Former Tennessee State football coach and athletics director Bill Thomas died Friday. He was 70.

His wife, Gayla, confirmed that Thomas passed away Friday morning in Houston.

Thomas was TSU's head coach from 1984-1988. His career record was 33-21-3.

He led the Tigers to an 11-0 record in 1984, 7-4 in 1985, 9-3-1 in 1986, 3-7-1 in 1987 and 3-7-1 in 1988.

Thomas continued to serve as athletics director at TSU after he resigned as the football coach.

"He is the AD who hired me here at the university (as the women's basketball coach) and that I learned so very much from," TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips said. "I’ll be forever grateful to him. My heart goes out to his wife Gayla and their daughter as well as his TSU teammates and the student-athletes whose lives he touched. We’ve lost one more of our great Tigers.”

Thomas replaced legendary TSU coach John Merritt.

From 1971-1983, Thomas served as an assistant on Merritt's staff. Thomas played linebacker at TSU from 1967-70.

During his time as athletics director Thomas increased the number of scholarship sports from seven to 13.

The men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1992-93 on Thomas' watch.

After leaving Tennessee State, Thomas became the head coach and athletics director at Texas Southern (1994-2003). His record at Texas Southern was 49-58.

Final arrangements have not yet been made.

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Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.