Career
From 1929 to 1941, he was the head football coach at the University of, compiling a record of 56–61–10. In 1949, he became the head football coach at Southwest Missouri State College, now Missouri State University, where he served until 1952. His record at Southwest Missouri State was 19–17–4.
Thomsen"s career record as a head coach was 75–78–4.
Thomsen played for the Rock Island Independents in the NFL for one season in 1924. In 1933, Thomsen"s Razorbacks had the best record in the Southwest Conference, but had to forfeit their first conference championship because Thomsen played Heinie Schleuter, an ineligible athlete.
Schleuter had told Thomsen he could play, but actually had no remaining eligibility. However, Texas Christian University received the Southwest Conference"s bid to the first Cotton Bowl, leaving out of the bowl picture.
Thomsen popularized the forward pass at, attempting over 300 aerials, which caught fire across the Southwest Conference.
Thomsen used two quarterbacks, Dwight Sloan for wet weather, and Jack Robbins for dry.