John Thompson III, the son of legendary coach John Thompson Jr., coached the Hoyas men's basketball team from 2004-2017. In 2007, Thompson led Georgetown to its first Final Four since 1985. Despite his early success, back-to-back losing seasons led to his firing in 2017.
Early coaching career and hiring at Georgetown
Thompson attended Princeton University, where he played guard from 1984-19881. He was hired as head coach at his alma mater in 2000, where he reached the NCAA Tournament twice in four seasons and posted a 68-42 record2. On April 20, 2004, President John DeGioia introduced Thompson as Georgetown's next coach in the wake of Craig Esherick's (MSB '78, L '82) firing3.
2004-2013
Thompson achieved quick success at Georgetown. After an NIT appearance his first year, Thompson's Hoyas reached the NCAA Tournament in 2006, their first appearance in five years4. They lost a close Sweet Sixteen match up that year against Florida, the eventual national champions5.
Coming off of a successful second year, Thompson's Hoyas were ranked #8 in the preseason AP Poll6. The 2006-07 team featured three returning starters and two five-star recruits7. The Hoyas won their first Big East title since 1989 and earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Georgetown began the tournament with an easy win over Belmont and reached the Sweet Sixteen after beating Boston College 62-558. Forward Jeff Green played a crucial role in the Hoyas' win over Vanderbilt, making the go-ahead shot with 2.5 seconds left and blocking Vanderbilt's final shot attempt9. The Hoyas faced North Carolina next in their most difficult match up yet. The Tar Heels led 75-65 late in the game, but a late Georgetown rally capped off by Jonathan Wallace's game-tying three sent the game to overtime10. The Hoyas dominated the overtime period for a 96-84 win, sending the team to a Final Four appearance against Ohio State11. The Buckeyes won 67-60, ending Georgetown's tournament run12.
Following the Final Four run, Thompson's Hoyas entered the 2007-08 season ranked #513. Despite a strong regular season, the 2-seed Hoyas lost to Davidson (led by future NBA MVP Stephen Curry) in the second round of the tournament14. Roy Hibbert and Jonathan Wallace, two crucial players on the 2007 Final Four team, graduated after the season. Thompson brought five-star recruit Greg Monroe to Georgetown for the 2008-09 season, but the Hoyas' lack of veteran players prevented them from reaching a fourth straight NCAA Tournament15. Georgetown earned a #3 seed the following year but suffered a frustrating first-round upset to Ohio16. Monroe entered the NBA Draft after the season and was picked seventh overall by the Detroit Pistons17.
Georgetown's 2011 season began in a chaotic fashion with a summer trip to China. The Hoyas embarked on a 10-day trip to play exhibitions against local teams and improve the university's brand, but a game against the Bayi Rockets was cut short by a fight between the two teams18. Despite this unfortunate incident, Thompson received praise from the Georgetown Voice's editorial board for his diplomatic handling of the situation19. The Hoyas began the season unranked and went on to earn a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to N.C. State in the second round20.
The 2012-13 regular season was Georgetown's best since 2007. Thompson's recruiting and coaching efforts paid off with a strong sophomore season from Otto Porter Jr., who averaged over 16 points per game21 and was the #3 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft22. The Hoyas finished the regular season ranked #5 in the AP Poll and even received first-place votes the week before23. However, the 2-seed Hoyas fell in a shocking first-round upset to 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast24.
2014-2017
After Porter's departure, the Hoyas posted an 18-15 record during the 2013-14 season and missed the NCAA Tournament25. Georgetown bounced back the following season and finished ranked #23 in the AP Poll - the last time the Hoyas have been ranked26. After a first-round win over Eastern Washington, Thompson's Hoyas lost 75-64 against Utah27.
The 2016 season was a disappointment for Georgetown, as the Hoyas posted their first losing record since 1998-99 and their worst record since the 1971-72 season28. While Georgetown president John DeGioia stood by Thompson, the Hoyas failed to improve the following season. With a 14-18 record, Georgetown posted one win fewer than the previous year and had back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 197229.
Firing
Georgetown fired Thompson on March 23, 201730. In his statement on the decision, President DeGioia praised Thompson as "one of the elite coaches in college basketball" and applauded him for "sustaining our commitment to the academic performance of our students and providing them with the very best preparation for their lives beyond the Hilltop"31. Thompson was succeeded by Hoya legend Patrick Ewing, then an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets32.
Legacy
Thompson finished his Georgetown career with a 278-151 record33. He is the second-winningest coach in program history and has the second-highest winning percentage of any post-WWII Georgetown coach, trailing only his father in both categories34. Thompson is one of only two Georgetown coaches to reach a Final Four.
- 1Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 202-203.
- 2Wood, Julie. "John Thompson III Named New Head Coach." The Hoya. 30 April 2004.
- 3Wood, Julie. "John Thompson III Named New Head Coach." The Hoya. 30 April 2004.
- 4Hoya Basketball.com, Results By Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-res.htm.
- 5NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 6Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 7Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 8NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 9Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 10Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 11Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 12Riccio, Nicholas. "Five more months of hope: The story of the 2007 Georgetown basketball team." The Georgetown Voice. 2 April 2022.
- 13ESPN, 2007-08 Men's College Basketball Rankings for Week 1. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/week/1/year/2008/seasontype/2.
- 14NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 15Hoya Basketball.com, Results By Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-res.htm.
- 16NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 17Basketball-Reference.com, 2010 NBA Draft. https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2010.html.
- 18Editorial Board. "Thompson key to salvaged China trip." The Georgetown Voice. 26 August 2011.
- 19Editorial Board. "Thompson key to salvaged China trip." The Georgetown Voice. 26 August 2011.
- 20NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 21Basketball-Reference.com, Otto Porter Jr. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/porteot01.html.
- 22Basketball-Reference.com, 2013 NBA Draft. https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2013.html.
- 23ESPN, 2012-13 Men's College Basketball Rankings for Week 19. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/week/19/year/2013/seasontype/2.
- 24NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 25Hoya Basketball.com, Results By Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-res.htm.
- 26ESPN, 2014-15 Men's College Basketball Rankings for Week 18. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/week/18/year/2015/seasontype/2.
- 27NCAA.com, Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records. https://www.ncaa.com/basketball-men/d1/every-ncaa-bracket-1939-today-tournament-stats-records.
- 28Hoya Basketball.com, Results By Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-res.htm.
- 29Hoya Basketball.com, Results By Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-res.htm.
- 30Borzello, Jeff and Jeff Goodman. "Hoyas dismiss coach John Thompson III after 13 seasons." ESPN. 23 March 2017.
- 31Borzello, Jeff and Jeff Goodman. "Hoyas dismiss coach John Thompson III after 13 seasons." ESPN. 23 March 2017.
- 32Hoffman, Sean and Paolo B. Santamaria. "Patrick Ewing Named as New Men's Head Basketball Coach." The Hoya. 4 April 2017.
- 33Hoffman, Sean and Paolo B. Santamaria. "John Thompson III Fired After 2 Consecutive Losing Seasons." The Hoya. 24 March 2017.
- 34Hoya Basketball.com, Career Records By Head Coach. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-coach.htm.
