Thomas Gilson is in his third year with Utah State football and second as an assistant strength and conditioning coach after spending the 2021 season as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant for the Aggies.
During the 2022 campaign, Gilson helped Utah State to six wins and its 10th bowl game in the past 12 seasons, including its second in as many years as it appeared in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. USU also tied for second place in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West with a 5-3 mark as the Aggies had nine players earn various all-conference accolades, including a pair of All-Americans.
In his first season at Utah State, Gilson helped the Aggies to their best season in school history as they tied the school record with 11 wins (11-3), won their first-ever Mountain West Championship with a 46-13 victory at No. 19 San Diego State, posted a 24-13 win against Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl and finished the season ranked 24th in the nation in both polls.
Gilson came to Utah State after spending the 2020 season as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant coach at Incarnate Word. Prior to that, he spent six months as a strength and conditioning intern at South Carolina. He also spent one year as the Director of Sports Performance at Elite Health and Fitness in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
Gilson has also spent time as a position coach as he worked with the wide receivers at both Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, during the 2018 season, and for Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts, during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Before coaching, Gilson spent six years playing professionally in the Arena Football League. He began his professional career with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks and was named the PIFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and second-team all-PIFL, as he had 99 receptions for 1,037 yards and 22 touchdowns, setting franchise records for receptions, receiving touchdowns and points scored.
Gilson’s last season of professional football was in 2018 for the Jacksonville Sharks, as he played in 13 games and caught 67 passes for 875 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Gilson played collegiately at Massachusetts and earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2011.
He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).