Trailblazing Georgetown Coach John Thompson Dies At 78

Trailblazing former Georgetown men’s basketball coach John Thompson has died at the age of 78.

It is not immediately known what the cause of death was.

Thompson coached Georgetown for 27 years, leading the program to its only NCAA title in 1984 and becoming the first black head coach to win a major college championship. He was the head coach of the U.S. Olympic team in 1988 and also won two NBA titles with the Boston Celtics in 1965 and ‘66.

Thompson is the winningest coach in Georgetown history with 596 wins and led the Hoyas to three NCAA Final Fours in 1982, ‘84 and ‘85. Thompson produced four future Naismith Hall of Famers in Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson.

“We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr.,” the family said in a statement. “Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else.

“However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. More than a coach, he was our foundation. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear everyday. We will miss him but are grounded in the assurance that we carry his faith and determination in us. We will cherish forever his strength, courage, wisdom and boldness, as well as his unfailing love. We know that he will be deeply missed by many and our family appreciates your condolences and prayers. But don’t worry about him, because as he always liked to say, ‘....”Big Ace’” is cool.”

At his Hall of Fame induction, Iverson thanked Thompson for saving his life after Iverson’s scholarship offers from other schools dried up because of his involvement in a fight.

Ewing, Mourning and Iverson all paid tribute to Thompson Monday on social media.

Longtime Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who had a fierce rivalry with Thompson on court and later became his close friend, said Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up”:

“There’s only one John Thompson and I’m glad I got the opportunity to compete against him and that I got a chance to know him outside of basketball as well.”

He added: “What John did at Georgetown, no one could ever see coming. He was an imposing figure and he willed his team to play a certain way, and he set an example, a standard, for defensive basketball teams that coaches have tried to replicate ever since he was there.”

Thompson’s death follows the death Aug. 27 of legendary former Arizona coach Lute Olson. Over the weekend, the NBA honored Olson, former UConn star Cliff Robinson and actor Chadwick Boseman before its playoff games, and may opt to do the same for Thompson beginning Monday.

Despite all his on-court achievements, Thompson is perhaps best known for his trailblazing off-the-court work in support of African-American players and coaches long before the current wave of “Black Lives Matter” protests and boycotts occurred.

In 1989, Thompson walked out of a game against Boston College in protest of “Proposition 48,” the NCAA rule he claimed discriminated against poor and black athletes. According to reports at the time, he received a standing ovation from the crowd of about 15,000 at the arena as he was escorted off the court in Landover, Md. by building security and Prince George's County police officers.

Per ESPN, 75 of 77 players who remained all four years at Georgetown under Thompson received degrees.

“He did it all before anybody,” Boeheim said. “What the NBA players did was really noteworthy this week, and what other athletes have done this summer, but John did that all by himself virtually. He had some help, John Chaney certainly comes to mind.

“But John just took it upon himself. It was a horrible rule, a racist rule....It was really 90 percent of the people affected were African-American kids and John wasn’t having it. He was not afraid to walk out at a time when that wasn’t something anybody would’ve thought about and to stand up for what was right, for African-American kids. And that’s what he did.

“He was a great basketball coach, we don’t want to sell that short, but he was a leader in the game and in life and in today’s world he would be a huge addition to today’s world. He would set a standard like no one would be able to. There’s no question the impact he had on all coaches, but especially African-American players and coaches, that’s who people looked up to. That’s who people from the cities looked up to. That’s where the Georgetown shirts were, in the inner-cities, and kids wore them all over the place. They wanted to be like Georgetown, they wanted to be tough, they wanted to do it their way. And that’s what John Thompson did, he did it his way. And he showed that it could be done.”

He added: “He was one of a kind. There’s nobody like John Thompson. There really isn’t and I don’t think there ever will be. It’s hard to over-exaggerate. He was a bigger-than-life figure.”

Said former St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca:

“It’s certainly a big, big loss for basketball. He’s really a giant and of course a legend of his time. What he did for Georgetown was unbelievable. They always had a good reputation, but he was able to propel them to another level. He got good players, but he didn’t louse them up. He got the most out of his players and when you played John you had to come out with your hands up, you couldn’t play with your hands in your pocket. 

“We had great games. The games we had were real classics. The Garden used to really jump. Of course the game probably everybody remembers is when he upstaged me by coming over to wish me luck before the game and then opened up his jacket and there was a replica of my sweater. That was a dagger to the heart, not only did he upstage me but he won the ballgame.”

The Big East issued the following statement:

“Few individuals have been as closely aligned with the BIG EAST Conference as John Thompson, Jr. As a Providence College star, the basketball patriarch at Georgetown University, and one of the conference's ‘founding fathers’ in 1979, John can be directly credited with establishing the BIG EAST's national profile and propelling us to college basketball's top tier. But John's influence and impact stretched far beyond the sports world and his Hall of Fame career. 

His dedication to the game of basketball was eclipsed by his unabashed determination to challenge norms and call out social injustices, and we are deeply saddened that the quest for racial equity has lost one of its most powerful advocates. John was a pioneer, a thought leader, a mentor and a source of guidance and inspiration to countless players, coaches, officials and administrators, and his contributions to our sport and our society will remain deeply felt for years to come.”