Ben Thompson was recently named the interim head coach for the J.P. McCaskey football team this season. Thompson’s thoughts on getting the job, “It is just an opportunity that came my way that I thought why not, and I am very excited to get started.” Thompson currently teaches in the district as a Special Education Teacher, a position he has held since 2015. He specifically teaches at the Lancaster County Prison.

Losing your head coach 6 days before fall practice is not ideal, but having a teacher in the school district who also happens to be your defensive coordinator is a decent back up plan. Thompson on the transition “The transition has been great. One of the things Coach London always preached was the next man up mentality. There was sadness at first, but you have to move on”. Thompson will retain the title of defensive coordinator. Dominic Gould will now slide into the dual role of offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. “We have delegated the assignments of the coaching staff to help fill the role of Coach London” Thompson stated. Former head coach Sam London was not only the head coach, but also the offensive coordinator and play caller for McCaskey.

Thompson is a 2014 graduate of Coatesville High School, where he starred on the offensive and defensive lines. He then attended Florida A&M for a year. He later returned to college and earned a degree as a Special Education Teacher. The classroom experience as a teacher could really help him relate to his players on the field. “A lot of things relate more to the classroom. It is not what I know, but how you put it in terms of teaching the game of football”. Thompson is hoping the transition from assistant coach to interim head coach is seamless.