February 5, 2026 - Smithson Valley High School Head Coach Ike Thornton has been leading the varsity basketball team since 2014. In 2023, Coach Thornton was joined by his son, Isaac Thornton, as the Assistant and Junior Varsity coach. Together, the coaching pair not only strives for team growth each season, but also encourages their players’ individual growth.
The Thornton’s have shared a love for basketball going back three generations, with Head Coach Thornton’s father, Ike Thornton Sr.
“My father, Isaac Thornton Sr., was a basketball player in Dayton Ohio,” said Ike Thornton, who has recently been announced as a coach for the 2026 San Antonio Sports All-Star Basketball Game. “He would always take me around the game, and I fell in love with it at an early age.”
Ike Thornton pursued his love for basketball through coaching, first playing for The University of Texas at San Antonio, coaching basketball in Ohio, and then eventually finding his way to Smithson Valley.
While coaching, his son Isaac Thornton found his love for the game through attending practices and eventually being coached by his father.
“I developed a love for the sport which led me to play for my dad when I entered high school at Sam Houston,” said Isaac Thornton. “That has always been something we shared - our love for the game.”
Isaac Thornton played guard for San Jose State and landed an internship with the Dallas Mavericks post-graduation. After working as a graduate assistant coach for Northern Arizona University, Thornton eventually joined his father at Smithson Valley.
Neither Thornton intended to go into coaching, but instead found their way through their love for the game.
“I enjoy working with my dad,” Isaac Thornton stated. “Basketball is something that we have shared my entire life, and so it is icing on the cake that I get to do something I enjoy with him.”
The Thornton’s close relationship benefits their coaching and team dynamic; It allows for them to anticipate what the other is thinking, and makes collaboration effortless.
“(Isaac) knows me better than anyone,” Ike Thornton shares. “He knows my strengths and weaknesses, so when I start going down a rabbit-hole, he is there to pull me out.”
Together, the pair not only coaches their team for a successful season, but encourages personal growth for success beyond high school.
“We always talk about how eventually the ball is going to stop bouncing for everyone, so we encourage our players to develop other pursuits and find what they enjoy doing outside of the game; to develop themselves as a whole person,” said Isaac Thornton.
As individuals who have pursued their passion, the Thornton’s are a perfect example of turning your passions into a career, and they advocate for their students to do the same. “Get in touch with what you want to do in life, and then go for it, don’t let anyone influence you.”
Thank you Coach Ike and Isaac Thornton for leading your team on a Path to Success!
Photo Descriptions
- Smithson Valley High School basketball team in a huddle with Assistant Coach Isaac Thornton
- Smithson Valley High School basketball team observed by Head Coach Ike Thornton
- Smithson Valley High School Head Coach Ike Thornton looking at Assistant Coach Isaac Thornton