Sun Valley, Calif. – Village Christian School has hired Malcolm Thomas as its new head varsity boys lacrosse coach, the school has announced.

Thomas, the 2016 CIF-City Section Boys Lacrosse co-Coach of the Year at Valley Academy of Arts/Sciences, has served as the VCS Middle School lacrosse head coach and Director of Velocity since 2017.

“One thing that’s been said about every team I’ve coached is we go hard 100-percent of the time,” he said. “I’m excited and looking forward to continuing to create a culture here at Village that takes our lacrosse program to the next level. Practice, games, school work – we go hard.

“We have already taken some big steps, including adding a girls program next year. As Phil Jackson said, ‘The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.’ I believe it’s a matter of time before Village Christian lacrosse teams becomes a power to be reckoned with.”

Thomas takes over for Joe Sofio, the five-year-old program’s founding head coach, who helped the Crusaders to their first postseason appearances in 2018 and 2019.

“We are confident that Coach Thomas and his staff will build upon the successful foundation laid by Coach Sofio of two straight playoff appearances, alumni playing in college, and growing number of players,” said Head of School Tom Konjoyan.

Before coming to Village, Thomas also served as the Head of Recruitment and a Club Board Member for Granada Lacrosse Club and has been the head varsity girls basketball coach at Chatsworth High School, Grace Brethren, and Northridge Academy.

“Coach Thomas will bring an infectious enthusiasm for the game and a focus on fundamentals,” said Athletic Director Richard Broussard. “He will create a culture of hard work and accountability, while enhancing the mind, body, and soul of each student-athlete. Look for exciting, physical, and skilled lacrosse players coming from VCS under his guidance.”