John Thompson III Out At Georgetown


Georgetown released a statement Thursday that head coach John Thompson III will not return next season. Thompson spent 13 seasons with the Hoyas, reaching eight NCAA Tournaments and a Final Four.


John Thompson III had a lot to live up to with his father being a legendary Georgetown coach who made the program a college basketball powerhouse and delivered the Hoyas’ only national title.

Despite a great start, the younger Thompson never was able to accomplish as much.

Georgetown president John J. DeGioia released a statement Thursday saying that Thompson III have parted ways after back-to-back losing seasons that finished without a postseason appearance. He guided the Hoyas to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, three NITs and a Final Four in 13 years.

“For thirteen years, (Thompson) has been one of the elite coaches in college basketball,” DeGioia said in the statement. “His performance as a coach has been exceptional, and he has served our community with remarkable distinction and integrity…”

The statement did not provide confirmation if Georgetown dismissed Thompson, or if Thompson offered to resign. The news first was reported by CasualHoya.com and confirmed by Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com shortly after.

Thompson III arrived in Washington, D.C. after taking Princeton to two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT in four seasons. He took Georgetown to the Sweet 16 in his second year and the Final Four the next season in 2007, but he went 3-6 over his his final six NCAA Tournament appearances. The Hoyas were eliminated by double-digits seeds four times during that stretch.

Georgetown went 29-36 over Thompson’s final two seasons, a far cry from the expectations his father set. John Thompson coached the Hoyas from 1972-99, winning the 1984 national championship and appearing in two other national title games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

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