The Hampton Pirates are set to hire Georgetown assistant coach Ivan Thomas as their new head basketball coach, according to Michael Sauls of The Virginian-Pilot. The university started a nationwide search recently after letting go of 15-year head coach Edward “Buck” Joyner, Jr.
Hampton decided to go after someone familiar with the area in their hiring process. Thomas is a local product, growing up in Norfolk, VA, a city that lies about thirty minutes away from Hampton’s campus. Thomas did his undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, then received master’s degrees at both VCU and George Mason. The same year he received his bachelor’s degree (1997), Thomas began his coaching journey as an assistant at Schaumburg High School. He spent three seasons there, then became a head coach at Edison High School in 2002. The same year, he became the head coach of the Boo Williams 17U team, an elite program that has produced NBA talent such as Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, and JJ Redick. Thomas remained the head coach of the program for 13 years, up until 2015.
Thomas coached at Edison High School until 2005, where he then switched to T.C. Williams High School. Throughout his three-year tenure, T.C. Williams went 75-9, won the district title each year, and earned a state title in 2008. That same season, Thomas received the Virginia Coach of the Year award. The recognition helped boost him to his next job at Kecoughtan High School in Hampton. Thomas spent seven years at Kecoughtan, recorded a 127-60 record and winning two district titles.
In 2015, Providence College hired Thomas as their associate direct of player development and video operations. After a year in that role, he became the assistant coach, a position he would hold for seven years. Finally, in 2023, Georgetown hired Thomas as their associate head coach. Thomas now heads back close to home in an effort to lead the Hampton Pirates after disappointing season.
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