View source for Ronny Thompson

{{Short description|American basketball player-coach (born 1969)}}
{{about|the basketball coach and broadcaster|other persons with similar names|Ronnie Thompson (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Ronny Thompson
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| current_title = 
| current_team = 
| current_conference = 
| current_record = 
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|4|7}}
| birth_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1988–1992
| player_team1 = [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown]]
| player_positions = [[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
| coach_years1 = 1993–1994
| coach_team1 = [[Oregon Ducks men's basketball|Oregon]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1994–1996
| coach_team2 = [[Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball|Loyola (MD)]] (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1996-1998
| coach_team3 = [[Philadelphia 76ers]] (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1998–2003
| coach_team4 = [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown]] (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 2003–2006
| coach_team5 = [[Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball|Arkansas]] (assistant)
| coach_years6 = 2006–2007
| coach_team6  = [[Ball State Cardinals men's basketball|Ball State]]
| admin_years1 = 2017–2023
| admin_team1 = Georgetown (chief of staff)
| overall_record = 9–22
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
}}
'''Ronald Thompson''' (born April 7, 1969) is an American former college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster. 

==Early years and education==
Born in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]], Thompson spent his formative years on basketball courts in the [[Boys & Girls Clubs of America|Boys & Girls Clubs]] throughout the Washington metropolitan area. He contributed on [[Amateur Athletic Union]] (AAU) teams in the Washington, D.C, region and played [[high school basketball]] for coach Stu Vetter at [[Flint Hill School]] in [[Oakton, Virginia]].{{cn|date=October 2025}} 

Thompson played college basketball at [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown University]], where he was coached by his father, [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]]. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in [[sociology]].<ref name=brothers>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15898582| title=Like Father, Like Sons: Thompson's Boys Face Off| author=Camille Powell| website=[[NBC News]]| date=November 26, 2006| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> 

==Career==
===Assistant coaching (1993-2006)===
After a brief stint as a trading assistant with [[Prudential Securities]] in [[New York City]], Thompson became an assistant coach. His coaching career began at the [[Oregon Ducks men's basketball|University of Oregon]] from 1993 to 1994, then with [[Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball|Loyola University]] in Maryland from 1994 to 1996. His career in professional sports began as a video coordinator for coach [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] and the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in 1996. Shortly afterward, he became a 76ers scout.<ref name=brothers></ref> 

In 1998, Thompson returned to Georgetown as an assistant coach under his father from 1998 to 1999 and then under head coach [[Craig Esherick]] from 1999 to 2003. He then was an assistant coach at the [[Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball|University of Arkansas]] from 2003 to 2006.<ref>[http://www.ballstatesports.com/news/2006/4/3/713631.aspx ballstatesports.com "Ronny Thompson Introduced As Ball State Men's Basketball Coach," April 3, 2006.]</ref>

===Ball State (2006-2007)===
Thompson accepted the head coaching job at [[Ball State Cardinals men's basketball|Ball State University]] in April 2006.<ref>{{cite news|last=Herman|first=Steve|title=Ball State picks Ronny Thompson as its new coach|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/mac/2006-04-04-ball-state-thompson_x.htm|newspaper=USA Today|date=2006-04-04}}</ref> In his one season as coach of the Cardinals they finished a disappointing 9-22. During his tenure at Ball State Thompson coached a game against his older brother, [[John Thompson III]], who was then the head coach at Georgetown.<ref name=brothers></ref>

====Abrupt resignation====
Following the season, controversy developed surrounding a potential NCAA investigation into the basketball coaching staff attending voluntary player workouts outside of the regulated practice dates. The Ball State newspaper reported  that on Sunday, June 24, 2007, "men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson was greeted at his office with seven note cards that simply read 'liars, cheaters, [racial slur].'"<ref>{{cite news|last=Wood|first=Ryan|title=A year ago Wednesday, racially charged notes were found in Ronny Thompson's coaching office|url=http://www.bsudailynews.com/sports/a-year-ago-wednesday-racially-charged-notes-were-found-in-ronny-thompson-s-coaching-office-1.2006743|newspaper=The Ball State Daily News|date=October 17, 2009}}</ref> Thompson resigned as men's basketball coach in July 2007, later claiming that he had been in a "racially hostile work environment."<ref>{{cite news|last=Garcia|first=Marlen|title=Stir over Thompson's exit lingers at Ball State|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/mac/2007-09-27-ballstate-cover_N.htm|newspaper=USA Today|date=2007-09-27}}</ref> Ball State later exonerated Thompson of rules violations,<ref>{{cite news|last=Garcia|first=Marlen|title=Ball State report clears Thompson of NCAA violations|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/mac/2007-12-21-thompson-cleared_N.htm|accessdate=2007-12-21|newspaper=USA Today|date=2007-12-21}}</ref> apologized, and awarded him a $200,000 settlement. "In return, Thompson agreed to waive all claims he may have against the university and that nothing in the settlement constitutes an admission of liability or illegality by either party."<ref>{{cite news|last=AP|title=Ball State to pay ex-coach Thompson $200,000 in settlement|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2008-01-23-2921430987_x.htm|newspaper=USA Today|date=2008-01-23}}</ref>

