Assisting Jeff Van Gundy on the 2017-19 USA Basketball Men's World Cup Qualifying Team bench was former Georgetown University head coach John Thompson III.
Thompson was on the USA sidelines as an assistant coach for all six USA World Cup Qualifying Teams. In the six windows of World Cup Qualifying play he aided the USA to a stellar 10-2 record and helped the U.S. earn a 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifying berth.
Thompson, son of 1988 U.S. Olympic Team and longtime Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., boasts of six prior USA Basketball coaching experiences.
His initiation to USA Basketball came as an assistant with the 2008 USA Basketball U18 National Team that won a silver medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
"I am once again honored to work with the USA Basketball World Cup Qualifying team,” said Thompson. “It is a privilege to represent our country working under coach Van Gundy."
Thompson brings to USA Basketball 17 years of collegiate head coaching experience and a stellar 346-193 (.641 winning percentage) all-time record.
Taking the coaching reigns at Georgetown in 2004, he directed the Hoyas for 13 seasons and compiled 278-151 (.653) overall mark, including a 131-94 record in Big East Conference play. He led Georgetown to 11 straight post-season tournaments, including eight NCAA tournaments and three NITs, won three Big East Conference regular season titles, advanced teams to three Big East Tournament championships, winning the tourney title in 2007.
After leading the Hoyas to the 2005-06 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Thompson, in 2006-07, guided the Georgetown to a 30-7 record, the Big East Conference regular season and tournament championships and the NCAA Final Four.
Thompson is a two-time winner of the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year Award, was named the 2007 National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year and was the 2013 Big East Conference Coach of the Year.
Serving four seasons (2000-01 - 2003-04) as head coach at his alma mater, Princeton University, his teams compiled a 68-42 overall record, won or shared three Ivy League titles, while making three post-season tournament appearances, including two NCAA tournaments (2001 and 2004) and one NIT (2002).
Thompson served as an assistant coach at Princeton from 1995-2000 and helped Princeton to a record of 114-31, a top 10 national ranking, three Ivy League championships, five consecutive postseason appearances and one of the most memorable wins in NCAA tournament history with Princeton’s 43-41 victory over UCLA in 1996.
Thompson played basketball at Princeton while majoring in politics. As a forward, he played four seasons (1984-85 – 1987-88) for legendary coach Pete Carril and ranks fourth on Princeton's all-time assist leader list with 347. He was co-captain of the 1988 team and shared the B.F. Bunn trophy that year as one of the Tigers' Most Valuable Players.
Thompson's wife, Monica, is also a Princeton grad (Class of 1989). They have three children: Morgan, John Wallace and Matthew.
