John Thompson, legendary former Georgetown men's basketball coach, dies at 78

John Thompson remembered

DC and the Georgetown community mourns the passing of a local icon - former Hoyas coach John Thompson.

WASHINGTON - John Thompson, the legendary former head coach of the Georgetown men's basketball team who captured the NCAA championship in 1984, has died.

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John Thompson Jr., former head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, looks on after a college basketball game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Capital One Arena on March 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Thompson played NBA basketball before beginning his hall-of-fame coaching career at Georgetown University in 1972. He transformed the school's basketball program, leading them to numerous NCAA tournament appearances throughout his nearly three decades with the team. In 1984, he became the first African-American head coach to win a NCAA championship.

John Thompson, legendary former Georgetown men’s basketball coach, dies at 78

John Thompson, the legendary former head coach of the Georgetown men's basketball team who captured the NCAA championship in 1984, has died.

His son, John Thompson III, known as "JT3," was Georgetown's head coach for 13 seasons, including a run to the Final Four in 2007.

In a tweet, ESPN said Thompson's coaching legacy includes the recruitment and development of Hall of Fame players Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson.

"Thanks For Saving My Life Coach," began a tweet by Iverson paying respect to his former coach.

Thompson's family offered this statement:

My family’s officials statement:
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. 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 coach he was our foundation. 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.”

Georgetown University released the following statement from the Thompson family:

“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. 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.”