THOMASVILLE, Ga. – Football is coming to Southwestern Georgia, but not the kind that requires a helmet and shoulder pads.  Thomas University's Athletic Director Rick Pearce officially announced the addition of Women's flag football to its intercollegiate slate Friday afternoon, becoming TU's new 11th Varsity program offered by Athletics. 
 
Thomas becomes the sixth school in The Sun Conference to add Flag Football, joining Florida Memorial, Keiser, St. Thomas, Warner, and Webber International, and just the second school in Georgia to publicly declare its intention.
 
Around the country, the NAIA officially launches the flag football era next month, kicking off its first, ever season that includes a midseason and a postseason tournament.  There are reportedly 12 NAIA institutions set to begin their inaugural seasons.  As for the Hunter Green & White, the program intends to begin competition in the Spring of 2022. 
 
In the meantime, the first order of business was clear for TU's Athletic Administration: finding the Lady Night Hawks' first-ever Flag Football Head Coach.  For Pearce, he had his eyes set on a coach 40 minutes south that has turned Godby High School into a flag football state-powerhouse in recent years.  This coach has a flag football track record dating back to 2008 that includes a pair of state championships as both a 4-year starting quarterback at Leon High School and for Amateur Athletic Association's Tallahassee Terror.  The coach's name? Chelsea Parmer. 


 
Parmer officially agreed to terms Wednesday to become TU's inaugural Head Coach, and is set to start February 1st.  The Tallahassee, Fla. native is considered by many to be a true flag football pioneer; after an illustrious high-school career at Leon, Parmer continues to be a flag football ambassador, serving on FHSAA's advisory flag football board. 
 
Now, Night Hawk Nation has an elite coach that knows how to win at the elite level.  In nine years as a flag football Head Coach, Parmer has compiled a 90-31 coaching record that includes two, Florida state semifinal appearances.  Now, Parmer will look to replicate similar success at the collegiate level in a conference that is loaded with talent.
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU women's flag football team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksWFlag.