John Thompson III Fired by Georgetown After 13 Seasons with Hoyas

Georgetown fired head basketball coach John Thompson III on Thursday, ending a successful 13-year run in which he became the school's second-winningest head coach.

Nicole Auerbach of USA Today provided a statement:

Thompson, the son of legendary Hoyas coach John Thompson, went 278–151 during his tenure. The Hoyas made eight NCAA tournaments, including the 2007 Final Four, but had fallen off since the inception of the new Big East conference.

Georgetown went 14-18 in 2016-17, its second straight losing season. The Hoyas have missed the tournament in three of the four years since the dissolution of the original Big East.

"First and foremost, our fans are terrific and have been terrific," Thompson III told Goodman. "They've experienced some good times with us, and now, with the stretch we are having, I understand their frustration. There is no one more frustrated than I am. We are accustomed to winning. I know that our players and staff are working hard and playing hard. No one cares more about this program and its tradition than I do."

Discord reached its apex during this past season, when former Hoyas and people close to the university began ripping Thompson in the media.

"Everyone knows a change needs to be made," one former player told Goodman. "But no one will dare stand up and say it."

Uneasiness abounds within the program because of the continued presence of John Thompson, the legend colloquially known as Big John who still has close ties to the team. Big John, who built the program from obscurity into national prominence in the 1980s, was a fixture during his son's tenure and has massive influence behind the scenes.

Goodman noted Big John's presence could "scare" potential coaches who have interest in the job. That could lead to someone with Thompson family ties being favored in the search, perhaps to not alienate anyone involved.

Patrick Ewing, a former Thompson protege who is perhaps the greatest player in school history, could be a fit. The current Charlotte Hornets assistant has rebuffed college opportunities in the past, but Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical noted the Georgetown opening could give him "pause."

Either way, this will be anything but a straightforward hiring process.