| Gary Thornton | |
| Fullname: | Gary Thornton |
| Birth Date: | 1963 3, df=y |
| Year1start: | 1986 |
| Year1end: | 90 |
| Appearances1: | 18 |
| Tries1: | 3 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals1: | 0 |
| Points1: | 12 |
| Year2start: | 1988 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals2: | 0 |
| Club3: | Batley |
| Year3start: | 1990 |
| Year3end: | 02 |
| Appearances3: | 215 |
| Tries3: | 79 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals3: | 0 |
| Points3: | 316 |
| Coachteam1: | Batley Bulldogs |
| Coachyear1start: | 2003 |
| Coachyear1end: | 09 |
| Coachgames1: | 0 |
| Coachwins1: | 0 |
| Coachdraws1: | 0 |
| Coachlosses1: | 0 |
| Coachyear2start: | 2012 |
| Coachyear2end: | 14 |
| Coachgames2: | 0 |
| Coachwins2: | 0 |
| Coachdraws2: | 0 |
| Coachlosses2: | 0 |
| Coachteam3: | Doncaster RLFC |
| Coachyear3start: | 2015 |
| Coachyear3end: | 17 |
| Coachgames3: | 0 |
| Coachwins3: | 0 |
| Coachdraws3: | 0 |
| Coachlosses3: | 0 |
| Coachteam4: | Hunslet RLFC |
| Coachyear4start: | 2018 |
| Coachyear4end: | 21 |
| Coachgames4: | 48 |
| Coachwins4: | 25 |
| Coachdraws4: | 3 |
| Coachlosses4: | 20 |
| Coachyear5start: | 2023 |
| Coachyear5end: | present |
| Coachgames5: | 46 |
| Coachwins5: | 22 |
| Coachdraws5: | 1 |
| Coachlosses5: | 23 |
| Source: | [1] |
| Retired: | no |
| Updated: | 17 Aug 2024 |
Gary Thornton is an English rugby league coach, and currently head coach of Rochdale Hornets. He has previously coached at Hunslet RLFC and Castleford Tigers[2] U20s academy side from 2009 to 2012.
in September 2022, he was announced as head-coach of Rochdale Hornets.
As a player, he spent 4 seasons at Wakefield Trinity before joining Batley in 1990, after initially having a loan spell at 'The Mount' in the 1988–89 season. He went on to make 215 appearances for the club scoring 79 tries.
Gary spent five and a half years as head coach at Batley from October 2003-April 2009(the longest serving Championship coach at the time), and also spent time as U21s coach at Wakefield Trinity.[3]
Gary was Head Coach at York between 2012 and 2014, and Doncaster R.L.F.C. from June 2015 to May 2017.[4]
Has won the coach of the year award in respective Championship divisions: