Legendary Hoya coach John Thompson has passed away.
- Thread starter Sjugrad13
- Start date
MarkRedman
Well-known member
[quote="Valgoth" post=397271]Legendary coach passed last night. Prayers to the family.[/quote]
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.
John Fanta
John Thompson won - a lot.
• 596 wins at Georgetown
• He led the Hoyas to 6 of the first 12 Big East Tournament championships
• Seven NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances, three national championship games
• 1984 national championship
John Thompson won - a lot.
• 596 wins at Georgetown
• He led the Hoyas to 6 of the first 12 Big East Tournament championships
• Seven NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances, three national championship games
• 1984 national championship
[quote="MarkRedman" post=397273][quote="Valgoth" post=397271]Legendary coach passed last night. Prayers to the family.[/quote]
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.[/quote]
Agree with that, word for word. I disliked everything about those Hoya teams but time has allowed me to appreciate the contribution of the giants of the era to the development of the Big East.
No question, Coach Thompson was a difference maker on and off the court.
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.[/quote]
Agree with that, word for word. I disliked everything about those Hoya teams but time has allowed me to appreciate the contribution of the giants of the era to the development of the Big East.
No question, Coach Thompson was a difference maker on and off the court.
Anthony Mattia
Well-known member
[quote="firestorm" post=397283][quote="MarkRedman" post=397273][quote="Valgoth" post=397271]Legendary coach passed last night. Prayers to the family.[/quote]
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.[/quote]
Agree with that, word for word. I disliked everything about those Hoya teams but time has allowed me to appreciate the contribution of the giants of the era to the development of the Big East.
No question, Coach Thompson was a difference maker on and off the court.[/quote]
Same for me. Always had a hatred for them as a young man. That hatred grew into respect as i aged
As a young man I "hated" Coach Thompson and the Hoya Paranoia group but, as an adult, I realized that my "hatred" was because they were so good back in the day and a bitter rival of St John's
My fondest memory of Coach Thompson was when he came on the floor at MSG in the tee shirt with the identical colors and design of Looie's sweater. I couldn't stop laughing and realized that the guy was "human" and had a sense of humor after all.
RIP Coach and thanks for the memories of those great battles between St John's and Georgetown. I still think that, had we'd drawn Memphis State as our Final Four opponent instead of Georgetown, we might have won a National Championship in 1985.[/quote]
Agree with that, word for word. I disliked everything about those Hoya teams but time has allowed me to appreciate the contribution of the giants of the era to the development of the Big East.
No question, Coach Thompson was a difference maker on and off the court.[/quote]
Same for me. Always had a hatred for them as a young man. That hatred grew into respect as i aged
beast of the east
Active member
There's a lot of emotion wrapped around long time SJU fans and John Thompson.
They were a great rival for certain, and Georgetown certainly far surpassed St. John's in terms of success during (and because) of Thompson's tenure. He had a succession of several very good to great centers - Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo and a very good supporting cast.
His teams weren't just very good. They played a physical, intimidating style of basketball that cast them in the role of villains. Games against them seem to be always near the boiling point of brawls, and while it never really got to that point, fans remember Kevin Williams taking exception to Ewing's sharp elbows and challenging him at halfcourt - Ewing was disciplined enough to decline. Syracuse had similar confrontations, and it was what made Big East contests in that era better characterized as wars than games. Most of us don't forget how badly Georgetown players performed in the closing moments of their loss to VIllanova - cheap shot fouls, pulling a Villanova player down by his shorts, and even an attempt to knee a Villanova player in the groin. All of this fueled the hatred of Georgetown and Thompson, who was accused of not only tolerating it, but encouraging it. Perhaps he was, as intimidation and physical play certainly can distract and unravel opponents.
In the specter of current US events, because of their dominating physical play, fans resorted to racist taunts of the Georgetown players. We too easily forget signs like "Patrick Ewing can't read this", fans waving bananas, and even Billy Packer asserting that it was embarrassing how poorly the Georgetown players spoke. Writers wrote of how Georgetown players were not academically representative of their peers at Georgetown. Thompson for his part, threatened to send his players into the stands to go after fans who shouted racist things at players. All in all an ugly chapter when you look back on it.
