Caldwell County High School will now be doing two searches for basketball coaches.
Malissa Thomas has stepped down as Lady Tiger basketball coach after leading the team to a 15-13 record and the 2nd Region semifinals.
It was her second stint as head coach of the Caldwell girls’ basketball team after returning to that job in 2024. She originally coached the team from 2010-2019.
In 11 seasons total, Thomas has a record of 145-166.
She guided the team to 7th District championships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018.
“I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be an administrator and the head varsity basketball coach,” said Thomas. “I truly love this program and have genuinely enjoyed working with this group of players. I’m excited about the direction our team is heading and all that lies ahead.
“However, there is a season for everything, and I believe it’s time for me to step into a different role and contribute in a new way. I will always be close to Lady Tiger Basketball and look forward to supporting the team in the future.”
Last July, Thomas took over the Assistant Superintendent position for Caldwell County Schools, which made it difficult to keep up with her coaching duties.
Thomas is a former Lady Tiger standout.
Despite playing just two years at CCHS, Thomas scored over 1,000 points at the school. She finished with 1,081 points as a Lady Tiger, still good enough for 19th on the program’s all-time scoring list. She is 14th on the rebounding list with 545.
A 1997 Caldwell grad, Thomas was a starter at the University of Memphis before returning to Caldwell, where she spent three years as an assistant basketball coach.
A former all-state softball player at Caldwell, Thomas was also an assistant softball coach for the Lady Tigers under Al Giordano, and took over as head coach of that program in 2004 after Giordano stepped down.
But Thomas left later that year to became girls’ basketball head coach at Lyon County. There, she compiled a 74-66 record and led the Lady Lyons to the regional tournament on four occasions.
Caldwell County is also looking for a boys’ basketball head coach after parting ways with Chuck Mitchell. The school announced last month that Mitchell would not return.
Mitchell spent the last three seasons as boys’ head coach at the school after spending the previous four years as Caldwell’s girls’ basketball coach.
