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{{Short description|American college basketball coach (1941–2020)}}{{about|the Hall of Fame coach at Georgetown|his son, Georgetown′s coach from 2004 to 2017|John Thompson III|the Hall of Fame player|Cat Thompson}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}

factoids

| birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.2020309|2}}| death_place = Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.| height_ft = 6| height_in = 10| weight_lb = 269Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, D.C.)>Archbishop Carroll(Washington, D.C.)Providence Friars men's basketball>Providence (1961–1964)| draft_year = 1964| draft_round = 3| draft_pick = 25| draft_team = Boston Celtics| career_start = 1964| career_end = 1966Center (basketball)>Center| career_number = 18, 5| coach_start = 1966| coach_end = 199919641965|end}}| team1 = Boston Celtics| cyears1 = 1966–1972| cteam1 = St. Anthony HS| cyears2 = 1972–1999Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball>Georgetown| highlights = As player:

• 2× NBA champion (1965, 1966)
• Honorable mention All-American - AP (1964)
• Second-team Parade All-American (1960)

As coach:

• NCAA Division I tournament champion (1984)
• 3x NCAA Regional—Final Four (1982, 1984, 1985)
• 6× Big East tournament champion (1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989)
• 5× Big East Conference regular season champion (1980, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1992)
• 2× Big East 7 division champion (1996, 1997)
• 2× ECAC tournament Southern Region champion (1975, 1976)
• ECAC Tournament South-Upstate Region champion (1979)
• Henry Iba Award (1982)
• NABC Coach of the Year (1985)
• UPI Coach of the Year (1987)
• 3× Big East Coach of the Year (1980, 1987, 1992)| cstats_league1 = College| cwin1 = 596| closs1 = 239| HOF_coach = john-thompson| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006

Head Coach for {{USA}} }}{{MedalSport|Men's basketball}}{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}{{MedalBronze|1988 Seoul | Team competition}}}}John Robert Thompson Jr. (September 2, 1941{{spnd}}August 30, 2020) was an American college basketball coach for the Georgetown Hoyas men's team. He became the first African-American head coach to win a major collegiate championship in basketball when he led the Hoyas to the NCAA Division I national championship in 1984. Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.Thompson played college basketball for the Providence Friars and earned honorable mention All-American honors in 1964. He played for two seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, who won an NBA championship in both seasons. Thompson became a high school coach in Washington, D.C., before coaching Georgetown for 27 seasons. He worked as a radio and television sports commentator after his retirement from coaching. Thompson earned his master's degree in Counseling and Guidance at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He also served as an employee at the center for 4-H and Youth Development at UDC.NEWS,weblink dead,weblink August 31, 2020, John Thompson dies at 78; coach built Georgetown basketball into national power - The Washington Post, The Washington Post,

Early life

Thompson was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and was a practicing Roman Catholic.WEB,weblink ESPN.com - Page2 - Darth Vader of G'Town, Espn.go.com, May 20, 2003, July 17, 2016, As a child, his mother insisted on sending him to Catholic schools for the educational opportunities and academic challenges.NEWS, Clarke, Liz, August 31, 2020, John Thompson, coach who built Georgetown basketball into national power, dies at 78, The Washington Post,weblink September 1, 2020, At Archbishop Carroll High School, Thompson emerged as a standout center, playing in three consecutive City Championship games (1958–60). In 1959, Carroll All-Mets Thompson, Monk Malloy, George Leftwich and Tom Hoover won over Cardozo 79–52. The next year, Thompson and Leftwich led the Lions over the Ollie Johnson/Dave Bing led Spingarn, 69–54. During his senior year, Thompson led Carroll to a 24–0 record, preserving their 48-game winning streak along the way. Carroll capped off the undefeated 1960 season with a 57–55 win over St Catherine's Angels of Racine, Wisconsin in the Knights of Columbus National Championship Tournament with Thompson scoring a team-high 15 points and adding 12 rebounds.NEWS, Hanson, Bob, Carroll Wins Crown in National Tourney, March 21, 1960, Rancine Journal-Times, 13,weblink Newspapers.com, September 2, 2020, He was voted to the all-tournament team and was later named a second-team Parade All-American.NEWS, Thompson: Only 2d Team, March 27, 1960, The Rancine Journal-Times Sunday Bulletin, Sec. 3, p. 1,weblink Newspapers.com, September 2, 2020,

