Born Sept. 2, 1941, John R. Thompson Jr. grew up in Washington, D.C. His father was always working — on a farm in Maryland and later as a laborer in the city — and could neither read nor write. When the son was fired in 2017, the elder Thompson — known affectionately as “Big John” or “Pops” to many — was at the news conference announcing Ewing as the successor. Later, after a two-year career in the National Basketball Association, he earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling at the University of the District of Columbia. My team wins a lot of games; I make a lot of money. “I resent the hell out of that question if it implies I am the first Black coach competent enough to take a team to the Final Four,” Thompson said. » READ MORE: Legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson was a giant in every sense | Mike Jensen. Thompson passed at … Six words kick-started the blood feud in the Big East’s inaugural season. Other coaches charged that Georgetown, under Mr. Thompson, was prone to rough play and fighting. Faculty and students rallied around him after a bedsheet with racist words was hung inside the school’s gym before a game during the 1974-75 season. When I was still coaching, kids would show up late for practice and I’d (say) … ‘My father got up every morning of his life at 5 a.m. to go to work. “Thanks for Saving My Life Coach,” Iverson wrote at the start of an Instagram post Monday with photos of the pair. He had 26 players drafted by the NBA. He enrolled at Providence College, steered once again by his mother’s belief that the priests would look after her son, and led the Friars to the 1963 National Invitation Tournament title and, in 1964, their first NCAA tournament appearance. More than a coach, he was our foundation. “Other Blacks have been denied the right in this country; coaches who have the ability. Texas got the ball first and quickly scored when Ehlinger and Moore connected for their third score of the day. The secrecy with which he shrouded his players was often interpreted as evidence that Georgetown basketball had something to hide. Much like his teams, Mr. Thompson had a game-day persona that could be intimidating. One of his honors -- his selection as coach of the U.S. team for the 1988 Olympics -- had a sour ending when the Americans had to settle for the bronze medal. “I never in my life saw my father’s hands clean,” Thompson told The Associated Press in 2007. When the son was fired in 2017, the elder Thompson -- known affectionately as “Big John” or “Pops” to many -- was at the news conference announcing Ewing as the successor. One of the most celebrated and polarizing figures in his sport, Thompson took over a moribund Georgetown program in the 1970s and molded it in his unique style into a perennial contender, culminating with a national championship team anchored by center Patrick Ewing in 1984.