Growing up in Corunna, Ontario, about 10 miles from the SC4 campus, Rob Thomson chose to begin his college baseball career by signing with the Skippers. Following the 1982 season, Thomson earned a scholarship to the University of Kansas where he was a force behind the plate and with the bat during the 1983-85 seasons. He still holds the Jayhawks record for the highest single season batting average of .443, which he achieved in 1984. During his career at Kansas, he compiled an impressive .369 batting avg.

Thomson played for Team Canada at the 1984 Olympic games and was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 32^nd round of the 1985 MLB draft. After four seasons in the Tigers minor league system, he joined their minor league coaching staff in 1988. The move to coaching was the beginning of his incredible MLB career. Thomson spent 28 years coaching with the New York Yankees, winning five World Series Championships and was the third base coach for their 2009 title. In 2022, Thomson was named the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies leading the team to the National League Championship and a trip to the World Series against the Houston Astros.

“When the people in baseball talk about being a baseball ‘lifer’ or a ‘grinder’ they must be talking about Rob Thompson,” said Skippers head coach Dick Groch. “Rob has served a multitude of roles in his baseball career. He was a player, coach, manager at the lower levels, instructor, administrator and presently a Major League manager. His organizational abilities, his communication skills and his multitude of baseball experiences would warrant anyone to say, ‘I want to play for Rob Thompson’."

Thomson cherished his time with the Skippers, especially learning from hall of fame coach Dick Groch. “Having the opportunity to watch Coach Groch not only develop players skills, but also mold a group of players into a close-knit unit was a thing of genius!” he said. “Among the many things that Dick has taught me along the way is work ethic, organization, discipline, accountability, and compassion. Many of Dick’s teachings I still use today. I’m not sure if I’d be where I’m at in my career if it wasn’t for my time spent at SC4!”

Thomson and his wife Michelle have two daughters, Jacqueline and Christina.