Football

Tommy Tharp
Head Coach

Coach Tommy Tharp hails from Louisiana and has been coaching for over 32 years, 20 as Head Coach, in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama. His teams have missed the playoffs only 3 times in his career. He took over at Mangham High School in his home state in 2009. During that 10 year span his teams have made the playoffs each season, won Three District Championships, one State Semi-final and State Championship appearances during the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons, spearheading the resurgence of Mangham Football.

Coach Tharp has been State Coach of the Year, Northeast Louisiana Coach of the year, District Coach of the Year 4 times, been the Head Coach and Asst. Head Coach of the Tennessee East/West Shrine Game, Asst. coach in the LHSAA East/West All-Star Game along with Asst. Coach on the Louisiana Football Coaches Association All Star team, coached numerous Championship Powerlifting Teams, and spoken at many clinics across the south. Coach Tharp has published DVD’s and is currently working on a book on his Hybrid “Dragon-Wing” offense available through Coaches Choice.

Coach Tharp gives all of the credit to any successes he has had to all the coaches over the years he has had the honor to work with and learn from, but special credit to Coach Gerald Johnson, Coach Ralph Spangler, Coach Wes Elrod, Coach Ron Reece, and Coach Woody Boyles. He is married to his wife Tami, and they have 4 children, Madison, Emma, TD, and Thomas. He and his family reside in West Monroe, Louisiana.

David DeMoss
Football Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Softball Coach

Coach DeMoss graduated from West Ouachita High School in 2000. He attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe for his first year of college before later transferring to Louisiana Tech University for his Undergraduate Degree in Health and Physical Education. DeMoss later received his Master’s Degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in Educational Leadership. He is married to an amazing, wonderful wife, Krystal, and they have two boys, Isaiah, and Elijah. They also have two dogs (Gemma and Ringo) and two cats (Joy and Joe Heisman Purreaux).

Coach DeMoss began coaching during his 2nd year of college at Calhoun Middle School, where he coached football, basketball, and softball for two years. He then coached girls’ soccer at West Ridge Middle School during his student teaching. After he graduated college, he coached one year of softball at West Ouachita High School before he received his first teaching job at Good Hope Middle School. Coach DeMoss was at Good Hope for two years and coached football, softball, track, and girls soccer. Many of the athletes he coached at Good Hope would go on to have careers at the collegiate level.

After he left Good Hope he taught and coached at Caldwell Parish High School for four years, where he coached football, softball, track, and baseball. While at Caldwell, they made the playoffs in football all four years and where he had many all-district players on the defensive side of the ball. He coached track his first year and baseball his second year where they made the playoffs. During his last two years at Caldwell, he coached the softball team to a District Championship and went to the 2nd round of the playoffs both years.

After leaving Caldwell, he taught and coached for eight years at Woodlawn Jr. High in West Monroe, LA. During this time he coached football, softball, and girls soccer. He served as the defensive coordinator for the football team and was the head softball coach for five years. During his last year at Woodlawn their softball team won the small school State Tournament.

Coach DeMoss is looking forward to his time at D’Arbonne Woods and is excited by the potential on both the football and softball teams. He loves the atmosphere of the school and the enthusiasm of both the students and faculty.