John R. Thompson

Enshrined 1999
Born: September 2, 1941
Washington, DC

When John Thompson stepped into the head coaching position at Georgetown University in 1972, he notified his team, which had compiled a paltry 3-23 record the previous year, that one day Georgetown would be national champions. The combination of Thompson's strong work ethic and his even stronger commitment to his players' lives off the basketball court helped him achieve his goal. In 27 years at Georgetown, Thompson won nearly 600 games and over 70 percent of all games. Thompson's teams played in fourteen consecutive NCAA tournaments (1979-92), made 24 consecutive postseason appearances (20 NCAA, 4 NIT) and won seven Big East tournament championships. Most impressively, 75 of his 77 players who remained all four seasons received their degrees and 26 of his players were drafted by the NBA (eight in the first round).