View source for John Thompson III

{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1966)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = John Thompson III
| image = 2019 John Thompson III (48824316842) (cropped).jpg
| alt = 
| caption = John Thompson III (2019)
| current_title =
| current_team = 
| current_conference = 
| current_record =
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|3|11}}
| birth_place = [[Boston|Boston, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1984–1988
| player_team1 = [[Princeton Tigers men's basketball|Princeton]]
| coach_years1 = 1995–2000
| coach_team1 = [[Princeton Tigers men's basketball|Princeton]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 2000–2004
| coach_team2 = Princeton
| coach_years3 = 2004–2017
| coach_team3 = [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown]]
| overall_record = 346–193 ({{Winning percentage|345|193}})
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 9–10 ([[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I]])<br />3–4 ([[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]])
| championships = [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four appearances by coach|NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four]] ([[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2007]])<br />3 [[Ivy League]] regular season (2001, 2002, 2004)<br />3 [[Big East Conference|Big East]] regular season (2007, 2008, 2013)<br />[[Big East men's basketball tournament|Big East tournament]] ([[2007 Big East men's basketball tournament|2007]])
| awards = [[Big East Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year|Big East Coach of the Year]] (2013)
| coaching_records =
}}
'''John Robert Thompson III''' (born March 11, 1966) is an American professional basketball coach and executive who has been the assistant coach for the [[United States men's national basketball team]] since 2017.  He previously served as the head coach of the men's [[basketball]] team at [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown University]]. 

==Early life==
Thompson was born in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] to Gwen and [[John Thompson Jr.]], who at the time was playing for the [[Boston Celtics]] of the [[NBA]]. After his father's playing career ended the family moved to [[Washington, DC]]. Thompson spent his formative years there while his father coached the [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown University men's basketball team]].<ref name=father-son>{{cite web| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/03/23/from-the-archives-when-john-thompson-iii-inherited-georgetown-basketball/| title=From the Archives: When John Thompson III Inherited Georgetown Basketball| author=Washington Post Staff| website=[[The Washington Post]]| date=March 23, 2017| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref>

The younger Thompson attended and played basketball for [[Gonzaga College High School]] in Washington, and was named first team All-Metro by ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in 1984.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://guhoyas.com/news/2006/5/9/John_Thompson_III_named_BCA_Coach_of_the_Year| title=John Thompson III Named BCA Coach of the Year| website=guhoyas.com| date=May 9, 2006| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> 

He then attended and played basketball for [[Princeton Tigers men's basketball|Princeton University]], graduating in 1988 with the third-most assists in school history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goprincetontigers.com/news/2017/10/12/mens-basketball-john-thompson-iii-88-named-to-us-fiba-basketball-world-cup-coaching-staff| title=John Thompson III '88 Named to US FIBA World Cup Basketball Coaching Staff| website=goprincetontigers.com| date=October 12, 2017| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> After graduating from Princeton, Thompson took a position in an executive training program with the [[Ford Motor Company]]. He worked in multiple corporate positions before returning to basketball at his alma mater.<ref name=father-son></ref>

==Coaching career==
===Princeton===
Thompson returned to Princeton as an assistant coach in 1996, before eventually being named head coach in 2000 as a replacement for [[Bill Carmody]], who had departed for [[Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball|Northwestern]] after having led them to the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Tournament]] and the [[National Invitation Tournament]] twice each.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/princeton-hires-thompson-iii/| title=Princeton Hires Thompson III| website=[[CBS News]]| date=September 6, 2000| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> 

Thompson guided the Tigers to a record of 16–11 (11–3 conference record), which was good enough to win the [[Ivy League]] for the first time since 1998. The following year, the Tigers went 16–12 (11–4) to finish in a three-way tie for the Ivy League title, which resulted in them having to play in a tiebreaker tournament, which they lost to Yale. The following year, they went 16–11 (10–4) and finished 3rd in the conference. In his final season in 2003, he led them to twenty wins while losing only one conference game to win the Ivy League for the third time in Thompson's four years at the program and the sixth overall time in the last eight years.<ref name=father-son></ref>

During his tenure at Princeton, Thompson coached future [[US Secretary of Defense]] [[Pete Hegseth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goprincetontigers.com/news/2003/3/8/640888| title=Hegseth Sparks Rally, Leads Men's Hoops to 44-40 Win| website=goprincetontigers.com| author=Princeton Athletic Communications| date=March 8, 2003| access-date=October 7, 2025}}</ref>

===Georgetown===
[[File:John Thompson III.jpg|thumb|Thompson talks with a referee in a 2006 game]]
Thompson was hired by Georgetown in 2004 to replace [[Craig Esherick]]. Esherick (as had been the case with his predecessor [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]]) had utilized an offense built on quick and physical play; however, Georgetown had not made the NCAA Tournament in six of the last seven years. Thompson III immediately introduced the [[Princeton offense]] at Georgetown, a style of play that he learned from coach [[Pete Carril]] at Princeton as a player and assistant coach; the offense is cited as more deliberate in nature with establishing scoring opportunities through ball movement alongside passes and backdoor cuts. The 2004–05 team started out fair, with Thompson's first win over a ranked team coming against Pittsburgh on January 5. However, the Hoyas finished 16–11 after losing five straight games to end the regular season, which meant they finished 7th in the Big East Conference. They fell to Connecticut in the Quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, but the Hoyas were invited to the NIT that year; the Hoyas went to the Quarterfinal before losing to South Carolina.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

