John Thompson III
Encyclopedia
John Thompson III is the current head coach of the men's basketball
team at Georgetown University
. He grew up in Washington, D.C.
and was named first team All-Metro by The Washington Post
while playing for Gonzaga College High School
in 1984. Thompson was hired on April 20, 2004 to replace Craig Esherick
. Prior to being hired at Georgetown, Thompson was the head coach for four years at his alma mater, Princeton University
.
(Georgetown's head coach from 1972 to 1999), and a 1988 graduate of Princeton. Thompson, whose nickname is JT3, served as an assistant coach at Princeton under head coaches Pete Carril
and Bill Carmody
from 1995 through 2000. After being promoted to head coach, he compiled a 68–42 record with the Tigers from 2000 to 2004 and guided the team to three Ivy League
championships, two NCAA tournament appearances, and one NIT tournament appearance. Three of his players earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors.
at Georgetown, a style of play that he learned from coach Pete Carril
at Princeton. The rarity of this style, and Thompson's success at adapting it to work with the brawnier Georgetown players, has been cited by the Washington Post as one of the major reasons for the team's quick turnaround. In Thompson's first year at Georgetown (2004–05), the Hoyas improved from 13–15 to a record of 19–13 and the team reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
John Thompson III's first notable win with the team took place on January 21, 2006, when unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke
. This was Georgetown's first win over a No. 1 ranked team in 21 years. Thompson also achieved his 100th win as a head coach a few nights later with an 85–82 win in double overtime at Notre Dame
.
The Hoyas made the 2006 NCAA Tournament
as a #7 seed. They defeated the University of Northern Iowa
in the first round and upset #2 seed Ohio State University
in the second round to make the "Sweet Sixteen", where they lost to the eventual national champions, Florida
. In that tournament, the Hoyas were the only team to hold Florida to a victory under 10 points (they lost by four), but also the only team to lead Florida in the second half of a game.
In 2007, after starting with a record of 4–3, Coach Thompson III led the Hoyas to the first Big East Championship since his father did the same in 1989. Thompson also coached the 2006–07 Big East Player of the Year, Georgetown Forward Jeff Green
.
Thompson's 2007 NCAA Tournament was one marked with success. The Hoyas were awarded a #2 seed in the East region. After an opening round win over Belmont and a second round victory in a hard fought game against Boston College
the Hoyas faced Vanderbilt
in the 'Sweet Sixteen.' On March 23, 2007 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Thompson's Hoyas defeated Vanderbilt, 66–65, on the strength of Jeff Green's game-winning shot and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1996. Against Vanderbilt, the Hoyas rallied from 13 points down in the first half and held on despite 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert fouling out in the final minutes. Two days later, on March 25, 2007, Thompson led the Hoyas to the 2007 NCAA Final Four with a 96–84 overtime victory against the University of North Carolina
. The Hoyas were defeated 67–60 by Ohio State in the Final Four. Despite the loss, John Thompson III led the team on an impressive run to its first Final Four in 22 years.
In September 2007, Thompson signed a six-year contract extension that will keep him at Georgetown until 2013.
In March 2008, Thompson and Georgetown returned to the NCAA Tournament again as a #2 seed. After defeating #15 seed University of Maryland-Baltimore County 66–47, the Hoyas were upset in the second round by #10 Davidson and their star player Stephen Curry
by a score of 74–70.
The 2008–09 season started with the Hoyas a Top 20 ranked team and a strong candidate to compete for the Big East title. They got off to a hot start (12–3) and saw their ranking rise as high as No. 9. But then the team went on a terrible slide, losing 11 of their next 15 and finishing the season 16–15, the worst record in Thompson's 5 years at the helm.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. He grew up in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and was named first team All-Metro by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
while playing for Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
in 1984. Thompson was hired on April 20, 2004 to replace Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick is an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball games. He was formerly the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team and assistant basketball coach and scout for the 1988 U.S...
