Aristotle Thompson is in his fifth season as the running backs coach at Cal in 2024 after spending the previous 11 campaigns (2009-19) in the same role at Cal Poly. Thompson and Cal's Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox worked together previously at Boise State, first in 2001 when Thompson was an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Broncos and Wilcox was a graduate assistant in his first season in the coaching profession. The two teamed up again for the Broncos during the 2007 and 2008 seasons with Thompson the assistant director of football operations and Wilcox the defensive coordinator.
Coaching Career
California –
Running Backs (2020 –
Present)
– Has a promising group of running backs in the fold in 2024 led by Heisman Trophy candidate and preseason All-American Jaydn Ott, who is poised to set Cal's all-time records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns after rushing for 2,212 yards and 20 touchdowns on 416 carries with averages of 5.3 yards per carry and 92.2 yards per game in his first two seasons at Cal in 2022 and 2023
– Helped Ott to honorable mention All-American (Phil Steele) and first-team All-Pac-12 selections (Associated Press, College Football Network, College Football News, Pac-12 Coaches, Phil Steele) as the Pac-12's rushing champion in 2023, leading the league and ranking among the nation's best in all-purpose yards per game (135.67, #6 NCAA), rushing yards per game (109.6 ypg, #9 NCAA) and rushing yards (1315, #14 NCAA, while also posting five of the Pac-12's top nine games for rushing yards while no one else had move than one, and tying for second in the Pac-12 with 15 total touchdowns (#19T NCAA) and 12 rushing touchdowns (#29T NCAA)
– Other running backs on the 2024 spring roster include returnees Byron Cardwell, Dean-Taylor Chapman, Jaivian Thomas and Justin Williams-Thomas, as well as Old Dominion transfer Kadarius Calloway
– Helped coach the running game to an average of 172.8 yards per game in 2023, which was its highest mark since 2012, including four games of 235 or more yards with a 357-yard rushing game in the season-opener at North Texas that was the most by the Golden Bears since rushing for 431 against Washington in 2008
– Also helped Ott earn a host of honors as a 2022 true freshman including first-team (The Athletic) and second-team (College Football News) Freshman All-American (The Athletic) picks, as well a True Freshman All-American selection (Pro Football Focus), in addition to All-Pac-12 honors as a third-team (Pro Football Focus), fourth-team (Phil Steele) and honorable mention (Pac-12 Coaches) choice after being among Pac-12 and NCAA leaders in all-purpose yards (1,218, #4 Pac-12, #67 NCAA), all-purpose yards per game (101.5, #6 Pac-12, #65 NCAA), rushing yards per game (74.8, #5 Pac-12, #58 NCAA), rushing yards (897, #5 Pac-12, #61 NCAA), total touchdowns (11, #8T Pac-12, #54T NCAA), rush yards per carry (5.28, #9 Pac-12, #52 NCAA) and rushing touchdowns (8, #11T Pac-12, #87T NCAA)
– Prior to Ott's 2022 arrival, Cal's run game showed moments of brilliance under the guidance of Thompson highlighted by a 352-yard rushing game to a key a 41-11 blowout at Stanford in 2021 that was one of four times the Bears rushed for 200 yards or more in 2021 (255, vs. Oregon State; 246 vs. Sacramento State, 213; vs. Colorado)
– One of Cal's trademarks since Thompson's 2020 arrival has been taking care of the football and in 2022 the Bears were among the Pac-12 and NCAA leaders in fumbles lost (3, #3T Pac-12, #6T NCAA), turnover margin (0.50. #3 Pac-12, #22T NCAA) and turnovers lost (12, #3T Pac-12, #12T NCAA) following a tremendous showing in 2021 when their 10 turnovers were the fewest ever by a Cal team playing a full schedule including only two lost fumbles to rank tied for second nationally and lead the Pac-12 for fewest fumbles
– Thompson's unit showed tons of promise in his first season in Berkeley in 2020 despite only playing four games and being limited in practice time due to COVID with the Bears notching their best effort on the ground with a season-high 241 rushing yards against Stanford that were the most since the team compiled 305 at Oregon State in 2018 and included a career-high 121 yards and one touchdown for Damien Moore as he became Cal's first true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in the Big Game since Marshawn Lynch had 122 in 2004
