Gwendolyn Thompson Bio
Gwendolyn Thompson is the ex-wife of John Thompson Jr., the first Black coach to win the NCAA championship. She works for the Black Student Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to private schools.
Gwendolyn Thompson Age
Gwen is 77 years old as of 2020.
Gwendolyn Thompson Husband – John Thompson Wife
Gwendolyn was married to John Thompson Jr. for 32 years before they divorced. Gwen and Thompson met while Thompson was a student at Archbishop Carroll High School and she was at Sacred Heart.
The couple separated in 1996 after a fire damaged the Northwest Washington home they shared. At the time Gwen moved with their daughter Tiffany into an apartment on 16th Street while Thompson moved into a Rosslyn penthouse condo purchased for $1.06 million by a company that has Fenlon as a trustee.
In the fall of 1997, Thompson sued Gwen for divorce and while attorneys for both sides consistently characterized the proceedings as amicable, Thompson abruptly resigned his coaching job in January and blamed the pending divorce for ruining his focus.
Gwendolyn Thompson Children – John Thompson Children
The couple has three children together; John Thompson III, Ronny Thompson and Tiffany Thompson. John is a former assistant basketball coach at Princeton University and currently serves as an assistant coach for the United States men’s national basketball. Ronnie is a Comcast sportcaster.
Who is John Thompson Jr.
John Robert Thompson Jr. was an American men’s college basketball coach who was the first Black basketball head coach to win the NCAA National Championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
He coached at Georgetown University for 27 years, leading the Hoyas to their lone title in 1984. He resigned on January 8, 1999 citing marital problems.
After retiring from coaching he became a commentator for both professional (mainly for TNT) and collegiate games. He hosted The John Thompson Show, a sports talk show on ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C., until February 2012.
John Thompson Death
John died on Sunday night, August 30, 2020 at his Arlington, Virginia home at the age of 78. His family released a statement on Monday which read;
“We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr. Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else. However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. More than a coach, he was our foundation. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear everyday. We will miss him but are grounded in the assurance that we carry his faith and determination in us. We will cherish forever his strength, courage, wisdom and boldness, as well as his unfailing love. We know that he will be deeply missed by many and our family appreciates your condolences and prayers. But don’t worry about him, because as he always liked to say, ‘….’Big Ace'” is cool.”
John Thompson Jr. Cause of Death
His cause of death has not been made public yet but according to CNN, a family source said he had been suffering from multiple health challenges.