I’m sitting here in front of my computer searching for words on where to begin to get to the end of “The Coach,” Shawn Tompkins‘ life, as I knew it. Tompkins was an instant friend to us at RawVegas. He was one of honestly… few… who believed in our site and our contribution to MMA when we first started, so he openly gave us access into his gym, into his team, and several times into his home with his beautiful wife, Emilie and their dogs Cowboy and Patsy. Tompkins was a renowned and respected coach who embraced the saying, “those who can’t, teach.” Tompkins had tried his hand as an MMA fighter and gone 0 and 4 in that capacity. So he decided, he may not be a very good fighter, but he certainly could coach, thus one of the biggest names in MMA training was born.
Tompkins moved to Las Vegas in 2007 to help open Xtreme Couture training facility as he coached Randy Couture. In 2009, he amicably left as Head Coach at Xtreme Couture to work on branding his Team Tompkins at TapouT Training Center. Among his growing team were Chris Horodecki, John Gunderson, his brother-in-law Sam Stout, Mark Hominick and George Roop. Tompkins had recently taken Hominick to an amazing heart-filled title contention against Jose Aldo at UFC 129 in April. Hominick lost the fight, but it was evident that like all Team Tompkins members, Hominick learned to keep fighting at all costs.
Shawn Tompkins would be the first to tell you, he had many personal demons, but it was his way of pushing past them to show up to the fight that earned the respect of those who trained with him and those who simply just knew him, as I did. As I work in the media, I am not to show bias, but it’s hard when you live in the city that breeds this sport and you are welcome into so many terrific gyms and into the lives of these athletes and trainers, not to build a friendship with them. Shawn Tompkins was my friend. I will miss him. The talent he has helped cultivate…Horodecki, Gunderson, Stout, Hominick, Roop… and so many others, they will go on. They will continue to win fights and impress us with their skills. And we must always remember, that behind every single fighter that we cheer for and adore and admire… there’s a coach that stands in their corner, devoting their lives to a fighter’s glory. We all need a good coach in our lives. You will be deeply missed, Shawn.