Playing career

Providence College

After graduating from Archbishop Carroll, Thompson went to Providence College, where he played on the 1963 NIT Championship team with Ray Flynn, and was part of the first Providence NCAA tournament team in his senior year in 1964, when he received honorable mention from the Associated Press for its All-American team.NEWS, AP Names All-America College Basketball Team,weblink Danville Register & Bee, March 4, 1964, 2B, Associated Press, Newspapers.com, August 31, 2020, Upon graduation, Thompson was the Friars' all-time leader in points, scoring average, and field goal percentage, and second in rebounds to former teammate Jim Hadnot.NEWS, McNamara, Kevin, Half-century later, memories of PC still fresh for Hall of Famer John Thompson, February 12, 2015, Providence Journal,weblink September 2, 2020,

National Basketball Association

He was selected in the third round of the 1964 NBA draft and played two seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics from 1964 to 1966. At {{convert|6|ft|10|in|abbr=on}} and {{convert|270|lb|abbr=on}}, he backed up Bill Russell, the Celtics star center, en route to consecutive NBA championships. Nicknamed "The Caddy" for his secondary role to Russell, he averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 74 games played.WEB,weblink What the Hell Happened to...John Thompson?, CelticsLife.com, November 7, 2011, April 8, 2015, Thompson was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA expansion draft, but he decided to retire from playing instead of relocating to Chicago.WEB,weblink The one that started it all, Chicago Bulls, en, June 6, 2019,

Coaching career

Georgetown

File:Ronald Reagan with John Thompson, Patrick Ewing (cropped).jpg|thumb|Thompson with President Ronald Reagan and Patrick Ewing after Georgetown won the 1984 national title ]]Thompson was a guidance counselor and head coach at St. Anthony High School in Washington, D.C. from 1966 to 1972, compiling a 122–28 record.NEWS, Richard, Goldstein, John Thompson, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, Dies at 78, August 31, 2020, The New York Times,weblink September 2, 2020, He left St. Anthony for Georgetown University, who chose him over more experienced candidates Morgan Wootten and George Raveling.Inheriting a Hoyas team which had been 3–23 the year before, Thompson led the Hoyas to a .500 record by his second season. By his third season in 1974–75, Georgetown qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1943.NEWS, Araton, Harvey, John Thompson's Success at Georgetown Made Him Ahead of His Time, August 31, 2020, The New York Times,weblink September 2, 2020, Over 27 years, Thompson's Hoyas went 596–239 ({{winpct|596|239}}), running off a streak of 24 postseason appearances – 20 in the NCAA tournament and 4 in the NIT – including a 14-year streak of NCAA appearances from 1979 to 1992 that saw three Final Four appearances in 1982, 1984 and 1985. The 1984 squad, led by {{convert|7|ft|adj=on}} center Patrick Ewing, won the Division I national championship over Houston, and Thompson became the first African-American coach to lead his team to the title. Two years earlier, Thompson had become the first Black coach to advance their team to the Final Four.NEWS, John, Nelson, Thompson doesn't care he's not well understood, January 18, 1989, The Salina Journal, 16, AP,weblink Newspapers.com, September 3, 2020, Georgetown missed repeating as champs in 1985, losing in the finals to underdog Villanova.An imposing figure on the sidelines who towered over many opposing coaches and even players, Thompson was noted for a trademark white towel that he carried on his shoulder during the games, which he did as a tribute to his mother.BOOK, Thompson, John, I came as a shadow: an autobiography, 2020, Jesse John Washington, 978-1-250-61935-8, First, New York, 1155714539, He won seven Coach of the Year awards: Big East (1980, 1987, 1992), United States Basketball Writers Association (1982), The Sporting News (1984), National Association of Basketball Coaches (1985), and United Press International (1987).WEB, John Thompson Coaching Record, Sports-Reference.com,weblink September 2, 2020, Thompson coached many notable players, including Ewing, Sleepy Floyd, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Allen Iverson. Under Thompson, 26 players were chosen in the NBA draft;WEB, John R. Thompson, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,weblink September 2, 2020, eight were drafted in the first round,WEB, John R. Thompson Jr., Georgetown University Athletics,weblink September 2, 2020, including two players selected first overall: Ewing and Iverson.NEWS, Liz, Roscher, John Thompson, first Black coach to win NCAA championship, dies at 78, August 31, 2020, Yahoo Sports,weblink September 2, 2020, Thompson also insisted on top academic performance from his players and maintained a 97% graduation rate among the team.WEB, Noble, Barnes &, I Came As a Shadow: An Autobiography{{!, Hardcover|url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-came-as-a-shadow-john-thompson/1137073481|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Barnes & Noble|language=en}}

