Henry Coleman, Mike Krzyzewski on the death of John Thompson

Freshman played for one of Thompson's former players in high school

Hall of Fame coach John Thompson, who was the first African-American head coach to win a national title while at Georgetown, died over the weekend.

Duke freshman Henry Coleman, who grew up in Virginia, may be too young to remember Thompson on the bench, but he’s certainly aware of the legendary coach.

“I definitely know a lot about John Thompson,” he said. “I actually had a coach, Robert Churchwell, who actually played under him. When I was at Benedictine (College Prep.), he was my head coach.”

Churchwell played for Thompson on the Hoyas from 1990 to 1994 and borrowed from his former coach.

“A ton of (Thompson’s) quotes, he used every day during practice,” Coleman said. “He instilled hunger in the guys. (Thompson) always had this love for them at the same time. Even though he was a coach, he had this hate-love relationship with the guys.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski also released a statement about Thompson:

“Our hearts are filled with sorrow and pain with the loss of the great John Thompson Jr. No one had a larger impact on college basketball. John built a program at Georgetown that was second to none. He was an incredibly strong person who always put his players first and fought for them at every turn. Repeatedly, I was amazed at his passion for doing what is right, even when unpopular and no one was looking. Given his record of success and dedicated advocacy for college basketball and other social issues, John was a one-of-a-kind leader and an absolute treasure. He was a Hall of Fame coach, an outstanding mentor to so many, and on a more personal level, a great friend. I loved him, admired him, and will miss him dearly.”