Thompson for his part, made no apologies for Georgetown's rough and tumble teams, which used intimidation as a tactic for certain. Fans may recall that in the national championship game vs. Houston, Thompson instructed Ewing to block the first handful of Houston shots, goaltending or not. He wanted the monstrous presence of Ewing in the paint to get into Houston player's head as an incomparable physical presence. It seemed to work.
No matter what you felt about Thompson then or not, it's impossible not to feel sad for a man who died much too young. With him died a chunk of the old Big East, with iconic coaches Like Thompson, Rollie, Boeheim, Looie, and others. Like many my opinion softened about Thompson over the years, especially when I watched interviews with him. Despite being improperly labeled as borderline mentally challenged as a youth, he was indeed very bright, gave pensive responses, and could make you forget how much you hated him as an opposing coach. To the very end, seeing him at courtside at an SJU Georgetown contest for me at least, struck a little bit of the Georgetown air of intimidation, or at least seemed to bring a plus to their side.
Without Georgetown's on court success, they wouldn't be the same university they are today. Friends who went there in the 70s will often remark that alumni should thank Thompson and Ewing for making the school uber competitive academically, and also for the massive amount of donations that continue to this day.
He was a strong voice against prop 42, which set academic standards for freshman eligibility that Thompson felt were discriminatory. Arthur Ashe disagreed with him, and while I leaned towards agreement with Ashe, I also understood Thompson's position. Both positions were in support of young black men and women, though opposed. Both men are regarded beyond their athletic and coaching skills.
Still and all, the overriding emotion for me is sadness today. We've lost a great coach, period, but also an African American leader who has gained the respect of millions. He is to Georgetown what Looie is to us, and his success at Georgetown will likely never be surpassed by another coach there. He cast that big a shadow figuratively and literally. R.I.P.
They were a great rival for certain, and Georgetown certainly far surpassed St. John's in terms of success during (and because) of Thompson's tenure. He had a succession of several very good to great centers - Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo and a very good supporting cast.
His teams weren't just very good. They played a physical, intimidating style of basketball that cast them in the role of villains. Games against them seem to be always near the boiling point of brawls, and while it never really got to that point, fans remember Kevin Williams taking exception to Ewing's sharp elbows and challenging him at halfcourt - Ewing was disciplined enough to decline. Syracuse had similar confrontations, and it was what made Big East contests in that era better characterized as wars than games. Most of us don't forget how badly Georgetown players performed in the closing moments of their loss to VIllanova - cheap shot fouls, pulling a Villanova player down by his shorts, and even an attempt to knee a Villanova player in the groin. All of this fueled the hatred of Georgetown and Thompson, who was accused of not only tolerating it, but encouraging it. Perhaps he was, as intimidation and physical play certainly can distract and unravel opponents.
In the specter of current US events, because of their dominating physical play, fans resorted to racist taunts of the Georgetown players. We too easily forget signs like "Patrick Ewing can't read this", fans waving bananas, and even Billy Packer asserting that it was embarrassing how poorly the Georgetown players spoke. Writers wrote of how Georgetown players were not academically representative of their peers at Georgetown. Thompson for his part, threatened to send his players into the stands to go after fans who shouted racist things at players. All in all an ugly chapter when you look back on it.
Thompson for his part, made no apologies for Georgetown's rough and tumble teams, which used intimidation as a tactic for certain. Fans may recall that in the national championship game vs. Houston, Thompson instructed Ewing to block the first handful of Houston shots, goaltending or not. He wanted the monstrous presence of Ewing in the paint to get into Houston player's head as an incomparable physical presence. It seemed to work.
No matter what you felt about Thompson then or not, it's impossible not to feel sad for a man who died much too young. With him died a chunk of the old Big East, with iconic coaches Like Thompson, Rollie, Boeheim, Looie, and others. Like many my opinion softened about Thompson over the years, especially when I watched interviews with him. Despite being improperly labeled as borderline mentally challenged as a youth, he was indeed very bright, gave pensive responses, and could make you forget how much you hated him as an opposing coach. To the very end, seeing him at courtside at an SJU Georgetown contest for me at least, struck a little bit of the Georgetown air of intimidation, or at least seemed to bring a plus to their side.
