Staff of Athletics

Director of Athletics

Athletics Operations Coordinator

Head Coach Tom Johnson is in his third year with the EMCC Mountain Lions Men’s Golf Team. Coach Johnson is looking to build a fun, energetic team to compete against the other juco teams in Arizona. Coach Johnson enjoys the challenge of helping student-athletes become the best version of themselves on and off the golf course. Coach Johnson has over 30 years of leadership experience in state and local government. He joined the Air Force out of high school and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base for four years. Coach Johnson is a graduate of Glendale Community College and Arizona State University. Coach Johnson is a lifelong golfer and is able to utilize his 30-plus years of leadership experience to assist in developing a well-rounded approach to improving golf skills and lowering scores. 

Coach Jeff Thursam has been coaching and teaching physical education in Arizona for the past 26 years and has dedicated the last 32 years of his adult life to coaching student-athletes at the middle school, high school, and college level. Bringing a coaching background from a variety of sports helps to bring a complete athlete emphasis to the golf team. His focus is currently directed at making the golf program at Estrella Mountain Community College a place where student-athletes come to gain experience both on and off the golf course. Using life lessons and experiences to prepare the student athletes for the next chapter of their life is something Coach Thursam concentrates on. This is accomplished by preparing his players to succeed by improving their golf skills while also getting the most out of the skills they already have. Placing emphasis on mental preparation, course management, risk/reward analysis, and shot selection helps create a complete player and plays a major role in developing his athletes. Several recent players from Estrella Mountain have gone on to four-year schools with golf scholarships. Coach Thursam was born outside Buffalo, N.Y. He has been a Valley resident for over 25 years. Coach Thursam graduated from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania with a physical education teaching degree as well as a sport management degree while playing on two of the school’s sports teams. He followed that with a master's degree from Northern Arizona University. 

Reid Axman has served as the head coach for the Men’s Cross Country team at Estrella Mountain Community College since 2019. He began his coaching career in 2007 and has experience with coaching both track and field and cross country at a variety of levels including middle school, high school, and collegiate. While working with Sierra Linda, Bourgade Catholic, and Copper Canyon high schools, he had success coaching numerous state-qualifying individuals and teams. Since joining the team at EMCC, he has helped multiple athletes qualify for the NJCAA National Championship. Coach Axman has considered himself a runner since a young age, competing in track and field starting in middle school and running two years of cross country in high school. Since then, he has competed regularly in races ranging from the mile to the ultra-marathon distance. He has run 13 marathons with a personal best of 3:08, also qualifying for the Boston Marathon three times. Coach Axman is currently aspiring to run a 50-mile race soon. Coach Axman graduated from Brigham Young University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and completed his graduate program in 2006 in school psychology. He currently works as a school psychologist in the Alhambra Elementary School District. His experience as a runner and coach combined with his educational background in psychology make for a unique combination in supporting his athletes’ success. 

Alex Bobian is a dedicated cross country coach at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC). He brings a lifelong passion for running and a wealth of competitive experience to his role. Since joining EMCC in 2024, Coach Bobian has been instrumental in mentoring student-athletes, emphasizing athletic excellence and personal growth. Coach Bobian's journey in running began at the tender age of 5. Demonstrating remarkable endurance early on, he completed his first half-marathon at 8 and his first full marathon by 12. During his high school years at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Ariz, he achieved a personal best of 4:58 in the mile and recorded a 5K cross-country time of 17:24. After high school, Coach Bobian competed in cross country for Estrella Mountain Community College and Glendale Community College (GCC), where he posted an 8K personal best of 33:46.0 at the Mesa College XC Jamboree in 2022. He is pursuing an associate degree in General Business at GCC, balancing his academic endeavors with his coaching responsibilities. Beyond coaching, Coach Bobian has completed four half marathons and four full marathons, underscoring his deep commitment to the sport. His extensive experience as an athlete and coach enables him to guide EMCC’s cross country team with insight and dedication, fostering a culture of perseverance and achievement.