John Thompson, the trailblazing Georgetown coach who became the first Black coach to win an NCAA championship, has died at 78. Washington, DC news station WJLA reported the news on Monday morning, citing Thompson’s family and friends.
Thompson is an enormous figure in sports, an athlete who went on to break barriers as a Hall of Fame basketball coach. A native of Washington, DC, Thompson went to college at Providence and was part of the team that won the 1963 NIT championship. In 1964 he helped Providence reach the NCAA tournament for the very first time, and was also an All-American.
He graduated in 1964 and played two seasons for the Boston Celtics, backing up Bill Russell and winning two championships before retiring in 1966 and becoming the coach at St. Anthony High School in DC.
Then Georgetown came calling in 1972. Within three years that 3-23 team had made the NCAA tournament, the first of 20 times they’d participate over Thompson’s 27 years as coach. Georgetown made it to the Final Four in 1982, and in 1984 he became the first Black coach to win the NCAA tournament. The following year they were defeated in the national championship game by Villanova.
Thompson amassed a 596-239 record at Georgetown, and 97 percent of his athletes stayed in college for all four years to earn a college degree — but that doesn’t mean he didn’t coach a ton of amazing NBA players. Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson were both first overall picks. Alonzo Mourning was a second overall pick and Dikembe Mutombo was picked fourth. All told, 26 players were selected for the NBA draft during Thompson’s tenure.
He resigned from Georgetown in 1999, the same year he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He stayed involved with the team for the rest of his life, and was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Thompson has an autobiography scheduled to be released in January 2021.
As people woke up to the news on Monday morning, tributes began pouring in on social media. Georgetown winning the 1984 NCAA championship was a cultural event, and Thompson meant a lot to many people.
Former WJLA sports anchor Lou Holder called Thompson “the real life Black Panther” in an interview on WJLA’s morning show on Monday morning.
“He was larger than life for Black people, for mankind, for social justice,” he said.
Allen Iverson, who played for Thompson for two years at Georgetown before declaring for the NBA draft, thanked Thompson less than 90 seconds into his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech.
“I want to thank Coach Thompson for saving my life,” he said while fighting back tears.
Mike Tranghese on John Thompson: “He was a giant. What he did coaching speaks for itself. As we’ve sat here and watched what’s going on with the NBA and social justice, John did it 30 years ago. But he did it by himself.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 31, 2020
Growing up, we thought Georgetown was an HBCU the way legendary coach John Thompson represented that university and had us all wearing Hoya starter jackets. The Black community continues to mourn. Brutal week. RIP, coach. https://t.co/j4MkYPcpWB
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 31, 2020
Big John Thompson is the single most important black man in the history of D.C. sports.
— kente cloth hoyas (@clintonyates) August 31, 2020
The Friar family mourns the loss of John Thompson ’64. He was a legendary player and an even greater person. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Thompson family.
Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/BsORrzwX5F
— PC Men’s Basketball (@PCFriarsmbb) August 31, 2020
There is no such thing as Georgetown basketball without John Thompson. Thank you, Big Coach. Thank you for everything.
— Casual Hoya (@CasualHoya) August 31, 2020
Because of John Thompson & Patrick Ewing, the Georgetown Starter jacket is part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture collection. 1 of the most symbolic sports apparel in the 1980s, more political statement than fashion statementhttps://t.co/TFYEDRctMhpic.twitter.com/uCtpJLVT3D
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) August 31, 2020
If you don’t know much about how badass John Thompson was, his Hoyas beat No. 2 Syracuse in the final game at Manley Field House in 1980.
JT, with massive �� gets on the PA mic and says “Manley Field House is officially closed. May it rest in peace.”https://t.co/1giYlxByMa
— Matt Maisel (@Matt_Maisel) August 31, 2020
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