- Enshrined as a coach in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
- Played for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Boston Celtics, 1964-1965 & 1965-1966.
- Basketball coach at Georgetown University, 1972-1999.
- Played for Providence College (1960-1964). All-State (1962-1964). All-District, All-Conference, All-American and Team MVP (1964). New England Player of the Year (1964).
- Back-up center for Bill Russell while he played for the Celtics.
- Georgetown record: 596-239. In his 27-year tenure as head coach at Georgetown, his teams appeared in three Final Fours (1982, 1984, 1985), played in 14 consecutive NCAA tournaments (1979-1992), made 24 consecutive post-season appearances (20 NCAA, 4 NIT) and won seven Big East Tournament championships. National championship (1984). Holds conference records for most overall Big East wins (231), most regular-season Big East wins (198) and conference championships (seven regular season, six tournaments). Won seven Coach of the Year awards: Big East (1980, 1987, 1992), United States Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News (1984), National Association of Basketball Coaches (1985) and United Press International (1987). Saw a 97 percent graduation rate among his four-year players.
- Led the United States to a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympic Games and was an assistant coach for the 1976 gold medal-winning team.
- Father of John Thompson.
- Inducted into the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame.
- Inducted into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 (inaugural class).
- Has another son Ronny and one daughter Tiffany.
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