Ronnie Thomas may only be one year into his role as head coach of Longwood's powerhouse men's basketball program, but he's no stranger to the brand of Lancer hoops that has won two Big South Championships over the past five years.
A familiar face around campus since joining former Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich's staff in 2020, Thomas was elevated to the driver's seat of the Lancer program in March 2025 after Aldrich departed for the University of Virginia. Hailing from Roanoke, Thomas' promotion followed five impact seasons in which he helped the Lancers reach the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2024 — the program's first March Madness appearances at the Division I level — and built Longwood into a premier mid-major program.
Now Thomas has the Lancers heading into the 2026 Big South Championship tournament where they will face UNC Asheville in the quarterfinal round this Friday, March 5, at 6 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn. The No. 5 seed following an 8-8 record in conference play, the Lancers are just two seasons removed from their last Big South title, which Thomas helped them win as a then-assistant coach in 2024.
You've been with the program for six seasons, but it's only been a year since you were named head coach. What has that experience been like this season?
I've had a lot of fun. It's easy sometimes to focus on the wins and losses and mull over what would have happened if five of the games we lost in the last minute went our way. But on the other side, you also have to look at what would have happened if five games where we actually took care of business ended up going against us. That would have made for a much different season.
So it's been about not fixating on the records so much as it is focusing on the process and the relationships we've built with the guys. It's been a lot of fun, and there's been a lot of growth and transformation for myself and the team. We're in a great position in that everything we want to accomplish is still right in front of us. We know a lot about ourselves, we know what's caused issues for us, and we know how we've had success. Focusing more on our success than our deficiencies is probably the biggest thing I've learned as a head coach.
Eleven years into your coaching career, what kind of coach do you strive to be?
The first and biggest thing is being yourself. Even being a head coach, not much has changed. The weight of your decisions changes, obviously, but who you are can't change.
For me, I'm very intense and competitive but also, more than anything, loving and caring. I love and care for the guys, and it all starts with the relationships you build before you even take the court. You have to understand how each player receives love, how they receive coaching, how they respond and what makes them tick. Sometimes that means loving and putting my arm around them, and sometimes that means giving them a metaphorical kick in the backside. My job is to love them the way they need so they can be the best version of themselves any given day.
What have you tried to establish for this program in your first year?
The biggest thing is overall toughness in the program. That's something that's always been a part of Longwood basketball, but you can't take it for granted. We'll continue to make that a foundation of who we are. The area where we've been disappointed is our mental toughness and trying to figure out how we can grow from a discipline standpoint as we move forward into the postseason and next year.
Beyond that, we've done a good job with the love and joy piece. The reason I feel so great going into Big South play is that these guys believe. They've felt how close they've been, and they feel like they've beaten themselves a few times. They really do believe, and a catalyst for that is the love and joy and how we treat them. There's trust and respect between our staff and the players. That gives them more accountability and allows them to believe in what they're doing.
You and your wife, Brittany, have lived in Farmville for more than five years now, and you recently welcomed your first daughter. What's your experience been like living and raising your family here?
Farmville is an amazing place to live, not just because of all the things going on in town, but because it's such a close community. It builds very strong relationships. There's a lot of fellowship here, a lot of support for the team and a lot of support for my family. Coming in, we never thought we would love Farmville as much as we did. I think that's common with a lot of people because there's no way to really understand how great it is until you're here. Once you get embedded within the community, once you feel those connections, it's such a great place to be.
What do you look for when you're trying to find Longwood basketball players?
Longwood basketball will still be consistent in finding and developing skilled, athletic and tough players. You'll see a very tough group, a very disciplined group and a group that gives a lot of effort. Obviously the more skill we get, the more that toughness and effort and discipline will show.
More broadly, I think Longwood basketball has a DNA, and I've been embedded in that. The way Griff saw basketball and the way I see basketball is pretty similar. In terms of how we play, you'll see a lot of similarities and a similar style. We're always going to be really big on executing, having relentless effort, competing at a very high level and being very disciplined and focused on the details. We have a system that won the Big South not once, but twice, so we're not trying to reinvent the wheel. We're going to put our heads down, get to work, and try to get another one, just like we always have.
You're one of the few college basketball coaches who opts for a bowtie on gameday. When did that become part of your wardrobe?
Back in college when I was student-teaching, everyone was wearing ties. So I said, 'Why don't I wear a bowtie?' I just carried it forward to coaching. You could also say it makes me more aerodynamic since it doesn't get in my way like a tie would. I own a little more than 60 bowties. And I don't have a "lucky bowtie" or anything because I believe that you create your own luck, but I do have a favorite that I've worn in three of the four conference championships I've been a part of.
What's the secret to tying a good bowtie?
Not buying a pre-tied bowtie. If you don't tie your own, it's not real.
Looking ahead to the Big South Championship Tournament and beyond, what does the team need to do to accomplish what y'all set out to do?
I truly believe if we play for each other and know our roles — in terms of what we need to do to win — I love our chances. But we need to do that. We need to take care of the basketball, not turn it over and play with an immense amount of effort. We have to be about the team, sacrifice within our roles for the team. We can't give out empty possessions. If we do those things, there's a lot in front of us we can achieve.
