Rubama: Ivan Thomas cared for the kids as his wife became a doctor. ‘Now it’s his turn’ to achieve his goal.

HAMPTON — Last Wednesday was a day that has been in the making for years for Ivan Thomas, his wife and family.

Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas watched intently from the front row as her best friend, soulmate and husband was introduced as Hampton University’s next head basketball coach .

She hung on his every word. Deep down, she thought, ‘Now it’s his turn.’ ”

“I think I took a deep exhale. This was his goal. His goal was to be a head coach,” she said. “And the fact that he could do it in our backyard, you know sometimes when you just feel a weight just release, that’s what I felt. My husband has been able to reach his goal, and he’s coming home.”

Yes, he is.

The Thomases — who met as freshmen at Virginia Commonwealth University — made commitments to one another to see to it that the other reach their maximum potential in life.

“One of the things you never want to do is settle because you never want to have regrets,” Dr. Thomas said. “If you have the ability, why shouldn’t you achieve it?”

First, it was Dr. Thomas.

“During my residency, he was the one with the kids,” she said about their three children, Christopher, Taylor and Jordan. “He was the one managing the kids while I was working 110 hours a week.”

Dr. Thomas, who went to Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, did her residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“It was tough as I supported my wife when she went to medical school. And then she did her residency and I took care of the kids and coached high school basketball running with diapers on my back to get home to the nannies at home,” he said, laughing as he leaned back on the couch after his introduction as coach. “Then in 2008, I win the state title.”

Thomas led T.C. Williams to a 75-9 record, including winning a district title each season. After that 2008 season, he was named Virginia High School League Coach of the Year.

But then came another change.

“She had the opportunity to come down (to Hampton Roads) here to start her practice,” he said. “Then I raised the kids while she was starting her practice.”

That’s when he coached at Kecoughtan. He led the Warriors to a 127-60 record and led them to the Peninsula District title in 2010 and 2012. He’s also been an AAU coach for the Boo Williams 17U Team for 13 years.

Then in 2014, roles switched.

Dr. Thomas and the kids were settled, and it was time for Coach Thomas to pursue his calling.

“I had the opportunity to go coach college basketball, and before I did it, I asked her,” he said. “And she said, ‘Yes, if that’s what you want to do. You supported me all these years in helping me finish medical school and get through residency and raising our kids, I can flip-flop. I got it.’ ”

Coach Thomas worked with Ed Cooley, beginning at Providence. He was grateful that Cooley was understanding about his family back in Virginia and allowed him to go back and forth to take care of his family.

It was made easier when Cooley got the head coaching job last year at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., which — if the traffic is good — is less than a 3-hour drive.

Coach Thomas calls his wife “Super Woman” for her work the past several years.

“My wife was the primary person, all while running Urology of Virginia and she went to MIT to get her MBA,” he said. “She’s a bad woman. S he did all that while raising our three kids while I was chasing this.”

That’s why Wednesday was such a big and emotional day for the Thomas family.

“When you meet your soulmate, you want to make sure that they can reach their goals, and their highest level also,” Dr. Thomas said. “And honestly, in a marriage and a relationship, there’s a tradeoff. Everyone can’t do the same thing at the same time. So, I maintained the home for the children so that we could have some stability, and he would always come back home. And now, he was given this great opportunity where he could be close to home and it worked out.”

Thomas didn’t make any excuses for his emotions as tears flowed as he stood at the podium looking at the room filled with family, friends and supporters.

“It didn’t hit me before because I was busy trying to think about how I’m getting players and building this program,” he said. “It hit me this morning when I saw my daughters getting dressed. When I saw my mom and my dad. I realized I’m back home. It’s full circle.”

The kids are kids no longer. Only Jordan is in high school.

“I feel really proud of him. I know when he first left for Providence to reach for his goals, I was in the fifth grade and I didn’t see him much,” said Jordan, a senior at Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg. “Now I’m graduating and he’s back home, and I’m really happy.”

Ironically, she will be attending Georgetown in the fall.

“I know it was a big thing because I didn’t really want to see my dad there,” she said jokingly. “But it would have been nice to see him on campus. But I’m happy he’s here.”

Taylor, who attends Pepperdine University in California, remembers when her father began this journey to become a head coach in college.

“He had a little sticky note on his mirror that said, ‘head coach position,’ ” she said. “I’m super proud of him for this moment. I know this has been something that he’s been grinding for and something that we’ve all seen him aspire to. So just being together and being able to share this moment with all of us is really special.”

Christopher, who grew up attending his father’s basketball practices, is glad to have his father home. He knows his father will be successful.

“I’ve seen what he’s done with his teams on a first-hand basis because I used to go to every practice. I know the intensity of them,” he said. “I know what these boys are about to get into.”

So does former Bethel High star Cam Bacote. He transferred from Western Carolina to Georgetown to play for Thomas this season.

“He’s a high-character man. A man who loves to pour into young men, not only on the court, but off the court,” he said. “He’s going to be committed to them being the best version of themselves. He’s going to demand a lot of his players. And I believe that they are going to win. All he’s done is win his whole career. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Through this whole journey, the Thomases have trusted God.

“Faith got us through it,” he said. “I didn’t understand why I was going to Providence, but it led me back to here. It’s so good to see the whole mission pay off.”

Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com