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Left to right: South Weber Mayor Rodney Westbroek, Jed Nilson, Erik Thompson and Skye Thompson pose for a picture during a open house ceremony on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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A front view of the home before an open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Left to right: Skye Thompson and Jed Nilson of Nilson Homes embrace during an open house ceremony on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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A view of the background before an open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Layton High athletic director Brian Berrong speaks to a crowd during a open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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A view of the kitchen before an open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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South Weber Mayor Rodney Westbroek speaks to a crowd during a open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Chairs sit in the garage before an open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Jed Nilson of Nilson Homes speaks to a crowd during a open house ceremony for the Erik Thompson family on Friday, June 27, 2025, in South Weber.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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SOUTH WEBER — Storied football coach Erik Thompson’s four-year battle with ALS — Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — received a momentous win Friday when his family received the keys to a new home.

The Have a Heart Home Foundation, founded in 1998 and later joining hands with the Northern Utah Homebuilders Association, presented the Thompson family with a large, multi-floor home in South Weber during an open house ceremony.

Thompson recently retired as Ogden High’s head football coach following a lengthy teaching and coaching career, beginning his head coaching career at Northridge in 2004. In 2021, Thompson received his diagnosis but continued his coaching duties at Ogden for three more seasons.

Over the past year, Thompson’s family and Jed Nilson, owner of Nilson Homes, the homebuilder spearheading the project, have organized a move-in for the Thompson family.

“We got to build a home that was based on function, longevity, and (the) future,” Nilson said. “This is about a legacy and this is about a family home that’ll stay in this family for a long time.”

Accommodations for Erik’s condition were at the forefront of the project, with spacious living spaces and additional fixtures to aid the family as Thompson’s disease progresses. Key elements, such as kitchen fixtures and passageways, were visible during the open house.

A lineup of guest speakers spoke on Thompson’s behalf, including South Weber Mayor Rodney Westbroek. Westbroek was joined by Layton High athletic director Brian Berrong.

“The career that (Thompson) had, in 29 years of coaching, that doesn’t come from just being a coach,” Westbroek said. “I’m sure that if you ask the kids today what they remember most, it’s going to be his attitude and how he taught them to appreciate life.”

Thompson, stepping down at Ogden in December, recently joined the Utah Sports Hall of Fame’s “Hall of Honor” during an induction ceremony in April. Longtime assistant, Terry Larson, is set to take over as Ogden’s coach this fall.

Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.