The Hampton University basketball program looks to have found its new leader as a post from the Mid-Major Madness account on Twitter (X) has the Pirates hiring Georgetown assistant Ivan Thomas as their next head coach.
ESPN College Basketball Insider Jeff Borzello tweeted about the Ivan Thomas hire at Hampton by saying that Thomas had already been the favorite to replace Joyner on ESPN’s Men’s basketball coaching tracker.
Hampton University moved on from Edward “Buck” Joyner on March, 11th, 2024 after a 15-year head coaching tenure that saw him guide the Pirates through three different conferences. Two days later, the HBCU by the Bay appears to have already found a captain ready to take the wheel of the Hampton Pirate ship.
Hampton finished the 2023-2024 season with a 9-24 record and the school’s first-ever CAA tournament win.
As of the publication of this article, no official word has been made by Hampton University about a basketball coaching hire. Stay tuned to hbcugameday.com for updates on this story.
Georgetown assistant Ivan Thomas Bio
Ivan Thomas is in his first season as an associate head coach with the Georgetown men’s basketball program. As part of the coaching staff, he is responsible for recruiting, on-floor practice preparation as well as player and program development.
He arrives on the Hilltop as part of Head Coach Ed Cooley’s inaugural staff after spending the previous eight seasons as part of Cooley’s staff at Providence, the last seven as an assistant coach. Thomas helped the Friars achieve success during those eight seasons as the squad made six postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournaments.
Prior to his time at Providence College, Thomas served as a head high school basketball coach for 13 years and as an AAU coach for the Boo Williams 17U Team for 13 years. He spent his first season with the Friars as the associate director of player development / video operations. In June of 2016 he was promoted to assistant coach.
In 2008, he became the head coach of Kecoughtan High School (Hampton, Virginia) where he coached for seven years, registering a 127-60 mark. In 2010 and 2012, Thomas led Kecoughtan to the Peninsula District title. Prior to coaching at Kecoughtan, he guided the T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, Virginia) boys basketball team (2005-08). In Thomas’ three seasons at T.C. Williams, his teams posted a 75-9 mark and won the district title each season, including 2008 when the squad captured the state title and he was named Virginia Coach of the Year. In 2002, Thomas was named the head coach at Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He coached Edison for three seasons. His first coaching position was at Schaumburg High School in Schaumburg, Illinois. He was an assistant coach at Schaumburg for three years (1999-2001), including 2000 when the team captured the Illinois state title.
Thomas received his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999 and his master’s degree in educational leadership from George Mason University in 2003, as well as his bachelor’s degree in sociology from VCU in 1997. Thomas was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He is married to Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas, and they have three children, Christopher, Taylor and Jordan Thomas.
COACHING FILE:
Associate Head Coach, Georgetown: 2023-present
Assistant Coach, Providence: 2016-23
Associate Director of Player Development / Video Operations, Providence: 2015-16
Head Coach, Boo Williams 17U Team: 2002-15
Head Coach, Kecoughtan High School: 2008-15
Head Coach, T.C. Williams High School: 2005-08
Head Coach, Edison High School: 2002-05
Assistant Coach, Schaumburg High School: 1997-2000