 146 times for 656 yards (4.5 avg.) with four touchdowns.
The 2019 season was a success for Thomas as the backfield was headlined by Kamara and newcomer Murray. Under Thomas' watch, Kamara became the first Saint to have three consecutive seasons of at least 1,300 total yards from scrimmage in his first three seasons and only the second to do so in three consecutive campaigns. Kamara became the only Black and Gold running back selected to three Pro Bowls and the only Saint to be selected in each of his first three campaigns. New Orleans also received significant offensive contributions from Murray, who accounted for 872 total yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.
In 2018, the Saints were ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing (126.6 ypg.). Kamara had a standout sophomore campaign, as he rushed 194 times for a club best 883 yards (4.6 avg.) with 14 touchdowns. He also caught 81 receptions for 709 yards with four scores for a 1,589 total yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns. Ingram rushed 138 times for 645 yards (4.7 avg.) with six touchdowns in 12 games.
In 2017, the duo of Ingram and rookie Kamara produced standout seasons, with both being selected to the Pro Bowl. Ingram appeared in all 16 games for the second consecutive season and led the team with a career-high 1,124 yards rushing and a career-best 12 touchdowns on 230 carries, a 4.9-yard average per attempt. He added a career-high 58 receptions for 416 yards for a career-high 1,540 yards from scrimmage. Kamara set a league record for rookie running backs with 826 receiving yards on 81 receptions and five touchdowns, while he led the NFL by averaging 6.1 yards per carry on 120 carries for 728 yards with eight touchdowns. He led the club with 1,554 total yards from scrimmage and was selected by the Associated Press as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and as a second-team All-Pro at the Flex position. The 3,094 combined total yards from scrimmage from Ingram and Kamara was the second-most by an NFL running back duo since the start of a 16-game season in 1978.
Under Thomas' tutelage in 2016, Ingram became the first Saint to record 1,000 yards rushing in a single season since Deuce McAllister (2006). He accumulated 1,043 yards on 205 rushing attempts (5.1 avg.) with six touchdowns and 319 yards on 46 receptions with four touchdowns for 1,362 total yards from scrimmage. His 5.1 yards per carry ranked third in the NFL among rushers with at least 200 carries. Tim Hightower also enjoyed a productive season under Thomas, with his 548 rushing yards marking his most since 2010 and his 200 yards receiving marking his most since 2009.
In 2015, Thomas tutored Ingram who had a team-best 1,074 total yards from scrimmage, despite missing the last four games with a shoulder injury. Overall, he carried 166 times for a team-best 769 yards (4.6 avg.) with six touchdowns and added 50 receptions for 405 yards. After Ingram was sidelined, Thomas prepared Hightower to play after he had missed the previous three seasons and he gained 454 total yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in the final four contests.
Thomas came to New Orleans following a two-year stint in the same position at the University of Arkansas from 2013-14. In those two seasons, tailbacks Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins both blossomed. In 2014, they were the only pair of Football Bowl Subdivision teammates to rush for 1,000-plus yards. The duo became just the second pair of Razorbacks to accomplish the feat. Collins became just the second player in school history to surpass 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2013.
Thomas spent the four previous seasons (2009-12) as running backs coach at the University of Washington, coaching a 1,000 yard rusher in each, and added the title of associate head coach for offense prior to the 2012 campaign. In his last season in Seattle, Thomas tutored All-Pac-12 running back Bishop Sankey, who ranked third in the Pac-12 and tied for 13th in the NCAA with 16 rushing touchdowns, second-highest single-season in school history, rushing for 1,439 yards, third-highest in Huskies history.
Thomas also has experience as running backs coach at Purdue (2006-08), Idaho (2004-05) and Louisville (2002-03).
In 2007, the Boilermakers led the Big Ten in total offense and scoring offense. In 2008, they set a school record for fewest fumbles (12) and tailback Kory Sheets rushed for 1,131 yards to become Purdue's first 1,000 yard rusher in six seasons while posting the fourth-highest single-season rushing total in school history, ending his career second on the school's career rushing list with 3,341 yards. Sheets tied the school's single-season rushing touchdowns record in 2008 (16) and broke the career record (48). Thomas was also at Purdue from 2000-01, as a graduate assistant. In 2000, QB Drew Brees led the NCAA in total offense and won the Maxwell Award. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten and advanced to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
In between his two stints at Purdue, Thomas served as co-offensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Idaho in 2004-05 and as running backs coach at Louisville from 2002-03. In 2003, Louisville averaged 228.2 rushing yards per game to rank tenth in the NCAA with a school-record 5.7 yards per carry average. The 2004 Idaho squad set a school record for completion percentage and the 2005 team ranked 28th in the country in passing yards per game.
Thomas lettered at running back at the University of Idaho from 1993-98, where he was a two-time first-team All-Big West selection and conference Player of the Year as a senior and still holds Vandals career records with 3,929 rushing yards, 51 rushing touchdowns and 765 rushing attempts. He was inducted into the University of Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree in public communications in 1998.
Thomas and his wife, Ebbie, are the parents of two boys.
PLAYING CAREER: Idaho, 1993-98.
COACHING CAREER: Purdue, 2000-01, 2006-08; Louisville, 2002-03; Idaho, 2004-05; University of Washington, 2009-12; Arkansas, 2013-14; New Orleans Saints, 2015-.
