By SCOTT NOVAK
Dowagiac Daily News

If Bernard Thomas was writing a book about his life, he couldn’t come up with a better final chapter than the one he is about to right.

Thomas, a 1969 graduate of Cassopolis High School, is returning home to take over the reigns of the Ranger football program.

The Cassopolis Board of Education named the former Dowagiac coach as the replacement for Andy Hubbard, who resigned in May.

The board voted Monday night at its meeting to offer the job to Thomas.

“There is no better way to end my career than to come back to where it all started,” Thomas said Tuesday afternoon. “My life has come full circle.”

Thomas attended Western Michigan University on a football scholarship before being drafted by the Baltimore Colts.

Thomas coached 15 seasons at Dowagiac where he went 109-39 at the helm of the Chieftain program, which he took over in 1988.

Dowagiac won the Class BB state championship in 1990 and made numerous appearances in the post season under Thomas, including a trip to the 1996 state semifinals after winning its first 11 games.

Thomas coached more games that anyone else in Dowagiac history. His 109 wins is by far the most ever in the storied program and his .736 winning percentage is third all-time behind Denny Dock, who he replaced, and the late George Werner.

Thomas taught social studies at Dowagiac Middle School until announcing his retirement this past spring.

He was an assistant coach at Niles for the past couple of seasons.

“It feels good to get back out there,” said Thomas of his return to being a head coach. “I have been away from it as a head coach for 10 years now. I am looking forward to the season and to working with the kids. I have an opportunity to touch more lives and as a teacher and a coach that’s what it’s all about.”

Thomas, who was to meet with the coaches and the team Tuesday evening, said he had no plans of purging the coaching staff. He said he is limited to having just four coaches between the JV and varsity staffs, so he was hopeful that he would be able to keep the ones who are already there.

He was also looking forward to meeting with the players to begin trying to figure out more about the team he inherited.

“The No. 1 priority is finding out who is going to go where,” he said. “That’s one of the most important aspects. I am at a disadvantage there because although I have lived in this town my entire life, I have not always been in touch with the program.

“So I need to find out who they are and what they are so that we can get them into a position that is beneficial to the team. That’s why I am over here. I am over here to coach these kids. I am looking forward to it,” he added.