===Later career (2007-present)===
====Broadcasting====
Thompson joined Comcast SportsNet in 2007, offering pre-game/postgame analysis for the [[Washington Wizards]] and color commentary for college games. He hosted the series ''My Life 365 with Ron Thompson'', which featured interviews with the preeminent athletes and media figures. His subjects included moguls [[Ted Leonsis]] and [[Sheila Johnson]], former [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke University]] star [[Grant Hill]], Georgetown teammate [[Alonzo Mourning]], and legendary Hoyas player [[Allen Iverson]]; Thompson received a [[National Capital/Chesapeake Bay Emmy Awards|regional Emmy award]] for the latter interview.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://guhoyas.com/news/2010/6/8/ron_thompson_wins_regional_emmy_award_for_television_work.aspx| title=Ron Thompson Wins Regional Emmy Award for Television Work| website=guhoyas.com| date=June 8, 2010| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> 

Thompson also conducted a rare, exclusive interview with [[Los Angeles Lakers]] guard [[Kobe Bryant]] months before he helped the Lakers secure their seventeenth franchise title. In the summer of 2010, Thompson served as director of the Kobe Bryant/Nike Summer Basketball Camp which toured [[China]].{{cn|date=October 2025}}

Thompson has also been a contributor to [[NBA TV]] and occasionally served as guest-host for his father's ''The John Thompson Show'', which was broadcast daily on-air and online on [[ESPN Radio]] until February 2012.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/john-thompson-ends-run-as-dc-radio-talk-show-host/2012/02/29/gIQAyOmEjR_story.html Steinberg, Dan, "John Thompson ends run as D.C. radio talk show host," washingtonpost.com, February 29, 2012.]</ref>

====Return to Georgetown====
In July 2017, following the hiring of [[Patrick Ewing]] as the head basketball coach at Georgetown, it was announced that Thompson would be rejoining the Hoyas' coaching staff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.casualhoya.com/2017/7/20/16005572/ronnie-thompson-joins-georgetown-hoyas-basketball-staff-patrick-ewing| title=Report: Ronnie Thompson Joins Georgetown Staff| website=casualhoya.com| date=July 20, 2017| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref> During Ewing's tenure as head coach, Thompson was the program's chief of staff. Thompson left Georgetown after Ewing's 2023 firing.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://hilltophoops.substack.com/p/ronny-thompson-no-longer-with-georgetown| title=Sources: Ronny Thompson No Longer with Georgetown| website=hilltophoops.substack.com| date=April 13, 2023| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Thompson is the son of Gwen Thompson and former [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown University]] head coach [[John Thompson, Jr. (basketball)|John Thompson]]. He has two siblings, Tiffany and [[John Thompson III]], the latter of whom is also a former Georgetown head coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/coaching-great-john-thompson-of-georgetown-dead-at-78|title=Coaching Great John Thompson of Georgetown Dead at 78| author=Joseph White and Howard Fendrich| website=[[PBS.org]]| date=August 31, 2020| access-date=October 6, 2025}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[Ball State Cardinals men's basketball|Ball State Cardinals]]
 | conference = [[Mid-American Conference]]
 | startyear  = 2006
 | endyear    = 2007
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|2006–07]]
 | name         = Ball State
 | overall      = 9–22
 | conference   = 5–11
 | confstanding = 5th {{Small|(West)}}
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Ball State
 | overall    = {{Winning percentage|9|22|record=y}}
 | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|5|11|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall = {{Winning percentage|9|22|record=y}}
 | legend  = no
}}

==See also==
* [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]]
* [[John Thompson III]]
* [[1988–89 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team]]
* [[1989–90 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team]]
* [[1990–91 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team]]
* [[1991–92 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Ball State Cardinals men's basketball coach navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Ronny}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Ball State Cardinals men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Oregon Ducks men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]