Northwestern announced the hiring of new running backs Aristotle Thompson from Cal on Wednesday. Thompson replaces Chris Foster, who left the program on Jan. 9 for the same position at Duke.
Thompson spent the past five seasons with the Golden Bears, where he recruited and developed star back Jadyn Ott. Ott ran for 1,315 yards in 2023 and was the leading rusher in the Pac-12.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aristotle Thompson to our coaching staff," head coach David Braun said in a release. "Aristotle is a proven teacher of the game who brings a relentless work ethic and an ability to connect with student-athletes. His track record speaks for itself—wherever he's been, his running backs have played with toughness, discipline, and consistency. We're excited for the impact he will have in our room and the leadership he will bring to our program."
Thompson has deep ties to the West Coast. He played at Boise State from 1997-2000, helping the Broncos win the Big West in 1999 and 2000.
Out of college, he stayed in the Pacific Northwest. He worked at Nampa (Idaho) High School as a wide receivers coach in 2002, bounced over to Eastern Oregon for two seasons in the same position, then coached running backs at Portland (Ore.) Grant High School, where he also served as their defensive coordinator.
Thompson went back to Boise in 2007-08 as their assistant strength and conditioning coach, and then started his longest tenured role as the running backs coach for Cal Poly from 2009-19, coaching a 1,000+ yard rusher in each of his last nine seasons.
"I am blessed and truly honored to join Northwestern Football," Thompson said in a statement. "I want to thank Coach Braun and [athletic director] Mark Jackson for extending the opportunity to be a part of this program. My family and I are thrilled to help the young men in this program continue to grow, especially the running backs. We are eager to bring experience & passion for the game to this program, focusing on developing tough, smart, and dynamic players who will make an impact on the field. Together we will push the limits, raise the standard, build a winning culture and make the Northwestern community proud both on and off the field."
Braun has often hired friends and foes from his previous coaching stops since taking over as head coach in 2023, and this one is no different. Thompson's Cal Poly run overlapped with Braun in the Big Sky in 2015 and 2016, when he coached UC Davis' defensive line. Thompson has bragging rights as his Mustangs were 2-0 against Braun's squads in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe rivalry.
Thompson is the second coach hired since the end of the 2024 season. The Wildcats added assistant offensive line coach Ryan Olson from South Dakota State to help OL coach Bill O'Boyle. The NCAA dropped the 10-coach limit for sideline staff this year, so we could see more additions that aren't replacements for existing jobs.
