Duane Thomas leaves Wyandotte

July 04, 2008 12:43 am

— By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Duane Thomas, one of the most successful high school girls basketball coaches in Oklahoma, is retiring from the Sooner State after 31 years and moving to Kansas.
Thomas won’t coach at Colony Crest High School, some 100 miles north of Miami, at least for now, he said on Thursday.
Thomas, superintendent and girls basketball coach the past three years at Wyandotte, will be superintendent/principal at Crest.
Thomas’ replacement at Wyandotte, Kara Kinney, is a graduate of Lamar High School and Pittsburg State University
“It’s a good possibility that I will coach again,” Thomas said. “I enjoy doing it and I’ve had some success.
“I’ll have great memories of Wyandotte,” Thomas said. “It’s an excellent school system. Wyandotte is a great place with great people. But there are challenges elsewhere.”
Thomas said he also will have pleasant memories of the Wyandotte girls basketball team.
“The girls bought into our system and worked hard,” he said. “We were pretty good by the time the end of the season came around (in 2007=08).”
Wyandotte, runner-up to Afton in the Lucky ‘7’ Conference, finished 18-8 overall and was 2-2 in the Class 3A playoffs.
“There’s a strong foundation,” Thomas said of the 2008-09 campaign for Wyandotte. “Two seniors and three juniors could play a lot and others will have an opportunity to contribute.”
Thomas, who was at Bluejacket for 12 years, believes his girls wins are 450 with 10 trips to state in 23 years. Plus, the Afton boys made it in 1980-81.
Thomas, who graduated from Fairland High School in 1969, attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before securing degrees from Missouri Southern and Northeastern State of Tahlequah.