May 9, 2006
Washington DC - The Black Coaches Association today named Georgetown University Head Men's Basketball Coach John Thompson III as Coach of the Year. Boston College's Al Skinner and Tony Dungee of the Indianapolis Colts were also finalists.
Thompson concluded his second season at the helm of the Hoyas with a trip to the NCAA where the Hoyas advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. This accomplishment followed a Sun Bowl Tournament Championship, as well as a fourth place tie in the largest conference in the country, the BIG EAST. Thompson's Hoyas were 10-6 in conference play, 2-1 in the BIG EAST Tournament and finished the year with an overall record of 23-10.
Thompson's record since taking over the Georgetown program is 42-23 with a 19-13 mark set in his first season. That year the Hoyas were invited to postseason play and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals. Thompson's overall record as a head coach at Georgetown stands at 110- 65.
Prior to coaching at Georgetown, Thompson guided Princeton to three Ivy League championships, two NCAA tournaments and an NIT appearance over his four years as head coach. He amassed a 68-42 record as Princeton's head coach after serving as an assistant coach from 1995 to 2000. As assistant coach he helped lead the team to a Top 10 national ranking and five consecutive postseason appearances.
Thompson also played basketball as an undergraduate at Princeton while majoring in politics. As a forward, he ranks third on Princeton's all-time assist leader list with 358. An extremely focused player, he had 103 assists and just 34 turnovers as a senior. He was co-captain of the 1988 team and shared the B.F. Bunn trophy that year as one of the Tigers' Most Valuable Players.
Thompson, 39, grew up in Washington, D.C., where he graduated from Gonzaga College High School. As a high school senior he was named First-Team All-Metro by the Washington Post. He is the son of former Georgetown University head coach and basketball Hall of Famer John Thompson, Jr.
The Black Coaches Association is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports both nationally and internationally. The BCA is committed to creating a positive enlightened environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The BCA's focus involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA (Division I, II, and III), NAIA (Division I and II), junior college and high school levels.
