Mary Lou Thimas has been involved with Bridgewater State athletics in the various roles of student-athlete, coach and athletic administrator. Prior to her graduation in 1968, Mary Lou participated in field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. She also played for one year on the U.S. Women's National Lacrosse Team.

After earning her Masters at Springfield College (1978), Mary Lou returned to Bridgewater State as the Director of Athletics for Women (1978-82) and from 1982-87, she served as the Associate Director of Athletics. During her tenure, she coached basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. The BSC field hockey team flourished under her leadership advancing to post-season play each year from 1977-86, including NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 1982 and 1985. From 1979 to 1986 (records are not available prior to 1979), Mary Lou guided the Bears' field hockey squad to an overall record of 92-35-26 (.686).

Mary Lou's coaching career began shortly after graduating from Bridgewater State in 1968 with stints as head girls basketball, tennis and field hockey at Marshfield High High School in the early 1970s. She also taught physical education in the Marshfield and Quincy public school systems.

Mary Lou left BSC in 1987 to become the Athletic Director for both Framingham North and South High Schools. She then joined the ECAC conference as an Assistant Commissioner. Following that tenure she became the Associate Director of Athletics at UMass-Dartmouth. She retired from that position in 2002. Mary Lou resides in Kingston, Massachusetts where she has lived for over 30 years.

Mary Lou started officiating field hockey games duirng her sophomore year at Bridgewater State and is still officiating field hockey and lacrosse games at the high school and collegiate level to this day.

Along with the Bridgewater State Athletics Hall of Fame, Mary Lou is also a member of the New Agenda Hall of Fame (1989), Plymouth-Carver Hall of Fame, Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2015). She was also named the Girls Lacrosse Official of the Year in 2016.