– Moore earned an honorable mention selection for the Pac-12's Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and the Bears' offense largely due to the play of the running backs was able to control the football much of the time with a 31:36 time of possession average that was fourth in the Pac-12 and 30th in the nation
Cal Poly –
Running Backs (2009-19)
– During Thompson's time in San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly fielded a strong run game that featured at least one 1000-yard rusher in each of his final nine campaigns and helped the Mustangs put together five consecutive winning seasons from 2010-14
– Coached five players that earned FCS All-American honors over seven different seasons and also had one of his running backs recognized nationally or by the Big Sky for seven consecutive campaigns
Boise State –
Assistant Director Of Football Operations (2007-08); Assistant Strength And Conditioning Coach
– Broncos were 30-7 during his three seasons with the program and played in bowl games each of the final two years
Grant High School –
Defensive Coordinator/Running Backs (2005)
Eastern Oregon –
Wide Receivers (2003-04)
Nampa High School –
Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs (2002)
Collegiate Playing Career
Boise State (1997-2000)
– A four-year letterwinner as a running back at Boise State (1997-2000), helping the Broncos to their first two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference championships with Big West titles in 1999 and 2000, while the Broncos also won the Humanitarian Bowl both seasons with victories over Louisville (1999) and UTEP (2000).
Other
– Son, Bryson, has had epileptic seizures since the age of four and along with older brother, Brock, began Helmets4Helmets at the ages of eight and six, respectively, as a way to give back to the Jack's Helping Hand foundation that has helped Bryson throughout his journey, to assist kids around the world who have epilepsy purchase helmets to protect their heads that are often not covered by insurance
– Honored with a spot on the
2022 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team for his work related to Bryson
– Featured in the
Pac-12 Networks' Emmy award-winning feature on Bryson
Aristotle Thompson File
Birthdate: September 11, 1978
Hometown: Portland, OR
High School: Jesuit HS (Portland, OR)
College: Boise State, 2001, Bachelor's, Social Sciences with emphasis in Criminal Justice
Family: Wife, Sarah; Sons – Brock, Bryson, Lennon; Daughters – Akyra, Payton
Year-By-Year Coaching Positions
Season: Team (League) – Coaching Positions (Championships, Postseason)
2001: Boise State (Division I-AA, WAC) – Assistant Strength And Conditioning Coach
2002: Nampa High School, Nampa, ID – Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs
2003: Eastern Oregon (NAIA, Cascade Collegiate Conference) – Wide Receivers
2004: Eastern Oregon (NAIA, Cascade Collegiate Conference) – Wide Receivers
2005: Grant High School, Portland, OR, PIL) – Defensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2007: Boise State (FCS, WAC) – Assistant Director of Football Operations
2008: Boise State (FCS, WAC) – Assistant Director of Football Operations
2009: Cal Poly (FCS, Great West) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2010: Cal Poly (FCS, Great West) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2011: Cal Poly (FCS, Great West) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator (Great West Champion)
2012: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator (Big Sky Champion)
2013: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2014: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2015: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2016: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2017: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Assistant Head Coach; Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2018: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Assistant Head Coach; Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2019: Cal Poly (FCS, Big Sky) – Assistant Head Coach; Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2020: California (FBS, Pac-12) – Running Backs
2021: California (FBS, Pac-12) – Running Backs
2022: California (FBS, Pac-12) – Running Backs
2023: California (FBS, Pac-12) – Running Backs (Independence Bowl)
2024: California (FBS, Pac-12) – Running Backs
Last Updated
July 21, 2024
