Another Thompson at Georgetown

After over a month of speculation, Georgetown finally officially poached men's basketball head coach John Thompson '88 from Princeton yesterday.

Air Force head coach Joe Scott '87 stands as the frontrunner to replace Thompson on the Tigers' bench. Last night, the Colorado Springs Gazette Online reported that during the day Tuesday, Princeton asked for and received permission to talk to Scott about the vacancy.

Georgetown president John J. DeGiola announced the hiring at a 12 noon press conference held in the school's library. Thompson fielded questions and spoke of the difficulty of his decision, noting the large influence of Princeton on his life.

"I'm walking away from an institution I truly love," he said. "Princeton basketball is such an integral part of who I am, and to leave that was extremely difficult."

Ultimately, however, the offer was one Thompson could not refuse. The Washington, D.C. native will take the helm of the program his father, also named John Thompson, coached from 1972 to 1999.

"I'm extremely fortunate in that I'm one of the few people in the world who can leave home and come home," Thompson said.

In truth, the decision did not come as a huge surprise. Thompson had been considered the leading candidate for the job since the Hoyas fired Craig Esherick on March 18. On April 8, Michael Wilbon reported in the Washington Post that the job was "Thompson's for the taking if he wanted it." But, according to Andy Katz of ESPN, "negotiations dragged on for weeks" before Thompson finally agreed to accept the position.

ESPN talking head Dick Vitale praised the Hoyas' decision to hire Thompson in a column posted online Tuesday.

"He has a great understanding of the game and his been around a lot of sharp minds," Vitale wrote. "I believe he will be the perfect remedy."

His lineage makes him a natural choice for the job. The elder Thompson converted Georgetown, a small Jesuit school, from an obscure program into a perennial hoops powerhouse. He coached the Hoyas to 596 wins, including an NCAA Championship in 1984 and was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

But Thompson III quickly established his own reputation in the basketball world. After starring at Gonzaga High School he played forward under the legendary Pete Carril at Princeton. He returned to the Tigers in 1995 as an assistant coach under Carril and inherited the number one seat in the fall of 2000 when then head coach Bill Carmody left for Northwestern.

Thompson made it clear that he is not afraid of the challenge of filling his father's sizeable shoes.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"I am John Thompson's son, I have been for 38 years, and I'm pretty comfortable being John Thompson's son," he said.

Indeed, according to Director of Athletics Gary Walters '67, Thompson was ultimately convinced to take the Georgetown job by his desire to follow in his fathers' footsteps and attempt to restore the luster to the Georgetown program. He also mentioned the allure of a school with a strong academic focus, as he is used to at Princeton.

"The opportunity is so good for him," junior center Judson Wallace said. "It's a dream job for a guy growing up in D.C."

During the press conference Tuesday afternoon — at which his father sat in the front row — Thompson emphasized his connection to the Hoyas by repeating the phrase "We are Georgetown" several times.

The search begins

Thompson's departure puts Princeton in the market for a new coach of its own. Walters was quick to note that Princeton will "make every effort we can to stay in the Princeton basketball family" when hiring Thompson's successor.

"We're one of the great, unique basketball traditions," he said. "We're going to hire someone that can sustain that unique style of play and that tradition."

Although Walters mentioned no specific candidates — he had declined to speculate on possible candidates in recent weeks — a handful of former Tiger players and coaches have been frequently mentioned as leading candidates.

Scott garnered national attention for his coaching this year, leading Air Force to 22-7 season and earning a top-25 national ranking. Chris Mooney '94, Scott's top assistant, will also merit consideration. For now, neither Scott nor Mooney are commenting on the Princeton job opening, according to Air Force athletic department official Jerry Cross.

Two other candidates — Craig Robinson '83 and Mitch Henderson '98 — have each spent the past four years at Northwestern as assistant coaches under Carmody. Attempts to reach both were unsucessful.

Two internal candidates are also possible — Mike Brennan '94 and Robert Burke, both assistant coaches for four years under Thompson. It is unclear if either will follow Thompson to Georgetown, though Burke, a Washington, D.C. native, would seem more likely to do so.

The third member of Thompson's staff, Howard Levy '85, a part-time assistant, is unlikely to be considered for the head spot. But he is firmly entrenched in Princeton — he owns a business in New York — and is unlikely to leave Princeton with Thompson.

Although freshman forward Harrison Schaen expressed ambivalence as to whether or not the Tigers continue running the famed "Princeton offense," several of the older players said they would prefer to keep the old system intact.

"It's easier for us — you don't lose a step," junior center Mike Stephens said. "To switch things up wouldn't be beneficial."

Walters declined to specify a timetable for hiring a replacement. But he was confident the search would yield a qualified — and successful — replacement.

"We've always been able to hire very strong coaches," he said. "My expectation is that we'll be able to hire somebody with equal ability."

For the Tigers themselves, the prevailing attitude appears to be one of focusing on the near future, rather than worrying about whom their leader will be come next winter.

"We're confused because we don't necessarily know what's going to happen now," Schaen said. "But as far as the players go, we're just here to play basketball.

Breaking the news

Thompson informed the team of his decision in a meeting late Monday night. Walters was also present and, according to Wallace, spoke of the "cupboard still being full." Wallace added that the players then discussed the need to stay focused and continue to work to improve in the off-season.

"Everyone on the team knows that if we take care of business we can do things at Princeton that haven't been done for a while," Wallace said.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Tigers were carrying on business as usual. As their former coach answered questions on his new team 300 miles away, a handful of players went through individual workouts at Jadwin Gym. No one expressed much shock, though the drawn-out process did little to soften the blow.

"When we heard the position was open and all the rumors, we all kind of expected it," Schaen said. "We hoped he would stay, but deep down knew he would go."

Thompson's departure weighed heaviest on those who have been with the program the longest.

"We're definitely disappointed," Wallace said. "He's a good coach, a good friend."

Still, all those associated with the program were quick to wish Thompson well in his new endeavor.

"We support him in what he does," Stephens said. "He feels this is the right choice for him and for his family."

In a press release Tuesday afternoon, President Shirley Tilghman thanked Thompson and his wife Monica '89, who works in the development office, for their serviec to the university.

"I wish John all the best," she said. "We will miss him and his family greatly."