Former Georgetown Hoyas head coach John Thompson Jr. has died at the age of 78.
Today, we mourn the loss of inspirational leader and legendary coach John R. Thompson Jr. (1941 - 2020), whose contributions on and off the court will forever be felt on our campus and around the world. Because he stood tall, so too have countless others. pic.twitter.com/DhOTbNGVhD
— Georgetown Univ. (@Georgetown) August 31, 2020
"We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson Jr. 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," Thompson's family wrote in a statement.
"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."
After winning two championships in the NBA as a player on the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics in 1965 and 1966, Thompson went on to coach Georgetown from 1972 to 1999. He amassed a program-record 596 career wins in 835 games over that span.
The Hoyas qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 20 of Thompson's 27 seasons as head coach, including in 14 consecutive campaigns.
In 1984, Thompson made history as the first Black coach to win an NCAA championship. He was also named National Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1985. Additionally, Thompson coached the 1988 U.S. Olympic team to a bronze medal in Seoul.
The legendary bench boss coached four Hall of Famers during his storied run with Georgetown: Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Patrick Ewing. He himself was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
