From 1975 to 1976, Thurmond was defensive backs coach at
McAlester High School in
McAlester, Oklahoma. He returned to his alma mater
Charles Page High School to be defensive backs coach from 1977 to 1979. In 1980, Thurmond was defensive coordinator at
Claremore High School in
Claremore, Oklahoma before returning to Page to be head coach 1983. Moving to the college ranks, from 1983 to 1991, Thurmond coached cornerbacks and defensive backs at
Tulsa. Houston lost to
TCU. From 2008 to 2010, Thurmond was defensive backs coach at
Kentucky, under
Rich Brooks from 2008 to 2009 then
Joker Phillips in 2010. Thurmond's tenure at Kentucky included a win in the
2009 Liberty Bowl following the 2008 season. In 2011, Thurmond joined
David Bailiff's staff at
Rice to be cornerbacks coach; Thurmond added defensive coordinator to his duties in 2012. Rice won the
2012 Armed Forces Bowl in Thurmond's first season as defensive coordinator. ==Head coaching record==