(Dowagiac) — Bernard Thomas, who coached Dowagiac football to an undefeated season and Class BB state championship in 1990, has been elected to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

The 74-year-old Thomas spent 17 years at Dowagiac, where he won a school record 109 games against just 39 losses.  Eight of his Chieftain teams qualified for the post season.

Many years after leaving Dowagiac, Thomas emerged again as a head coach, this time at his alma mater Cassopolis. He posted a 14-7 record with the Rangers.

Upon his retirement in 2012, Thomas told the Niles Daily Star’s Scott Novak, “I look back at my career and I was very fortunate and very blessed to have great kids, great coaches and a great support staff at Dowagiac. I was able to accomplish everything I wanted to accomplish. As a coach, you want to win championships and have undefeated seasons and I was able to do both at Dowagiac.”

“Then came the opportunity to coach at Cassopolis. The attraction of coaching my hometown team, a team I identified myself with for so much of my life was too good to pass up. I feel like my career has come full circle. I began my career at Cassopolis and I am ending my career there.”