Servite was 75-25 during Troy Thomas’ eight-year tenure, but the Friars went 3-7 overall and failed to make the playoffs in 2012. / ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

Troy Thomas resigned as football coach at Servite on Tuesday to become coach at his alma mater, Crespi of Encino.

Thomas coached Servite for eight seasons. The Friars were league champions or co-champions in seven of those seasons, and he won CIF-Southern Section championships in 2009 and ’10. Servite also won a CIF State title in ’09.

Servite was 75-25 during his tenure. The Friars had their only non-playoff, non-league championship season under Thomas last year when they were 3-7 overall and 1-4 in the Trinity League.

Thomas coached at Crespi from 2001 to ’04. The Celts won the CIF-SS Division 10 championship under Thomas in ’04.

Jon Mack resigned as Crespi coach Friday, although that was not publicized until Monday. Thomas was contacted Saturday and quickly accepted the Celts’ offer. His mother lives in the San Fernando Valley.

“I’m going home to my alma mater,” he said Tuesday. “I’m excited about that and about being closer to my mom.”

In 2004, the season before Thomas arrived at Servite, the Friars were 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the Serra League. In ’05, Servite was 10-3 overall and Serra League co-champion with a 4-1 record. Thomas was the Register’s Orange County coach of the year in ’05.

Among Servite’s other accomplishments during Thomas’ tenure were victories over rival Mater Dei in 2009, ’10 and ’11. Servite had not defeated Mater Dei in football since 1988.

Thomas said what he will most miss about Servite is the associations with the athletes.

“The Servite men, that to me is the most special thing about Servite,” Thomas said. “A very close second is the parents. The parents of Servite are unbelievable and they are why the young men of Servite are unbelievable.”

Servite athletic director Alan Clinton said the school as of Tuesday had not set a timeline for hiring a football coach.

Mack reportedly resigned to accept an administrative position at Santa Clara of Oxnard. Crespi was 8-2 overall and 2-2 in the Serra League in 2012, when the Celts did not qualify for the playoffs.

Speculation on the next Servite coach is going to center around these coaches: Ed Drzanek, longtime Servite assistant and an alum there, now the head coach at El Modena; Centennial of Corona coach Matt Logan (a candidate back in 2005, when Thomas got the job); Brian Barnes, recently deposed as Tesoro coach; Frank Mazzotta of La Habra (I spoke with him today; he loves La Habra but would be flattered by interest from Servite); Dusan Ancich, Villa Park head coach. Or maybe it will be a college football assistant, much like Orange Lutheran football and Santa Margarita basketball recently brought in veteran college assistant coaches.

More football news from the OCVarsity blog:

Servite football coach Troy Thomas is meeting with the school’s football players this afternoon. The meeting will address whether he is staying at Servite or leaving. The football coach at Crespi of Encino, Jon Mack, resigned the position yesterday. Thomas is a Crespi alum, and was Crespi’s head coach before taking the Servite job in 2005.

Thomas has led Servite football to great success — CIF and league championships, and returned Servite football to the top of the county football pyramid.

More football news from the OCVarsity blog:

As Santa Margarita football coach Harry Welch said this morning, “That’s what I’m hearing through the coaching grapevine.”

If I am Crespi and my football coach resigned, which happened Monday when Jon Mack resigned (Daily News reports Mack might take an administrative job at Santa Clara of Ventura), I check in with Welch at least on a consultant basis.

Troy Thomas, who has coached Servite football to remarkable success at Servite since 2005, is said this morning to be on the tarmac to replace Mack at Crespi of Encino, Thomas’ alma mater and where he coached before moving on to Servite.

We have calls and contacts out to a bunch of people at Servite, including Thomas himself.

Thomas likes being at Servite, but if everything was just right he might be on the road to Encino.

More football news from the OCVarsity blog: