WASHINGTON – With a heavy heart, Georgetown University Athletics and the entire Georgetown community mourns the passing of legendary coach and Hall of Famer John Thompson Jr., who served as the head coach of the Hoya basketball team from 1972 to 1999. More than a coach, Thompson pioneered the modern era of the Georgetown men's basketball program, bringing the University to unprecedented success culminating in the sport's most prized possession: an NCAA championship in 1984. He passed away late on Sunday evening at the age of 78. He is survived by his three children John, Ronny and Tiffany and his five grandchildren.
 
SUCCESS ON THE COURT
Enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (1999), John Thompson Jr. was no stranger to success on the court. In his tenure, the Hoyas advanced to the NCAA Championship game three times (1982, 1984, 1985) in four years, capturing the national title in 1984. His teams earned 24-consecutive postseason berths, 20 to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Following the championship in 1984, he was named Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Sporting News. Following a return to the national championship game in 1985, the National Association of Basketball Coaches tabbed him Coach of the Year and globally, United Press International bestowed the title upon him following the 1986-87 season.
 
Ushering in a new era of college basketball, Thompson's Hoyas were one of the original teams of the newly-formed BIG EAST Conference in 1989. During his reign, Georgetown captured six BIG EAST Tournament titles, seven regular season titles and six BIG EAST Player of the Year awards. On three occasions, the conference named him its Coach of the Year.
 
He had success on a global scale as he was the head coach of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1988, winning a bronze medal, and was part of two gold medal efforts, first in 1976 as an assistant coach and again in 1984 as a member of the selection committee for the team.
 
Thompson coached eight players who were first round NBA Draft selections including current Head Coach Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson, all whom are now enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
 
On October 6, 2016 Georgetown opened the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center.  The Thompson Center transformed the athletics experience at Georgetown with a facility that now supports the demands student-athletes face on a daily basis. It was built adjacent to McDonough Arena and, with roughly 144,000 square feet of space, houses practice courts, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, lounge areas and coaches' offices for men's and women's basketball, sports performance and sports medicine facilities, a student-athlete academic center, the Hoyas Forever Hallway to honor the University's rich athletic tradition and history and a courtyard for student-athletes that has a comfortable meditation area with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
SOCIAL JUSTICE & ACTIVISM
Thompson's efforts on the court were matched only by his efforts in social justice and speaking out against racism. Thompson was often lauded as the first Black head coach to win an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Many times he would show his displeasure with the assertion as he felt it implied he was the first Black coach with the intelligence to accomplish the feat and would clarify that he was instead the first Black head coach with the opportunity to do so. His continued effort to shed light on inequality and racism helped define his career.
 
He spoke out against racism directed at  himself and his players, often shielding his teams. Known for his most outspoken gesture of walking out against Proposition 42 in 1989, a rule that he found to be attacking Black youth and their opportunity at an education, it was only one instance in a lifetime of speaking on the importance of education as well as shedding light on constructs that work against the Black community and finding ways to fix the system.
 
In 2000 he established The John Thompson Charitable Foundation to help improve the quality of life for underserved children within the District of Columbia and other communities. The Foundation awards grants to organizations that enhance children's lives, provide for continuing education, or support rehabilitation. Thompson was a consultant, spokesman and board member to Nike, along with serving as Coach Emeritus and Presidential Consultant for Urban Affairs at Georgetown. The University awarded him for his lasting commitment to the Hilltop community with its two highest honors: the President's Award and the Patrick Healy Award.
 
BACKGROUND
Coach Thompson's Bachelor's degree from Providence College was in economics and he also held a Master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of the District of Columbia. He received honorary degrees from Georgetown University, St. Peter's College, Wheeling College and the University of the District of Columbia. Prior to his arrival at Georgetown, Thompson was a highly successful high school coach, amassing a record of 122-28 at St. Anthony's High School in Washington, D.C. Before entering the coaching ranks, he played on two Boston Celtic World Championship teams under the tutelage of fellow Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. While attending Providence College, Thompson led the Friars to the NIT Championship in 1963 and was named "New England Player of the Year" the following season. During his high school career, Thompson led John Carroll High School to 55 consecutive victories and two city championships and was named an All-American.
 
REMEMBERING COACH THOMPSON
John J. DeGioia, Georgetown University President
"Coach John R. Thompson Jr. had a profound impact on our university. Forty-eight years ago, he joined the Georgetown community and with his distinctive style, commitment to excellence, and clear sense of purpose, transformed Georgetown Basketball. We are a better university because of John's leadership – he challenged us to live up to our values and enabled all of us to see new possibilities, for ourselves, and for the impact we could have on the world. John will be remembered for many things – his historic achievements, the lives he shaped, his advocacy for social and racial justice – but perhaps most of all, for the authenticity through which he lived his life."
 
Patrick Ewing, Head Men's Basketball Coach
"Georgetown University, the sport of basketball and the world has lost someone who I consider to be a father figure, confidant and role model. He has done so much to impact my life and the people he has coached and mentored along the way. However, his reach went well beyond just those who he knew personally, he changed the world and helped shape the way we see it. He was a great coach but an even better person and his legacy is everlasting. My condolences and prayers go out to his family."
 
Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
"Our hearts are heavy today with the news of Coach Thompson's passing. While he broke barriers on the court, his legacy is the mark he made on our society as he fought each and every day for the rights of all people regardless of their race or where they came from. He was a coach, mentor, activist and friend and his death leaves a gaping hole within the basketball community and, in fact, our nation. My condolences go out to his family as we all reflect upon Coach Thompson's life and remember him as a trailblazer as well as a true Hoya."