In 2005, the team won 23 games while finish tied for fourth in the Big East, and they would receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the first for the team since 2001. Thompson's first notable win with the team took place on January 21, 2006, when unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 [[2005-06 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team|Duke]]. This was Georgetown's first win over a No. 1 ranked team in 21 years. The Hoyas received a seventh seed in the South Region. They beat Northern Iowa and Ohio State to reach the Sweet Sixteen against Florida, where they lost 57–53 to the eventual national champions.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

The 2006 team, led by players such as [[Roy Hibbert]], reached their potential. The Hoyas would go on a tremendous run that year, as they won twelve of their last thirteen games en route to a Big East championship. They won their first regular season title since 1997 before rolling to victory in the Big East tournament for their first tournament title since 1989. The Hoyas were seeded as a two-seed in the East Region, their highest seeding since 1996. They would beat Belmont, Boston College, and Vanderbilt to reach the Elite Eight. Facing the top seed in North Carolina, the Hoyas trailed by as much as eleven points with twelve minutes remaining before rallying to win 96–84 and reach the Final Four for the first time since 1985. They faced Ohio State in the Final Four; the game was tied with nine minutes remaining, but the Buckeyes went on a 23–16 run to beat Georgetown 67–60.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

While the 2006–07 season was a banner year for the Hoyas, it also would prove to be the high point of Thompson's tenure at Georgetown. It would be the last time that the Hoyas would survive the tournament's opening weekend under Thompson; indeed, Thompson would only win two more tournament games.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

The 2015–16 season was a disappointment for all sides involved. They notched one ranked victory in nonconference play and were 7–5, and expectations were fair for a contending team. Big East play would prove to be a disaster, as the Hoyas went 8–13, which included losing seven of the last eight games in the regular season. It was the first time in his tenure that the Hoyas were not invited to either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. After the season, Thompson (dubbed one of the "most polarizing figures in college sports" by the campus newspaper) called the season the most challenging of his career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400840272|title=Georgetown vs. Villanova - Game Recap - March 5, 2016 - ESPN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehoya.com/commentary-hoyas-high-expectations-flounder/|title = Commentary &#124; Hoyas' High Expectations Flounder|date = 18 March 2016}}</ref> The 2016–17 season proved to be the last for Thompson as coach. A 9–4 non-conference record ended up being a mirage for a miserable season of Big East play, where they went 5–13. They managed to beat three ranked teams (including eleventh-ranked Butler in January), but the Hoyas lost seven of their last eight games to finish below .500 for the second straight year, which was the first time Georgetown had suffered back-to-back losing seasons since 1972–1973. On March 23, 2017 (fifteen days after the Hoyas lost in the First Round of the Big East tournament), Thompson was fired.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/18984268/georgetown-hoyas-parting-ways-john-thompson-iii|title=Georgetown fires Thompson after 13 seasons|date=23 March 2017}}</ref> Thompson's 13-year tenure as head coach is the second longest in Georgetown history, and his 278 wins are also second all-time in school history–in both cases, only behind his father.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

===United States Men's National Team===
On October 12, 2017, Thompson was named by USA Basketball as the assistant coach of the [[United States men's national basketball team]] for all FIBA World Cup qualifiers leading to the [[2019 FIBA World Cup]].  This was his second time as an assistant coach in the National Programme;  he has previously (2008) served as an assistant for the Under 18 men's team.<ref name="USAB">{{cite web|title=Thompson, John III|url=https://www.usab.com/basketball/staff/t/thompson-iii-john.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311081212/https://www.usab.com/basketball/staff/t/thompson-iii-john.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 11, 2018|website=USA Basketball|access-date=2018-03-10}}</ref>

