Long-time Ed Cooley assistant Ivan Thomas has been named the new head coach at Hampton, the school announced on Friday. Thomas spent this past season as associate head coach at Georgetown and before that was on staff at Providence for eight seasons.
“We are excited to welcome Ivan Thomas back home as our head men’s basketball coach,” AD Anthony D. Henderson Sr. said in the press release. “He has a deep commitment to excellence and is a proven winner at the high school, AAU, and collegiate levels. He is a tremendous recruiter who has developed players throughout his career. As a native of Virginia, he has strong ties to the Hampton area and has a vision of how to build Hampton basketball into a championship program. He understands the commitment it takes to be successful on the court and the role athletics can play in developing young men.”
Before joining Cooley’s staff in 2015, Thomas spent many years coaching at the AAU and high school levels in his native Virginia. He was the head coach at Edison HS (2002-05) and T.C. Williams HS (2005-08) in Alexandria, and Kecoughtan HS (2008-15) in Hampton, the city he will once again call home. At the same time, Thomas worked with the famed Boo Williams AAU program and was head coach of the 17U team from 2002-15.
“I am honored and humbled to return home to the 757 as the head men’s basketball coach at Hampton University,” said Thomas. “My journey in coaching has been defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a passion for developing young athletes both on and off the court. Hampton holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to building a championship-caliber program that reflects the values of this esteemed institution. Together with our dedicated staff, talented student-athletes, and the unwavering support of the Hampton community, I am confident that we will achieve great success and leave a lasting legacy.”
Hampton parted ways with previous head coach Edward Joyner on Monday after fifteen years with the program, spanning moves from the MEAC to the Big South in 2018 and then the CAA in 2022. The Pirates have struggled since leaving the MEAC and last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
credit to Hampton Athletics for the image
