Longtime baseball coach Jack Thomson celebrated his 600th career victory this past spring in his final season at Sierra.
Travis Thomson, one of his four sons, will now work on his first.
Sierra athletic director Andrew Lee has announced the hiring of the younger Thomson as the school’s new varsity baseball coach.
Travis Thomson played at Sierra, graduating in 2005 while being named an All-Valley League First Team infielder his senior. He continued to play at San Joaquin Delta College and earned a bachelor’s in Speech and Language Pathology at Sacramento State in 2011. He teaches special education at his high school alma mater and served as an assistant baseball coach the past three years.
“We could not have asked for a better candidate,” Lee said in a statement. “Coach Thomson brings the ideal balance between baseball knowledge and educator mindset. He takes great pride in developing quality young men of high character. I am excited for the future of Sierra Baseball under the leadership of Coach Thomson.”
Jack Thomson, who retired from teaching in 2017, leaves with big shoes to fill.
His 607 career wins — 235 tallied during his tenure with cross-town rival Manteca — ranks second all-time in the Sac-Joaquin Section and is the only head coach Sierra has had in its 23-year history. During his time as the Timberwolves’ skipper, Thomson captured nine Valley Oak League championships, most recently in 2015.
Additionally, Jack Thomson is an inductee to the California Baseball Coaches Association and City of Manteca halls of fame and Sac-Joaquin Section and California Interscholastic Federation Model Coach of the Year. He was also named the American Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year in 2001 and serves as a committee member on the ABCA.
In his final season as head coach, Sierra finished as runner-up in the competitive VOL and ended in third place in the SJS Division III playoffs, knocking off top-seeded Christian Brothers along the way.
“Sierra High would not be where it is today without the contributions of Jack Thomson,” Lee said. “As a Coach, Jack was outstanding. As a mentor, Jack was something more. 
“Words cannot express the gratitude we owe to Coach Thomson and his family for everything they have given to the school and community. We wish Coach Thomson nothing but the best on the next chapter of his life.”