Confronting drug lord

In the late 1980s, Thompson got word that several of his players, including Alonzo Mourning, were associating with noted Washington, D.C. drug lord and avid Hoya fan Rayful Edmond III,WEB,weblink All Pressure, All The Time, Sports.espn.go.com, March 20, 2000, July 17, 2016, whose crew was connected to at least forty homicides.WEB,weblink Rayful Edmond III is now part of the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and his place of incarceration is confidential. ~ GANGSTER, Blogclinic.blogspot.com, September 24, 2008, July 17, 2016, At the height of his empire, Edmond became very friendly with several Hoyas players. When Thompson confirmed what was happening, he sent word through his sources to have Edmond meet him at his office at McDonough Gymnasium.When Edmond arrived, Thompson was initially cordial, and informed Edmond that he needed to cease all contacts with his players post haste,WEB, John Fitzpatrick,weblink In Times Like These, D.C. Sports Fans Should Remember the Greats, Bleacher Report, October 2, 2009, July 17, 2016, specifically John Turner and Mourning, both of whom had befriended Edmond.NEWS,weblink The Washington Post, A Coach, Not a Crusader, Michael, Wilbon, May 7, 2010, When Edmond tried to assure him that his players were not involved in anything illegal, the 6'10" Thompson stood up and pointed his index finger between Edmond's eyes. Thompson, known for his volatility, quickly boiled over, and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade in which he told Edmond that he did not care about his crew's violent reputation or propensity to commit murder. Edmond had crossed a line with Thompson's players, and Thompson was not going to allow Edmond to destroy the players' lives.NEWS,weblink The Washington Post, Big John Is Still Big John, Mike, Wise, February 10, 2007, May 7, 2010, At the publishing of his autobiography, however, it was revealed that the conversation between Edmond and Thompson was not as confrontational as once believed. "A myth has grown about me threatening Rayful and ordering him to stay away from my players. Some people like to say I stood over him and pointed my finger in his face. That's nonsense. That myth is based on the perception of me as intimidating and a bully. Like when I argued with refs, I supposedly scared them.NEWS,weblink In 'I Came As A Shadow,' Georgetown's John Thompson Offers Some Surprising Moments, NPR, Tom, Goldman, December 15, 2020, December 15, 2020, Edmond never associated with another Hoyas player on a personal level, and Thompson was the only person to stand up to Edmond without consequence,WEB,weblink Archived copy, August 20, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110708090042weblink">weblink July 8, 2011, initially causing some shock and surprise that there was no reprisal.WEB,weblink Archived copy, July 15, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080714084631weblink">weblink July 14, 2008,

U.S. national team

Thompson was an assistant coach for the U.S. national team on its gold medal-winning 1976 Olympic team. He was later the head coach of the 1988 Olympic team, the Americans' last fully collegiate squad. Although favored to win the international tournament, the United States was narrowly defeated by the all-professional and experienced Soviet Union in the semifinals 82–76, marking the first time the Americans did not reach the gold medal game. The United States won its final game against Australia to capture the bronze medal.

Protest against Proposition 42

On January 14, 1989, before the start of Georgetown's home game against Boston College, Thompson walked off the Capital Centre floor and turned coaching duties over to assistant Mike Riley. Thompson was protesting the NCAA's Proposition 42, which would have denied athletic scholarships to student athletes who failed to qualify academically under standards of the already in effect Proposition 48.NEWS, Rhoden, William C., 1989-01-19, Thompson's Protest Over Freshman Rule Is Drawing Some Criticism, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2021-03-24, 0362-4331, Thompson expressed concerns that the proposal would leave many student athletes without a means of paying for their education, as well as what he felt would be the proposal's disproportionate impact on Black athletes.WEB, 2007-02-09, Thompson Protests 'Racist' Proposition,weblink 2021-03-24, en-US,