Without Georgetown's on court success, they wouldn't be the same university they are today. Friends who went there in the 70s will often remark that alumni should thank Thompson and Ewing for making the school uber competitive academically, and also for the massive amount of donations that continue to this day.
He was a strong voice against prop 42, which set academic standards for freshman eligibility that Thompson felt were discriminatory. Arthur Ashe disagreed with him, and while I leaned towards agreement with Ashe, I also understood Thompson's position. Both positions were in support of young black men and women, though opposed. Both men are regarded beyond their athletic and coaching skills.
Still and all, the overriding emotion for me is sadness today. We've lost a great coach, period, but also an African American leader who has gained the respect of millions. He is to Georgetown what Looie is to us, and his success at Georgetown will likely never be surpassed by another coach there. He cast that big a shadow figuratively and literally. R.I.P.
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[quote="Beast of the East" post=397287]There's a lot of emotion wrapped around long time SJU fans and John Thompson.
They were a great rival for certain, and Georgetown certainly far surpassed St. John's in terms of success during (and because) of Thompson's tenure. He had a succession of several very good to great centers - Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo and a very good supporting cast.
His teams weren't just very good. They played a physical, intimidating style of basketball that cast them in the role of villains. Games against them seem to be always near the boiling point of brawls, and while it never really got to that point, fans remember Kevin Williams taking exception to Ewing's sharp elbows and challenging him at halfcourt - Ewing was disciplined enough to decline. Syracuse had similar confrontations, and it was what made Big East contests in that era better characterized as wars than games. Most of us don't forget how badly Georgetown players performed in the closing moments of their loss to VIllanova - cheap shot fouls, pulling a Villanova player down by his shorts, and even an attempt to knee a Villanova player in the groin. All of this fueled the hatred of Georgetown and Thompson, who was accused of not only tolerating it, but encouraging it. Perhaps he was, as intimidation and physical play certainly can distract and unravel opponents.
In the specter of current US events, because of their dominating physical play, fans resorted to racist taunts of the Georgetown players. We too easily forget signs like "Patrick Ewing can't read this", fans waving bananas, and even Billy Packer asserting that it was embarrassing how poorly the Georgetown players spoke. Writers wrote of how Georgetown players were not academically representative of their peers at Georgetown. Thompson for his part, threatened to send his players into the stands to go after fans who shouted racist things at players. All in all an ugly chapter when you look back on it.
Thompson for his part, made no apologies for Georgetown's rough and tumble teams, which used intimidation as a tactic for certain. Fans may recall that in the national championship game vs. Houston, Thompson instructed Ewing to block the first handful of Houston shots, goaltending or not. He wanted the monstrous presence of Ewing in the paint to get into Houston player's head as an incomparable physical presence. It seemed to work.
No matter what you felt about Thompson then or not, it's impossible not to feel sad for a man who died much too young. With him died a chunk of the old Big East, with iconic coaches Like Thompson, Rollie, Boeheim, Looie, and others. Like many my opinion softened about Thompson over the years, especially when I watched interviews with him. Despite being improperly labeled as borderline mentally challenged as a youth, he was indeed very bright, gave pensive responses, and could make you forget how much you hated him as an opposing coach. To the very end, seeing him at courtside at an SJU Georgetown contest for me at least, struck a little bit of the Georgetown air of intimidation, or at least seemed to bring a plus to their side.
Without Georgetown's on court success, they wouldn't be the same university they are today. Friends who went there in the 70s will often remark that alumni should thank Thompson and Ewing for making the school uber competitive academically, and also for the massive amount of donations that continue to this day.
Still and all, the overriding emotion for me is sadness today. We've lost a great coach, period, but also an African American leader who has gained the respect of millions. He is to Georgetown what Looie is to us, and his success at Georgetown will likely never be surpassed by another coach there. HE cast that big a shadow figuratively and literally. R.I.P.[/quote]
Thank you for your brilliant summation of the Thompson era. He was a legend both on and off the court. I was in the Garden the night that St John’s fans started chanting “Ewing can’t read”. It was the most disgusting display of rascist behavior that I have ever witnessed in person. It has always bothered me that Louie didn’t grab a microphone and address the crowd that evening.