===Washington Wizards===
In July 2019, Thompson joined [[Monumental Sports & Entertainment]], owner of the NBA's [[Washington Wizards]] and WNBA's [[Washington Mystics]], to become the lead of their newly formed athlete development and engagement department.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trio of sports industry innovators to lead Monumental Basketball |url=https://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-announce-monumental-basketball-leadership-team# |website=NBA.com |access-date=15 August 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Thompson is married to his wife, Monica, with whom he has three children: Morgan, John, and Matthew.<ref name=father-son></ref> His younger brother [[Ronny Thompson]] also played and coached college basketball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://richmondfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/03/legendary-basketball-coach-john-thompson-succumbs-/| title=Legendary Basketball Coach John Thompson Succumbs| website=[[Richmond Free Press]]| date=September 3, 2020| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
[[File:JTIII campout.jpg|thumb|John Thompson III outside [[McDonough Gymnasium]] on March 26, 2007, following his return to the [[Georgetown University]] campus after defeating [[2006-07 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|North Carolina]] to reach the [[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2007 Final Four]].]]
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Princeton Tigers men's basketball|Princeton Tigers]]
 | conference = [[Ivy League]]
 | startyear  = 2000
 | endyear    = 2004
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2000–01]]
 | name         = [[2000–01 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team|Princeton]]
 | overall      = 16–11
 | conference   = 11–3
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2001 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 64]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2001–02]]
 | name         = [[2001–02 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team|Princeton]]
 | overall      = 16–12
 | conference   = 11–3
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[2002 National Invitation Tournament|NIT First Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2002–03]]
 | name         = Princeton
 | overall      = 16–11
 | conference   = 10–4
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2003–04]]
 | name         = [[2003–04 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team|Princeton]]
 | overall      = 20–8
 | conference   = 13–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2004 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 64]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Princeton
 | overall    = 68–42 ({{Winning percentage|68|42}})
 | confrecord = 45–11 ({{Winning percentage|45|11}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown Hoyas]]
 | conference = [[Big East Conference]]
 | startyear  = 2004
 | endyear    = 2017
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2004–05]]
 | name         = [[2004–05 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 19–13
 | conference   = 8–8
 | confstanding = T–7th
 | postseason   = [[2005 National Invitation Tournament|NIT Quarterfinal]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2005–06]]
 | name         = [[2005–06 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 23–10
 | conference   = 10–6
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | postseason   = [[2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Sweet 16]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = confboth
 | season       = [[2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2006–07]]
 | name         = [[2006–07 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 30–7
 | conference   = 13–3
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Final Four]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2007–08]]
 | name         = [[2007–08 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 28–6 
 | conference   = 15–3
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 32]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2008–09]]
 | name         = [[2008–09 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 16–15
 | conference   = 7–11
 | confstanding = 11th
 | postseason   = [[2009 National Invitation Tournament|NIT First Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2009–10]]
 | name         = [[2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 23–11
 | conference   = 10–8
 | confstanding = 7th
 | postseason   = [[2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 64]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2010–11]]
 | name         = [[2010–11 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 21–11
 | conference   = 10–8
 | confstanding = 8th
 | postseason   = [[2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 64]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2011–12]]
 | name         = [[2011–12 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 24–9
 | conference   = 12–6
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | postseason   = [[2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 32]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2012–13]]
 | name         = [[2012–13 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 25–7
 | conference   = 14–4
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 64]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2013–14]]
 | name         = [[2013–14 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 18–15
 | conference   = 8–10
 | confstanding = 7th
 | postseason   = [[2014 National Invitation Tournament|NIT Second Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2014–15]]
 | name         = [[2014–15 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 22–11
 | conference   = 12–6
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | postseason   = [[2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Round of 32]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2015–16]]
 | name         = [[2015–16 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 15–18
 | conference   = 7–11
 | confstanding = 8th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2016–17]]
 | name         = [[2016–17 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team|Georgetown]]
 | overall      = 14–18
 | conference   = 5–13
 | confstanding = 9th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Georgetown
 | overall    = 278–151 ({{Winning percentage|278|148}})
 | confrecord = 131–97 ({{Winning percentage|131|95}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall = 346–193 ({{Winning percentage|345|193}})
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Additional sources===
*Branch, John (2007). [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/24/sports/ncaabasketball/24hoyas.html "Hoyas' Past Is Becoming Present"],''[[New York Times]]'', March 23.
*Davis, Barker (2006). [http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20060125-125211-2650r.htm "Hoyas survive big scare"], ''[[Washington Times]]'', January 25.
*Graff, Garrett [http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/5824.html "Thompson discusses Georgetown's 2008 season"], ''[[Washingtonian (magazine)|The Washingtonian]]'', December 4, 2007.
*{{cite journal |last= Haber |first=Brett |date=March 2012 |title=In the Name of the Father |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/in-the-name-of-the-father/ |journal=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |location= [[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher= Washingtonian Magazine, Inc.}}
*Heaps, Bailey and Olivia Scott (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123235906/http://www.thehoya.com/news/092807/news1.cfm "JT III Signs on for Six More Years"], ''[[The Hoya]]'', September 28.
*Powell, Camille (2006). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100759.html "Hoyas KO the Big"], ''[[Washington Post]]'', January 22, p. E-1.
*Wise, Mike (2006). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032202551.html "Princeton Offense Keeps Hoyas on the Move"], ''[[Washington Post]]'', March 23, p. E-12.
*{{cite magazine| title=Cut from the Same Cloth | last = Wolff| first=Alexander | date=2008-03-18| access-date=2008-03-19| magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/specials/ncaa_tourney/2008/03/18/thompson0324/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320005936/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/specials/ncaa_tourney/2008/03/18/thompson0324/| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 20, 2008}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/thompsoniii_john00.html Georgetown profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415073855/http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/thompsoniii_john00.html |date=2017-04-15 }}

{{Princeton Tigers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Big East Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, John III}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Gonzaga College High School alumni]]
[[Category:Princeton Tigers men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Princeton Tigers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]