. Prior to being hired at Georgetown, Thompson was the head coach for four years at his alma mater, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Princeton
Thompson is the son of John Thompson, Jr.John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
(Georgetown's head coach from 1972 to 1999), and a 1988 graduate of Princeton. Thompson, whose nickname is JT3, served as an assistant coach at Princeton under head coaches Pete Carril
Pete Carril
Peter J. "Pete" Carril is a former collegiate head coach and former NBA assistant with the Sacramento Kings.-Early years:...
and Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody is an American men's college basketball coach.Since 2000, he has been the head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.-Early life and education:...
from 1995 through 2000. After being promoted to head coach, he compiled a 68–42 record with the Tigers from 2000 to 2004 and guided the team to three Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
championships, two NCAA tournament appearances, and one NIT tournament appearance. Three of his players earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors.
Georgetown
Thompson immediately introduced the Princeton offensePrinceton offense
The Princeton offense is an offensive basketball strategy which emphasizes constant motion, passing, back-door cuts, and disciplined teamwork. It was used and perfected at Princeton University by Pete Carril, though its roots may be traced back to Franklin “Cappy” Cappon, who coached Princeton...
at Georgetown, a style of play that he learned from coach Pete Carril
Pete Carril
Peter J. "Pete" Carril is a former collegiate head coach and former NBA assistant with the Sacramento Kings.-Early years:...
at Princeton. The rarity of this style, and Thompson's success at adapting it to work with the brawnier Georgetown players, has been cited by the Washington Post as one of the major reasons for the team's quick turnaround. In Thompson's first year at Georgetown (2004–05), the Hoyas improved from 13–15 to a record of 19–13 and the team reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
John Thompson III's first notable win with the team took place on January 21, 2006, when unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
. This was Georgetown's first win over a No. 1 ranked team in 21 years. Thompson also achieved his 100th win as a head coach a few nights later with an 85–82 win in double overtime at Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
.
The Hoyas made the 2006 NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
as a #7 seed. They defeated the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
in the first round and upset #2 seed Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in the second round to make the "Sweet Sixteen", where they lost to the eventual national champions, Florida
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
. In that tournament, the Hoyas were the only team to hold Florida to a victory under 10 points (they lost by four), but also the only team to lead Florida in the second half of a game.
In 2007, after starting with a record of 4–3, Coach Thompson III led the Hoyas to the first Big East Championship since his father did the same in 1989. Thompson also coached the 2006–07 Big East Player of the Year, Georgetown Forward Jeff Green
Jeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
.
Thompson's 2007 NCAA Tournament was one marked with success. The Hoyas were awarded a #2 seed in the East region. After an opening round win over Belmont and a second round victory in a hard fought game against Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
the Hoyas faced Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in the 'Sweet Sixteen.' On March 23, 2007 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Thompson's Hoyas defeated Vanderbilt, 66–65, on the strength of Jeff Green's game-winning shot and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1996. Against Vanderbilt, the Hoyas rallied from 13 points down in the first half and held on despite 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert fouling out in the final minutes. Two days later, on March 25, 2007, Thompson led the Hoyas to the 2007 NCAA Final Four with a 96–84 overtime victory against the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. The Hoyas were defeated 67–60 by Ohio State in the Final Four. Despite the loss, John Thompson III led the team on an impressive run to its first Final Four in 22 years.
In September 2007, Thompson signed a six-year contract extension that will keep him at Georgetown until 2013.
In March 2008, Thompson and Georgetown returned to the NCAA Tournament again as a #2 seed. After defeating #15 seed University of Maryland-Baltimore County 66–47, the Hoyas were upset in the second round by #10 Davidson and their star player Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (basketball)
-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
by a score of 74–70.
The 2008–09 season started with the Hoyas a Top 20 ranked team and a strong candidate to compete for the Big East title. They got off to a hot start (12–3) and saw their ranking rise as high as No. 9. But then the team went on a terrible slide, losing 11 of their next 15 and finishing the season 16–15, the worst record in Thompson's 5 years at the helm.
Head coaching record
Notable Players Coached
- Roy HibbertRoy HibbertRoy Denzil Hibbert is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He plays at the center position, and graduated from Georgetown University in 2008. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and was immediately traded to the Pacers...
- Jeff GreenJeff Green (basketball)Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
- DaJuan SummersDaJuan SummersDaJuan Michael Summers is an American professional basketball player. In the 2009 NBA Draft Summers was drafted in the 2nd round by the Detroit Pistons. In college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Summers was a starting small forward for the Hoyas.Summers grew up in Baltimore,...
- Greg MonroeGreg MonroeGregory Keith Monroe, Jr. is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.-Early years:Monroe attended Helen Cox High...