Behind the Coaching
Meet Your Trainer
In high school, at a camp in Teaneck, New Jersey, Kobe Bryant changed how I think about this game.
“70% mental, 30% physical. And depending on the day, it could be even more mental.”
— Kobe Bryant
That has been the foundation of how I coach. Story source: OWH profile, July 2024.
The Long Road
From Alabama. Around the world. Back to Lincoln.
Born in Washington D.C., raised in Alabama. Thomas’s dad played D1 ball at St. Bonaventure, and basketball was a family language from the third grade on. By Bob Jones High School, he was a top-100 player in the country — on the AAU circuit, at the Adidas ABCD camp, fielding offers from twenty-plus Division I programs.
He chose William & Mary for the academics, then made one of the toughest decisions of his young adult life: transferring to Birmingham Southern to chase the pro dream. Business degree in 2006. Education always came before basketball — even when basketball was the dream.
What followed was nine years of professional basketball across five countries: Italy, France, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland. Top league in Italy alongside future NBA players. Drums and flares in Naples. Days off in museums and on the beach. A 6′10″ player who grew up at point guard — which should tell you what type of player he is.
Viglianco Hoops started in the fall of 2013 with twenty or thirty kids. By the summer of 2025, more than 1,000 athletes have come through — from NBA and WNBA pros to middle schoolers picking up the ball for the first time — and 100+ college scholarships have been signed.
2007 — Lincoln, NE
A salad and a glass of water at Lazlo’s.
Quiet Thursday night in the Haymarket. He’d just come back from his first pro season in Italy — cut short by a back injury, a doctor in the U.S. saying he might never play again. His mother was going through chemotherapy in Alabama. Finance interviews were on his calendar. A friend in Lincoln had offered him a couch and a summer to figure it out.
A few women approached his table. The usual questions for a 6′10″ man eating alone. Was he a basketball player? Did he play for Nebraska? And then the one that changed everything:
“Can you train my boys in basketball?”
He said no. He’d never coached. He took her card anyway. Days later, he drove east across Lincoln to meet two fifth-graders in jean shorts with red Gatorade mustaches. One of them was Triston Simpson — who would go on to play at Lincoln North Star and South Dakota.
That summer became seventeen years (and counting) of training Nebraska’s basketball talent.
Adapted from Tyler Mason’s profile in the Omaha World-Herald, July 2024.
The Journey
From Alabama to the Pros to Lincoln
The Beginning
Born in Washington D.C., raised in Alabama. All-state player at Bob Jones High School. Top 100 nationally by scouting services. Attended the Adidas ABCD camp for the top 200 players in the nation.
College Ball
Full scholarship to William & Mary (D1) for academics and basketball. Transferring to Birmingham Southern to chase the pro dream was one of the toughest decisions of his young adult life — but it made him a stronger person, on and off the court. Business degree in 2006. Education always came first.
Going Pro
Signed with a sports agent and launched a 9-year professional career across Italy, France, Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland. Played in Italy's top league alongside future NBA players. Competed against some of the best players in the world.
Coming to Nebraska
A summer visit to Lincoln became a second home — and a chance encounter at Lazlo’s started a coaching career he never planned. Read the full origin above.
Building Viglianco Hoops
Built one of the most respected training programs in the state. 1,000+ athletes trained. 100+ college scholarships. Alumni in the NBA, WNBA, and top European leagues. Connected across the basketball world — from NCAA coaching staffs to NBA front offices.
The Philosophy
You don't have to run the fastest, jump the highest, or be the strongest to play this game. I focus on the mental side — how to think, how to compete, how to win. Not just basketball — life.
