He was the starting quarterback for the Warren County High School Pioneers.
He played four years of college football at Lindsey Wilson.
Now Michael Thrower has advanced to the collegiate coaching ranks as the wide receivers coach for the Marian University Knights in Indianapolis. Marian is an NAIA powerhouse with national championships in 2012 and 2014, and a national runner-up finish in 2015.
“One of my coaches at Lindsey Wilson is now on the coaching staff here at Marian,” said Thrower. “He knew I wanted to get into coaching so he told me about the opening. I was one of five people who interviewed for the job and I got it.”
Thrower has lived in Indianapolis for three weeks. As far as NFL football goes, he has learned people love the Colts, but he’s found they have one thing in common with Tennessee fans.
“They love Peyton Manning,” said Thrower, “so we have that similarity.”
Thrower, 24, starred for the Pioneers as the team’s quarterback before graduating with the class of 2011. He was on some of the better Warren County teams in recent memory with classmates Caleb Northcutt and Cody Robinson, who signed a Division I scholarship at Duke.
The Pioneers were 4-6 during Thrower’s junior year and they were 3-7 his senior season. He was an all-district performer both of those years.
After high school, Thrower signed to play at Lindsey Wilson, a private college in Columbia, Ky. He was on the Blue Raider football team for four years as a wide receiver.
At Lindsey Wilson, Thrower was a regular special teams player. He was the holder on field goals and extra points. He was also on the kickoff team, the kickoff return team and the punt return team.
Thrower did line up at receiver at times and made a handful of catches during his career. He threw for a TD on a trick play designed to take advantage of his passing ability as a former QB.
Lindsey Wilson won the Mid-South Conference during Thrower’s senior year and advanced to the playoff quarterfinals.
Thrower spent last year in Warren County as an assistant coach. He was the quarterbacks coach for the WCHS football team and was also an assistant coach on the WCHS Lady Pioneer basketball team.
Now at Marian University, he will be coaching wide receivers, the largest position group on the team with 21 players.
“We are a spread offense and we like to throw the ball,” said Thrower. “We typically have three wide receivers on the field at all times.”
Friday was the first day for organized team meetings with players and Saturday was the first team practice. Even before players arrived, Thrower had been working with the offensive coordinator.
“The margin of error in college is so much smaller because everybody has size and speed,” said Thrower. “In high school, there are times you are just better than the other guy, but that doesn’t happen as much in college. It comes down to mental toughness. It’s not just physical.”
Thrower says he views this job as his first step in what he hopes will be a long ladder of success.
“Ever since I was a little kid, this is what I’ve wanted to do,” said Thrower. “I want to keep going and get to the biggest university program I can. I’m living my dream.”
Expectations are high for Marian University entering the season. Thrower says one preseason poll has the Knights ranked No. 3 and another has them ranked No. 4.
The first game for Marian is a kickoff game Thursday night, Aug. 31 in Chicago against Saint Xavier University. Thrower says it’s a bit ironic because his last game at Lindey Wilson was against Saint Xavier and his first game at Marian will be against them.