After serving Queens College as an administrator for nearly 30 years, Merlin Thompson returned to Queens in September of 2017 to coach the women's volleyball team for the remainder of the 2017 season. Thompson is currently serving as an Assistant to the Athletic Director.
In his most recent role with Queens as Associate Athletics Director / Office of Campus & Community Recreation, Thompson’s responsibilities included overseeing the intramural program at Queens as well as being the face of the department in the community. Through the OCCR office, Thompson visited local schools and community centers to help raise awareness about Queens College athletics.
Prior to coming back to his alma mater, Thompson served the athletics department at Brooklyn College from 1982-91. While there, he was an Assistant Athletics Director for compliance, as well as a long-time supervisor of the intramurals and recreation programs.
Born in St. Vincent in the West Indies, Thompson has extensive volleyball playing and coaching experience. A cadre instructor to this day for USA Volleyball, he serves as director of the Creole Volleyball Club. Thompson also has coached in the New York Empire State Games, and played within the Creole adults program. He is the uncle of Reggie Anthony and Alisha Matthews of the QC volleyball team.
A former student-athlete at Queens, the 1979 graduate (computer science) lettered in soccer, volleyball and track and field for the Knights. Thompson was named an Metropolitan All-Star in soccer after a successful scholastic career at Martin Van Buren High School. He presently resides in Jamaica, N.Y., with his wife, Aracelli and his step-daughter, Fiorella – a former volleyball standout at Johns Hopkins University.
