RIP John Thompson

[Stern]

RIP Big John

 

[Alsacs]

OMG this is terrible. I can’t believe how bad 2020 has been. John Thompson was the perfect foil for Syracuse basketball and will be remembered by our fanbase.

RIP.

 

[DaCuse]

Horrible. Prayers for him and his family.

 

[RandygoCuse]

RIP - great coach, great rival

 

[cliftonparksufan]

RIP - great coach, great rival

Never a fan but you had to really respect what he did with program and for an entire generation of young Black Americans. May he RIP. Unfortunately not a good week for the old BE. It's like a part of our youth is now gone.

 

[sutomcat]

RIP Big John

RIP John. He was a very good coach and played a huge part in building the Big East conference.

 

[Trueblue25]

What the hell is happening?

RIP.

 

[GooseMutt]

An American and Big East icon. At the end we’re all friends. God bless!

 

[Briancuse]

Not on Wikipedia yet but if true Rip coach. Even though he was our arch rival he was a great man and a great coach. Another legendary figure lost in 2020.

 

[orangejunkie]

I met his son at a Richmond-Georgetown game a couple years ago. Quality person and humble family guy who had spent some time playing pro ball, including a short stint with the Knicks. We talked about those classic SU-Georgetown days and he talked about the SU players that he had fun competing against. I've never really understood or agreed with some of the negative views shared on this board. Quality school and they achieved so much during those rivalry years that defined SU basketball.

 

[Arangeman]

I had an irrational amount of hate for Big John during our true rivalry days. Really enjoyed him post Gtown, announcing, radio years.

Somber. JB will most certainly have some poignant things to say today.

 

[Geode]

That's too bad. Sympathies to the Thompson family and Hoya Nation. Heck of a coach who built a program and helped launch a conference. He fit the part perfectly for an evil empire, he even had the James Earl Jones/Darth Vader voice and embraced his role. He will be missed.

 

[Col. Bleep]

There's revisionist history here.
And no mention that he pioneered the recruiting of thugs.
But he was a good game coach and an excellent foil.

 

[elimunelson]

Syracuse/Georgetown is the big east. Big John added a true heel to the rivalry and the entire Big East. To do what he did at Georgetown is incredible.

John opened my eyes to what education really is and how you can educate any type of kid in college. I think what he tried to do at Georgetown is an example of giving any one an opportunity versus just kids from Georgetown Prep.

 

[OttoMets]

Met him a couple times at McDonough, he was a really nice guy and I liked him. In the context of the weird "sports hatred" I and thousands of other people had for him, his spirit was even more admirable. Sad to hear he's gone.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

oh, so its all good now...never heard a good word about him on this board from anyone..now its a tragedy. funny how that works

 

[721Comstock]

RIP Big John.

As a Syracuse fan, he was a guy you loved to hate. So many incredible games and moments over decades. An integral part of the rise and dominance of the Big East

He will be missed.

Condolences to his family, friends, former players, and all Georgetown alums & fans.

( PS - Georgetown still sucks )

 

[CuseFaninVT]

RIP Big John.
Another chapter of our beloved Big East story closing.

 

[Shawn91111]

Wow, RIP Big John. he made that rivalry as fun as anything

 

[newmexicuse]

Probably my favorite “love to hate” basketball figure. He will be missed.

 

[Shawn91111]

oh, so its all good now...never heard a good word about him on this board from anyone..now its a tragedy. funny how that works

You respect the dead (unless they are Hitler or Bin Laden etc), it's really not that difficult to understand. Same would be said about Calhoun

 

[br801]

A major piece of the college basketball story for so many of us, even if he did deliver the only defeat I experienced in Manley. RIP, Big John.

 

[dasher]

oh, so its all good now...never heard a good word about him on this board from anyone..now its a tragedy. funny how that works

You find it odd that people aren't speaking ill of the dead on the day he died?

 

[syrBossHogg]

Wow!

RIP

 

[Dcuse]

oh, so its all good now...never heard a good word about him on this board from anyone..now its a tragedy. funny how that works

It’s sports hatred. The guy just died. What’s wrong with you?