Georgetown Breaks Ground on Thompson Athletics Center

Georgetown University broke ground Sept. 12 on a new state-of-the-art athletic facility, named after legendary Hoyas men’s basketball coach John R. Thompson Jr. Although the tennis courts next to McDonough Arena are gone, they will return in the four-story, 144,000-square-foot John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center, slated for completion in August 2016.

Here are more details from Georgetown University about the groundbreaking and the facility:

The $62-million project will be completely supported through philanthropy. The Thompson Center will be constructed adjacent to McDonough Arena and include practice courts, team meeting rooms, men’s and women’s basketball coaches’ offices, and weight-training and sports medicine rooms for all varsity athletes. The new facility also includes a Student-Athlete Academic and Leadership Center, an auditorium, team meeting facilities for varsity programs and a new venue for the Georgetown Athletics Hall of Fame.

More than 500 people – including former players such as Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson, all of whom played for Thompson, Jr., and more recent players ranging from Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Otto Porter Jr. and Henry Sims, who played for current Head Coach John Thompson III – came to the site for the official groundbreaking of the facility.

John Thompson Jr.’s name is synonymous with success. From 1972 to 1999, he compiled 596 wins, the most of any coach in the history of Georgetown University. On the court, he amassed league-leading records against all Big East Conference opponents (233-122) and captured 13 Big East Championships, seven regular season titles and six tournament championships. Thompson’s Hoya teams earned 24-consecutive invitations to postseason play, appeared in three NCAA Final Fours (1982, 1984 and 1985) and won the NCAA Championship in 1984.

“Without the help of a lot of people that are in here now, it would’ve been impossible to succeed,” said Thompson, who added that he gains the most satisfaction in seeing the success that many of his players have had off of the court.