By — Jeffrey Brown Jeffrey Brown By — Sam Lane Sam Lane Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/remembering-john-thompson-legendary-ncaa-basketball-coach Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Audio John Thompson, a Hall of Fame basketball coach who transformed Georgetown University into a national championship school, has died at age 78. The first Black head coach to win an NCAA title, Thompson was known for helping to mold stars including Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. He was also outspoken about the role of race in sports and society. Jeffrey Brown reports. Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: And Hall of Fame basketball coach John Thompson has died. He made Georgetown University a national champion and was outspoken about matters of race.Jeffrey Brown looks at his life. Man: Georgetown will finish the year. Jeffrey Brown: John Thompson Jr. made history that day in 1984, becoming the first Black head coach to win an NCAA title. He was known for transforming Georgetown into a powerhouse and molding basketball greats like Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson both on and off the court. Allen Iverson: Coach Thompson saved my life. No other schools were recruiting me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. And he did.(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Jeffrey Brown: Thompson saw his own role as going beyond basketball. John Thompson: I could use it to open a doorway for myself or for other people. It was an educational instrument for me. Jeffrey Brown: Thompson made a point of recruiting Black athletes to the predominantly white campus, and spoke out about injustices he saw. In 1989, he famously walked off the court before a game to protest an NCAA scholarship rule he felt would hurt disadvantaged students. John Thompson: Because of the success we were having as a basketball coach, and me being an African American, I had an obligation to say something about it. So, I did. Jeffrey Brown: The NCAA ultimately modified the rule. John Thompson coached at Georgetown for 27 seasons and won almost 600 games. He was 78.For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jeffrey Brown. Listen to this Segment Watch Watch the Full Episode PBS NewsHour from Aug 31, 2020 By — Jeffrey Brown Jeffrey Brown In his more than 30-year career with the NewsHour, Brown has served as co-anchor, studio moderator, and field reporter on a wide range of national and international issues, with work taking him around the country and to many parts of the globe. As arts correspondent he has profiled many of the world's leading writers, musicians, actors and other artists. Among his signature works at the NewsHour: a multi-year series, “Culture at Risk,” about threatened cultural heritage in the United States and abroad; the creation of the NewsHour’s online “Art Beat”; and hosting the monthly book club, “Now Read This,” a collaboration with The New York Times. By — Sam Lane Sam Lane Sam Lane is reporter/producer in PBS NewsHour's segment unit. @lanesam