Thomas Hinkle joined the Marietta College football coaching staff in 2016. He served as the Pioneers’ associate head coach during the fall 2025 season and was named head coach in December 2025. He became the 31st head coach in program history.
As the defensive line coach for eight seasons under Andy Waddle, Hinkle produced some of the best defensive lines in MC football history and the country . During that time Marietta’s defense led NCAA Division III in third down defense in 2024 and was second in D3 sacks in 2022. In three of the last five seasons, Marietta’s defense has had a player ranked in the top-10 NCAA Division III in sacks. Hinkle has coached several All-Americans including Drake Neuberger, Kyle Gallagher and Chance Knight.
Hinkle, a three-year varsity letterman for Marietta, joined the coaching staff after a successful playing career in the Navy Blue and White. Hinkle played a variety of positions during his career before settling into a starting role on the defensive line. As a freshman he started one game at quarterback, passing for 195 yards and one touchdown. In his final two seasons he played every game, tallying 53 tackles his senior year, including 1.5 sacks and 6 tackles for a loss. He also served as the Pioneer punter in 2014, averaging 33.4 yards per punt to be one of the conference leaders in that year. Hinkle graduated from Marietta College in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sport Management. He is a CrossFit Level 1 Certified Trainer.