Mandarin’s Thad Boggs is entering his 21st year as the boys’ tennis coach. He has been a physics/chemistry teacher at Mandarin High School since 1994.
He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile and Polymer Chemistry and from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1985 with a Master of Science degree in Systems Technology. Prior to beginning his teaching career, he served in the United States Navy for 20 years, where he was a helicopter pilot, and has flown over 3800 hours in the H-1, SH-2F, and SH-60B.
As the tennis coach, his teams have amassed a record of 250-81, two Gateway Conference Championships, and one District Championship. He has been named the Mike Houser Award recipient as the Gateway Conference Coach of the Year on multiple occasions. He also has been an assistant football and boys’ basketball coach for the past 20 years.
He has been married to the former Mary Catherine Martin since June 1974, and they have one daughter, Angela Nadeau, who resides with her husband in Maryland.
I talked to Coach Boggs about his coaching career and his life, and here is what he had to say about such an amazing resume.
I see you have been at Mandarin for over 20 years; staying at one school for so long is almost unheard of. Why have you stayed at Mandarin so long?
The atmosphere at Mandarin is such that academics and athletics are both considered important in creating a well-rounded individual. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the finest teachers who are willing to invest in the lives of not only their students, but with their fellow teachers. Cooperation was important at Mandarin before it became an educational buzz word. I have also been able to learn from many very talented coaches. Taking a little from each of them has made me a much better coach. They taught that humor, fairness, and relationships with our athletes are just as important as X’s and O’s. Making our athletes better members of our society has always been a guiding concept that we have all aimed to live by.
You have racked up over 250 wins at Mandarin, can you share with us one of your secrets?
The most important secret I have found is that, as coaches, we must first be able to have a positive relationship with our players before they will give their all to our programs. Part of this relationship is ensuring that all of our players are treated equally. If your best player violates a team rule, his consequence should be the same as if the last member of the bench committed the same violation and vice versa. The hardest lesson is how to deal with the individual player, because each is different and they respond differently. Some respond to immediate feedback, some have to see it on tape, and some respond to their teammates better than a coach. Knowing how a player responds is only found by having an understanding of what motivates your players.
What is your best memory so far coaching at Mandarin?
As a head tennis coach, it would have to be winning the District championship in tennis, because my number-two doubles team had to win and it appeared that the original team was not going to be able to participate due to an injury. The injured player chose to play with a sore ankle and they won the third set to win the match and the championship. There have been many other fond memories in basketball and football; like the year we were the last seed in the district and went on to beat two top-10 district opponents to capture the District championship and into the second round of the playoffs. Or this year in football; being able to make to the regional final game undefeated with a group of players who bought into the system lock, stock, and barrel.
Is their one particular player who stands out, one that maybe began as a freshman and wasn’t that good but by the time they were a senior became an All-Conference player or state champion?
I had a tennis player in the early 2000’s that played the number four and five singles position as a freshman and sophomore; by the time he was a senior, he had polished his game so well that he was selected as an All-Conference player. What I remember most about him was how, regardless of the way the match progressed, he conducted himself with class and he remained that kid who just loved the game of tennis.
Were you born here? If not, where are you from, and why did you move to Jacksonville?
I was not born in Jacksonville. I was raised in Dalton, a small town in northeast Georgia between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee. I moved here when I was in the Navy and elected to remain here after I retired.
Who are some of your favorite professional tennis players of all time, and why?
I grew up watching Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe play tennis and would have to say they would probably be my favorites. Both of them had a style of tennis that made watching the game interesting. They both understood the mental part of the game and how to use it to their advantage, but that also had great strokes that were fun to watch.
You spent many years in the military as a pilot, can you tell us about any of the places you went and some of your favorite memories?
I am blessed to have had the opportunity to serve as a Navy helicopter pilot and to see a good portion of the world. Whether it was the flying off the beaches of Rio or Bermuda or the escorting tankers in the Arabian Gulf, it was always interesting and exciting, no day was ever the same. The old Navy adage that “the Navy was more than a job, it was an adventure” was really true for me. I was able to be involved in the saving of lives, the protecting of our country, and the training of future pilots and air crew. I was able to work with some very fine officers and sailors and do something I really enjoyed. It was also where I learned many of the ideas on how to motivate and coach. It is hard to really pinpoint a favorite memory, suffice it to say I enjoyed it.
Besides coaching, what do you and your wife like to do in your off time?
Up until this year, I coached in all three high school sports seasons and then had sports commitments most of the summer. My wife and I have enjoyed taking summer cruises, watching Major League Baseball at different parks, or getting ready to be grandparents (in July). We both still have a full schedule with our jobs. We work on visiting family, different cruises, and just hanging out with each other.
Coaches Corner / North Florida / April-May 2016
Thad Boggs, Tennis
Mandarin High School
Jacksonville, Florida
By Corey Davis