97 percent of his players graduated. That number can’t be ignored. He built a university, and helped build a conference. My prayers go out to his family, friends and former players.
They were a great rival for certain, and Georgetown certainly far surpassed St. John's in terms of success during (and because) of Thompson's tenure. He had a succession of several very good to great centers - Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo and a very good supporting cast.
His teams weren't just very good. They played a physical, intimidating style of basketball that cast them in the role of villains. Games against them seem to be always near the boiling point of brawls, and while it never really got to that point, fans remember Kevin Williams taking exception to Ewing's sharp elbows and challenging him at halfcourt - Ewing was disciplined enough to decline. Syracuse had similar confrontations, and it was what made Big East contests in that era better characterized as wars than games. Most of us don't forget how badly Georgetown players performed in the closing moments of their loss to VIllanova - cheap shot fouls, pulling a Villanova player down by his shorts, and even an attempt to knee a Villanova player in the groin. All of this fueled the hatred of Georgetown and Thompson, who was accused of not only tolerating it, but encouraging it. Perhaps he was, as intimidation and physical play certainly can distract and unravel opponents.
In the specter of current US events, because of their dominating physical play, fans resorted to racist taunts of the Georgetown players. We too easily forget signs like "Patrick Ewing can't read this", fans waving bananas, and even Billy Packer asserting that it was embarrassing how poorly the Georgetown players spoke. Writers wrote of how Georgetown players were not academically representative of their peers at Georgetown. Thompson for his part, threatened to send his players into the stands to go after fans who shouted racist things at players. All in all an ugly chapter when you look back on it.
Thompson for his part, made no apologies for Georgetown's rough and tumble teams, which used intimidation as a tactic for certain. Fans may recall that in the national championship game vs. Houston, Thompson instructed Ewing to block the first handful of Houston shots, goaltending or not. He wanted the monstrous presence of Ewing in the paint to get into Houston player's head as an incomparable physical presence. It seemed to work.
No matter what you felt about Thompson then or not, it's impossible not to feel sad for a man who died much too young. With him died a chunk of the old Big East, with iconic coaches Like Thompson, Rollie, Boeheim, Looie, and others. Like many my opinion softened about Thompson over the years, especially when I watched interviews with him. Despite being improperly labeled as borderline mentally challenged as a youth, he was indeed very bright, gave pensive responses, and could make you forget how much you hated him as an opposing coach. To the very end, seeing him at courtside at an SJU Georgetown contest for me at least, struck a little bit of the Georgetown air of intimidation, or at least seemed to bring a plus to their side.
Without Georgetown's on court success, they wouldn't be the same university they are today. Friends who went there in the 70s will often remark that alumni should thank Thompson and Ewing for making the school uber competitive academically, and also for the massive amount of donations that continue to this day.
Still and all, the overriding emotion for me is sadness today. We've lost a great coach, period, but also an African American leader who has gained the respect of millions. He is to Georgetown what Looie is to us, and his success at Georgetown will likely never be surpassed by another coach there. HE cast that big a shadow figuratively and literally. R.I.P.[/quote]
Thank you for your brilliant summation of the Thompson era. He was a legend both on and off the court. I was in the Garden the night that St John’s fans started chanting “Ewing can’t read”. It was the most disgusting display of rascist behavior that I have ever witnessed in person. It has always bothered me that Louie didn’t grab a microphone and address the crowd that evening.
97 percent of his players graduated. That number can’t be ignored. He built a university, and helped build a conference. My prayers go out to his family, friends and former players.
redmen4life
Well-known member
Allen Iverson credited his mentor John Thompson for saving his life. pic.twitter.com/1FvpiGjMKo— Adam Howes (@Howsito) August 31, 2020
redmen4life
Well-known member
"He was the first Black head coach to win the NCAA national championship when the Hoyas defeated the University of Houston Cougars in the 1984 NCAA title game."
Rest in Paradise Coach.
Rest in Paradise Coach.
So Sorry to hear this. As many have already written, my early "hatred" of Thompson and the Hoyas grew into much respect for the man and the coach and what he accomplished. May he rest in peace.
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
He is one of the top 5 reasons why the Big East is Big today