Photos: Remembering John Thompson, 1941-2020
John Thompson, the imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown into a “Hoya Paranoia” powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship, has died. He was 78.
John Thompson, 1976
John Thompson, basketball coach at Georgetown University, towers over President Gerald Ford and Jesse Owens during a reception at the White House in Washington on August 5, 1976, for members of the United States Olympic team. Thompson served as an assistant coach on the gold medal winning U.S. basketball team. (AP Photo)
John Thompson, 1982
Georgetown University basketball coach John Thompson, right, talks with one of his players, Pat Ewing, during a practice session for the NCAA finals at the Superdome in New Orleans, March 26, 1982. (AP Photo/Ron Heflin)
John Thompson, 1982
University of North Carolina head coach Dean Smith (R) gets a victory hug from Georgetown head coach John Thompson after North Carolina won the NCAA Championship, 63-62 in New Orleans on Monday night, March 29, 1982. (AP Photo)
John Thompson, 1984
Georgetown head coach John Thompson, left, gives a happy pat to the most valuable player Patrick Ewing, April 2, 1984 after Georgetown defeated the Houston Cougars, 84-75, in the NCAA playoff in Seattle's Kingdome. (AP Photo)
John Thompson, 1984
Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson towers over President Reagan while the President congratulated the team on their NCAA Championship in the Rose Garden of the White House, Saturday, April 7, 1984 in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)
John Thompson, 1985
Georgetown University's Patrick Ewing, left, and teammate Ralph Dalton, right, get a hug from head coach John Thompson, center, after Georgetown downed Georgia Tech 60-54 during NCAA action at the Providence , R.I. Civic Center, March 24, 1985. (AP Photo/Paul Benoit)
John Thompson, 1985
In this April 1, 1985, file photo, Georgetown coach John Thompson wipes his brow during the closing minutes of the college basketball NCAA Final Four championship game against Villanova, in Lexington, Ky. Underdog Villanova, shooting 79 percent from the field, denied Patrick Ewing and top-ranked Georgetown a second straight NCAA basketball title with a 66-64 victory. (AP Photo/John Swart, File)
John Thompson, 1985
Patrick Ewing is shown, Sept. 5, 1985 in New York. Man at left is Georgetown coach John Thompson. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
John Thompson, 1994
Georgetown coach John Thompson pushes past referee John Clougherty as he yells at referee Gary Marcus, not shown, with 51:9 seconds left in the first half against DePaul in Rosemont, Ill., Jan. 22, 1994. (AP Photo)
John Thompson, 1996
Georgetown head coach John Thompson yells to his players during the second half of the first round NCAA action at the Richmond Coliseum Friday, March 15, 1996, in Richmond, Va. The Hoyas won 93-56. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
John Thompson, 1999
In this Oct. 1, 1999, file photo, former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson addresses the media during a news conference for inductees to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
John Thompson, 2006
Former Georgetown head coach John Thompson watches Georgetown Thursday, March 16, 2006, at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, where the opening round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament starts Friday. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
John Thompson, 2006
Former Georgetown head coach John Thompson, left, offers a hug to his son John Thompson III after Georgetown beat Ohio State, 70-52, in the second half of an NCAA second-round men's basketball game Sunday, March 19, 2006, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
John Thompson, 2007
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson is interviewed during basketball practice at the NCAA East Regional Thursday, March 22, 2007 in East Rutherford, N.J. Thompson's son John Thompson III will coach Georgetown against Vanderbilt on Friday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
John Thompson, 2007
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson, right, shakes hands with Georgetown's Jeff Green after the Hoyas defeated Vanderbilt 66-65 in a NCAA East Regional semifinal basketball game Friday, March 23, 2007 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
John Thompson, 2007
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson watches practice for a Final Four semifinal basketball game in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Friday, March 30, 2007. Georgetown will play Ohio State on Saturday. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
John Thompson, 2010
President Barack Obama, center, is hugged by former NBA basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, right, as former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson, left, watches at the 'Let Freedom Ring' concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Monday, Jan. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
John Thompson, 2012
Former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson speaks before a U.S. men's Olympic basketball team practice Saturday, July 14, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
John Thompson, 2012
Longtime Georgetown coach John Thompson, left, and Michael Jordan applaud inductee Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, on stage during the enshrinement ceremony for the 2012 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass. Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
John Thompson, 2013
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson, Jr. greets Braden Porterfield, 10, from Alexandria, Va., during Miami's practice for a regional semifinal game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
John Thompson, 2013
FILE - In this March 9, 2013, file photo, former Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., left, congratulates his son Georgetown head coach John Thompson III, right, after the Hoya's 61-39 win over Syracuse in an NCAA college basketball game in Washington. Georgetown has fired basketball coach John Thompson III on Thursday, March 23, 2017, after two consecutive losing seasons at the school his father led to a national championship. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
John Thompson, 2015
Georgetown center Bradley Hayes (42) is greeted by John Thompson Jr., right, father of Georgetown head coach John Thompson III, after an NCAA college basketball game against Syracuse, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, in Washington. Georgetown won 79-72. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
John Thompson, 2017
Former Georgetown coach John Thompson, Jr., listens during an NCAA college basketball press conference to formally announce Georgetown's new basketball head coach Patrick Ewing, Wednesday, April 5, 2017, in Washington. Ewing played at Georgetown under coach Thompson. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)