Resignation

On January 8, 1999, Thompson announced his resignation as Georgetown's head coach, citing marriage problems. He was replaced by longtime assistant Craig Esherick.NEWS, Judy, Battista, Thompson Suddenly Steps Down, January 9, 1999, The New York Times, D-1,weblink September 2, 2020, Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on October 1, 1999.NEWS,weblink Thompson Stood for Something, Boswell, Thomas, June 24, 1999, The Washington Post, June 6, 2019, Esherick was fired in 2004 and replaced by John Thompson III, Thompson's eldest son. At the time the elder Thompson was serving Georgetown in what Rev. Leo J. O'Donovan, university president, referred to as a "coach emeritus" position, assisting on academic, athletic, and community projects.NEWS, Brett, Haber, John Thompson III: A Study in Contrasts, February 21, 2012, Washingtonian,weblink September 2, 2020, John Thompson III coached Georgetown until 2017.John Thompson Jr.'s younger son, Ronny Thompson, formerly an assistant coach at Georgetown, was the head coach at Ball State.

Post-coaching career

After retiring from coaching, Thompson became the presidential consultant for urban affairs at Georgetown University, a basketball commentator for TNT, and host of a sports talk show, The John Thompson Show, on WTEM in Washington, D.C.NEWS, Mike, Wise, 'Big John Is Still Big John' The Former Georgetown Coach And Current Radio Host May Seem Mellowed, but Those Who Know Him Say Nothing Has Changed, February 10, 2007, The Washington Post,weblink September 2, 2020, NEWS, O'Donovan, Leo, Georgetown coach John Thompson loved his players, his city and the Blessed Mother,weblink 3 September 2020, 1 September 2020, He signed a lifetime contract with Clear Channel Radio and WTEM in 2006.NEWS, People & Personalities: Fox, DW Ink Multi-Year Extension, February 24, 2006, Sports Business Daily,weblink September 2, 2020, Working with Rick Walker, Thompson remained on the show until 2012.NEWS, Dan, Steinberg, John Thompson ends run as D.C. radio talk show host, February 29, 2012, The Washington Post,weblink September 2, 2020, Thompson was scheduled to be on American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001, which was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in the September 11 attacks, but his seat was cancelled. Ten years later, on The Jim Rome Show, Thompson reunited with the ticket agent who removed him from Flight 77.WEB, Coach John Thompson tells his 9/11 09/12/11 – Jim Rome Audio,weblink August 31, 2020, www.stucknut.com, Georgetown University's John R. Thompson Intercollegiate Athletic Center was completed in 2016. The lobby includes a statue of Thompson.WEB, Slam Dunk: New Thompson Center Opens,weblink Georgetown Alumni, August 31, 2020, en, December 15, 2016, Thompson's autobiography, I Came as a Shadow, was published posthumously in December 2020.NEWS, Garner, Dwight, 2020-12-07, In His Autobiography, the College Basketball Giant John Thompson Is Plainspoken and Profound, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2020-12-07, 0362-4331, WEB, P&P Live! Celebrating Coach John Thompson's I CAME AS A SHADOW with Jesse Washington and John DeGioia {{!, Politics and Prose Bookstore|url=https://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/pp-live-celebrating-coach-john-thompsons-i-came-shadow-jesse-washington-and-john-degioia|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.politics-prose.com}} Thompson died at his home in Arlington County, Virginia on August 30, 2020, three days before his 79th birthday.WEB, Sterling, Wayne, Ramsay, George, John Thompson Jr., the first Black coach to win the NCAA championship, dies age 78,weblink CNN, August 31, 2020, August 31, 2020,

Career statistics

{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

NBA

SourceWEB,weblink John Thompson NBA stats, Basketball Reference, Sports Reference LLC, 13 April 2024,

Regular season{| class"wikitable sortable" style"font-size:95%; text-align:right;"

! Year! Team! GP! MPG! FG%! FT%! RPG! APG! PPG {{nbay|1964}}† Boston64 >10.9 >3.6 >.3 >| 3.6 {{nbay|1965}}† Boston.467 >.667 >.3 >| 3.2 class="sortbottom"Career| 3.5">

Playoffs{| class"wikitable sortable" style"font-size:95%; text-align:right;"

! Year! Team! GP! MPG! FG%! FT%! RPG! APG! PPG 1965† Boston3 >7.0 >.286 >1.000 >4.0 >.3 >| 3.7 1966† Boston3 >| .7 class="sortbottom"Career| 2.2

Head coaching record

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See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four appearances by coach

Notes

{{Reflist|group=note}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• {{basketballstats|bbr=t/thompjo01}}

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