Washington Metro High School Coach of the Year - Mickey Thompson, Stone Bridge High School

Photo Courtesy of Steven Holland, Holland Sports Images, LLC

Following his college athletic career, Mickey Thompson knew that he wanted to coach football. He just wasn’t sure that he wanted to be a head coach.

“I don’t know if you ever get really comfortable. I still don’t enjoy all the stuff that goes with being a head coach as much as I enjoy all the coaching,” said Thompson, who is the DC Touchdown Club 2021 Washington Metro Coach of the Year. “And I spend more time doing the other stuff than the coaching. But I do like having the final say.”

More often than not, that final say has led to victories for one of the winningest coaches in Virginia high school football history. After 10 seasons at Park View High in Sterling, Thompson followed his principal and athletic director to a new school opening in Ashburn in 2000: Stone Bridge High. There, Thompson has crafted one of the most successful programs in the nation.

“Everybody said I was crazy – Broad Run was 0-10 the year before, they hadn’t won in a while and now you’re opening another school and going to draw from that same group?” said Thompson, who played offensive and defensive line at the University of Virginia. “I saw it as an opportunity to go to a new community. I thought I would take a shot.”

It did not take long for that shot to land. In 21 seasons at Stone Bridge, Thompson has guided the Bulldogs to a 229-47 record with 16 district titles, 13 region titles and 10 appearances in the state championship game. Along the way, Thompson coached his three sons, as well as a handful of players who have gone on to the NFL, including Washington Football Team star Jonathan Allen, who was the DC Touchdown Club’s 2013 Virginia High School Player of the Year.

This spring, Stone Bridge won its second-ever state championship with a thrilling, 13-10 overtime victory over Highland Springs to complete an undefeated season. It was Thompson’s 300th victory as a head coach.

“Sometimes it really takes me longer to restart after the season, to forget about that season and move onto the next season,” Thompson said. “i thought this season would be a lot harder [finishing on May 1] but after winning and seeing a lot of new faces, I just want to get them going. I’m definitely a player’s coach.”