Photo by Todd Lester
Mountain Brook assistant coach Mike Thorsen celebrates a missed Pinson Valley field goal during a game between Mountain Brook and Pinson Valley in the third round of the AHSAA playoffs on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Pinson, Ala.
Many of the most notable stories involving Mike Thorsen involve him raising his voice.
The longtime football coach, who spent the last 25 years as an assistant at Mountain Brook High School, passed away Tuesday. Thorsen spent over 50 years in coaching, making stops in Florida and locally at Homewood, Berry (Hoover) and Mountain Brook high schools.
Those who knew him will not soon forget that voice, whether it be the high-pitched call to get one of his players’ attention, or the stern way he would correct his players following a missed assignment.
“I knew who he was then, because of his signature yell from the sidelines,” said Shane Stearns, who competed against Thorsen’s Homewood defenses as a player at Erwin.
Bert Newton, son of legendary Homewood High coach Bob Newton, recalls his first interaction with Thorsen vividly. He was none too happy to find Bert Newton and his brother playing around in the weight room as young kids, regardless of who they were.
Buddy Pell, who played for and coached with Thorsen at Mountain Brook, recalls the time one of his teammates blew a play and allowed the opposition to score a touchdown. An animated Thorsen met the player immediately, and a one-sided discussion was only interrupted by that same player returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
But the layer of Thorsen’s voice that may not have always been as readily apparent is the soft side, one that allowed him to connect to all of his players over the years.
“The yelling, screaming and hard coaching is not unique,” Pell said. “The unique part is what a lot of people don’t see is that every time after that, he puts his arm around you and lets you know that he cares.”
Newton is now the head coach at Hartselle, but coached at Mountain Brook for 12 years in addition to stints at Spain Park and Vestavia Hills. Much of what he knows comes from his days observing Thorsen on his dad’s staff at Homewood and coaching alongside him with the Spartans.
“The guy had such an influence on me, not just knowledge of the game, but how to treat players and other coaches,” Newton said. “He wasn’t soft; he was as hard as they get. At the end of the day, he truly loved them. Guys older than me that played for him were still in touch with him.”
Stearns is now the defensive coordinator at Mountain Brook and spent 16 years coaching with Thorsen. He said there was no one more disciplined than Thorsen, which makes sense given his background in the Marines before embarking on his coaching career.
Thorsen was going to wake up and work out at 4 a.m., regardless of whether he wanted to or not. He was going to mow the grass at Mountain Brook on Monday.
He also showed an utmost respect for people.
“The biggest thing is his kids knew that he loved them and he wanted what was best for them and wanted them to be the best versions of themselves,” Stearns said. “That’s why the kids responded to him so much. He expected nothing but their best, and there’s just something about him; kids flock to him. It’s amazing.”
Thorsen joined the staff at Mountain Brook during Joey Jones’ tenure and remained with Chris Yeager since he took over as head coach in 2006.
“Mike Thorsen, you were a man for the ages. You transformed boys to men, mentored coaches and loved the Mountain Brook Spartans,” Yeager posted on social media. “It was a great honor to share the sidelines [and] life with you for 25 years. Your absence hurts our hearts. You will always be a great part of who we are.”
Evans is now the head coach at Vestavia Hills but spent time competing against Thorsen during his time as Hoover’s defensive coordinator and competing alongside him as the Mountain Brook defensive coordinator.
“The kids loved him, and so did the coaches,” he said. “He was my favorite person to work with in my entire career. I’ve worked with some great people, but as far as coaches coming to work, he was my favorite person to work with. He always had energy and charisma.”
Evans calls Thorsen the “best teachers of tacklers I’ve ever seen.” Despite coaching through many different eras of football, Thorsen’s thirst for knowledge showed through in every conversation.
“He was a lifelong learner,” Evans said. “He was looking to learn new techniques, new coverages. You get older people set in their ways sometimes, but that wasn’t Mike at all.”
Thorsen had already announced his retirement following the 2023 season, with the Spartans winning at least eight games in each of the last eight seasons and advancing to the Class 6A state championship game in 2022.
“When I knew he wasn’t going to coach, that part was going to be tough to not be around him all the time,” Pell said.
But much of Thorsen’s impact will be felt on the program for many years to come.
“He was there for so long that so many of the principles that were foundational to him are still foundational to the program,” Pell said.
A memorial service for Thorsen will be held at the Spartan Arena at Mountain Brook High School on Monday at 4 p.m. The family will receive visitors before the memorial from 2-4 p.m.
“The guy was a phenomenal human being,” Evans said. “That’s why there has been such an outpouring for him. He was a very valued and trusted friend and those are hard to come by sometimes.”
