Men's basketball's Thompson top candidate for Georgetown

According to reports in the Washington Post, men's basketball head coach John Thompson III '88 is the leading candidate for the vacant head coaching position at Georgetown University.

Director of Athletics Gary Walters '67 confirmed Wednesday that he granted Georgetown permission to speak with Thompson. Walters declined to specify if or when a formal interview was conducted, saying only that Thompson has "chatted" with representatives from the prestigious Big East school.

Repeated attempts to contact Thompson for comment over the past two weeks were unsuccessful.

According to several players, Thompson has not adressed the issue of his uncertain future with the team. In fact, the Tigers have come together as a team just once — at a post-season banquet last week — since their season ended with a loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 18.

"The last time he adressed the team was in Denver," junior guard Will Venable said. "We talked about next year, what we needed to do to get better over the summer. Since Georgetown fired its former coach, Craig Esherick, on March 16, Thompson has been considered a leading candidate to fill the vacancy. Earlier this week, ESPN's Andy Katz named Thompson as one of four finalists for the position, along with Duke assistance coach Johnny Dawkins, Penn head coach Fran Dunphy, and Rice head coach Willis Wilson.

But Thursday morning, the Post's Michael Wilbon reported that "the job is Thompson's for the taking if he wants it," based on several anonymous sources.

Beyond his success at Princeton — the Tigers have made two NCAA Tournament appearances during his four-year tenure — it is Thompson's lineage that has made him a natural choice for the Georgetown job. His father, also John Thompson, coached the Hoyas from 1972 to 1999.

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.

Thompson III grew up in Washington D.C., rubbing elbows with the talented players on his fathers' teams, such as Patrick Ewing. But he quickly made a name for himself in the basketball world on his own. After starring at Gonzaga High School he played under the legendary Pete Carril at Princeton.

He returned to the Tigers in 1995 as an assistant coach under Bill Carmody and inherited the number one seat in the fall of 2000 when Carmody left for Northwestern.

Walters said he has "conversed" with Thompson in regards to the situation but declined to detail specifics of the conversation. He was, however, quick to praise Thompson as an "incredibly attractive candidate."

But he made it clear that he hopes that Thompson ultimately remains at Princeton.

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"We're delighted to have John as our coach and feel that he's done a wonderful job here," Walters said. "Princeton basketball will continue to remain strong in the future, and we hope that future success comes under John Thompson."

Still, he acknowledged that losing Thompson is a very real possiblity.

"As you've seen with Dean Gutmann and others at the University," Walters said, "Princeton attracts the best and the brightest and thus tends to have attractive candidates for other outstanding positions."

Sophomore point guard Scott Greenman echoed Walters' comments, noting that coaching changes are common in college basketball.

"When you go play ball somewhere, you realize its always a possibility," he said. "I'm sure he'll do what's best for him."

For now, at least, the Tigers will continue to operate under the policy of business as usual. Thursday afternoon, a handful of players were on hand at Jadwin Gym for individual workouts with assistant coaches. Thompson did not attend, but according to athletic department staff members, he is in town and has been on the campus in recent days.

With nearly the entire Ivy League Championship team roster returning next year, expectations will run high regardless of the identity of Princeton's coach. Walters refused to speculate on possible sucessors, calling such a discussion "premature."

Overall, the Tigers seem determined not to let the rumors affect them.

"As far as we're concerned," Venable said, "it's just talk.