John Thompson, a Basketball Hall of Famer, became the first Black head coach to win the NCAA national title when he guided the Hoyas in 1984. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear everyday.”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.Georgetown reached two other title games with Thompson in charge and Ewing patrolling the paint, losing to Michael Jordan’s North Carolina team in 1982 and to Villanova in 1985.At 6-foot-10, with an ever-present white towel slung over his shoulder, Thompson literally and figuratively towered over the Hoyas for decades, becoming a patriarch of sorts after he quit coaching in 1999.One of his sons, John Thompson III, was hired as Georgetown’s coach in 2004. It was a result so disappointing that Thompson put himself on a sort of self-imposed leave at Georgetown for a while, coaching practices and games but leaving many other duties to his assistants.Off the court, Thompson was both a role model and a lightning rod. John Thompson, coach who built Georgetown basketball into national power, dies at 78. However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. I thought that was the color of his hands. For the betterment of basketball, John Thompson didn’t coach with any soft spots. Although he has now been laid to … The Hoyas were on the verge of a repeat the following year when they were stunned in the championship game by coach Rollie Massimino’s Villanova team in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.Success allowed Thompson to rake in money through endorsements, but he ran afoul of his Georgetown bosses when he applied for a gambling license for a business venture in Nevada in 1995. He was 78.His death was announced in a family statement released by Georgetown on Monday. 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. But don’t worry about him, because as he always liked to say, ‘....”Big Ace’” is cool.”In 27 seasons (1972-99) at Georgetown, Thompson had a 596-239 career record, and 97% of the student-athletes he coached who stayed for four years (76 of 78) left the university with a degree, The three-time Big East coach of the year retired in 1999, and Thompson's son, John Thompson III, later became Georgetown's coach from 2004-17. Opposition from Thompson, and others, led the NCAA to modify the rule.Thompson’s most daring move came that same year, when he summoned notorious drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III for a meeting in the coach’s office. Without an alarm.’”Thompson’s parents emphasized education, but he struggled in part of because of poor eyesight and labored in Catholic grammar school. "Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. Legendary Georgetown college basketball coach John Thompson has died, his family announced in a statement released by the school's athletic program Monday morning. “However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. The younger Thompson, with “Pops” often watching from the stands or sitting in the back of the room for news conferences, returned the Hoyas to the Final Four in 2007. Nascar driver, Brendan Gaughan was a walk-on on Georgetown’s basketball team in the 90’s and he told us how much of an inspiration Thompson was to him. Another son, Ronny Thompson, was head coach for one season at Ball State and is now a TV analyst.One of the most celebrated and polarizing figures in his sport, Thompson took over a struggling Georgetown program in the 1970s and molded it into a perennial contender, culminating with a national championship in 1984.Trending stories,celebrity news and all the best of TODAY.Former Georgetown head coach John Thompson at a college basketball game between the Hoyas and Butler in February 2019.