Slippery Rock University Athletics

Two-year captain at SRU that was a two-time regional champion at 134 pounds, won the 1975-76 PSAC title at 134 pounds, two-time NCAA qualifier and was a member of SRU's lone PSAC team championship.
 
Rick Thompson earns his spot in the SRU Hall of Fame on the merits of his career as a wrestler at The Rock, but he also could have earned a spot thanks to the coaching and educational leadership record he compiled after leaving SRU in 1977.
 
At The Rock, Thompson compiled a record of 78-23 over four seasons for a .772 winning percentage on the mat, where he shined at the 134-pound weight class. He placed in the top four at the PSAC Championships in every year of his career, headlined by a win at the 1975-76 championships. He also took second in 1974 and third in 1977.
 
In addition to his success at the PSAC level, Thomson was a two-time regional champion at 134 pounds, qualified for two National Championship competitions and served as the team captain for two seasons. He also helped The Rock to their only team PSAC title in 1974-75 when he was fourth at 134 pounds and was named to the NCAA Division I East-West All-Star team in 1977.
 
After leaving Slippery Rock, Thompson embarked on a career in education, ultimately retiring in 2017 after serving as a physical education and health teacher and coach for 40 years. He spent 35 years at the high school level, where also racked up an impressive coaching record, before closing his career with five years at the elementary level.
 
As a coach, Thompson amassed an incredible 1,079 combined wins in the sports of wrestling and cross country. The most recent stop in his wrestling journey was a brief stint at Bethlehem Catholic, where he went 6-1 in 2019 to bring his wrestling head coaching record to 477-232-4. He also coached at Bangor Area High School and his Alma Mater, Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey. He coached teams to 15 state sectional titles and helped wrestlers win 96 district titles and nine state championships across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
 
In addition to his wrestling record, Thompson also racked up a 407-83 record as the boys' cross country coach at Phillipsburg and a record of 195-39-1 with the girls' cross country team. He led the teams to a total of seven East Penn titles, 11 sectional titles and his boys claimed the 2005 state title in New Jersey, which landed him the Newark Star Ledger and Express Times Coach of the Year honors.
 
Thompson, who now resides in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, is survived by his late wife, Denise, who also graduated from Slippery Rock in 1977. He has one son, R.J. Thompson Jr., who resides in Stowe, Vermont with his wife Olivia and their son Barkley.