Chad Thompson, a native of Galesburg, joined the men’s basketball staff as a volunteer assistant coach in the summer of 2025. He comes to Knox following a four-year stint as the boys’ varsity head coach at Galesburg High. He also has been an outreach worker at the high school since 2021 and the cross country head coach since 2022.
A 2015 graduate of Monmouth College with a degree in elementary education, Thompson was a member of the men’s basketball team for three years, playing in 63 games while averaging 4.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 16.8 minutes per game. As a senior, he shot 39.0 percent from 3-point range (23-of-59). He also spent a year at Carl Sandburg College, where he led the basketball team in scoring and 3-point shooting while earning all-region honors.
Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, Thompson taught at Gale Elementary and Neilson Elementary, plus was the sophomore coach/varsity assistant coach at Galesburg High through 2020. He then moved to DeKalb, Illinois, to teach at Tyler Elementary and was the varsity assistant for one year before moving back to Galesburg.
Chad and his wife, Kelsi, live in Galesburg with their two dogs.
