Jesse Thompson enters his third season as Northern Arizona's defensive backs coach in 2021-22.

In Thompson's first year, Khalil Dorsey finished his Lumberjack career with his second All-Big Sky First Team honor. During the shortened spring 2021 season, NAU's Morgan Vest also earned All-Big Sky First Team honors as he was a unanimous selection following his first season on the field for the Lumberjacks.

Thompson was tabbed as the Lumberjacks' defensive backs coach and arrives in Flagstaff after spending two seasons on Jerry Partridge's staff at Delta State, where he was in charge of the secondary.
 
Thompson's secondary helped Delta State advance to the second round of the 2017 NCAA Division II Playoffs after ranking among the top 20 teams nationally in a number of categories including interceptions (17^th), red zone defense (4^th) and third down defense (19^th).
 
Before heading to Delta State, Thompson spent a season as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach for Virginia Union University (2016).  He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Northeast Mississippi Community College (2007) before being named as the defensive coordinator at Kemper (Miss.) High School in 2008.
 
Thompson earned his first collegiate coaching position at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 2009 and spent eight seasons with the Aggies in various roles, including defensive coordinator.