Jack Thornton, Jr. is entering his third season as an Assistant Coach for the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field program. He will specialize in coaching the sprinters, hurdlers and the horizontal jumping events.

Thornton has more than 30 years of coaching experience in track and field, cross country and women’s basketball. Thornton is a retired educator and athletic coach of the Warren, Ohio city school district. He began and ended his teaching and coaching career at Warren Western Reserve and Warren G. Harding High Schools. His boys and girls track teams recorded numerous individual and relay team conference, county, district, and regional championships as well. He sent many individuals and relay teams to the Division I High School State Championships.

Collegiately, Thornton served as the sprints and hurdles coach at Malone University in Canton, Ohio, from 2006 to 2008. During his tenure, he helped bring much attention to the men's and women's track and field programs. He helped break many of Malone's indoor and outdoor track and field records. He also was instramental in helping coach the women's team to American Mideast Conference titles in 2006 and runner-up honors in 2007 and 2008. The men's team captured th AMC Championship in 2008 and were runners-up in 2006 and 2007. Furthermore, he helped the women's team capture titles in the National Christian College Championships in 2006, 2008, and runner-up honors in 2007. Thornton also helped the Malone Men's 2007 team capture their first ever national Christian College Championship since 1991, and runner-up honors in 2006, and 2008, respectively. In addition, Thornton helped Malone send an average of 30 participants to the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.