When Erica Thompson started dating her future husband Ronny Thompson, she was just a fan of basketball. The two met in college at Georgetown University when Ronny Thompson was a player on the men's basketball team.
Now, nearly 16 years later, Erica Thompson has gotten used to being around a basketball coaching family. Her father-in-law is Hall of Famer John Thompson, and her brother-in-law is current Georgetown coach John Thompson III.
"It's been interesting," Erica Thompson said. "Since we started dating - they talk basketball. When we all go out to dinner, they are [using] salt and pepper shakers running plays."
Ronny Thompson, who enters his first head coaching position at Ball State University, said he knew at an early age that he wanted to be involved with coaching basketball.
"I think I have been looking forward to being a head coach since I was old enough to hold a remote control," Ronny Thompson said. "It's something that I've always known that I've wanted to do."
Ronny Thompson's father John Thompson amassed nearly 600 wins in 27 years at Georgetown. He led the Hoyas to three Final Fours including a national title in 1984.
Having a legendary coach as his father, Ronny Thompson and his brother John Thompson III were able to learn coaching aspects at a young age.
"It's being in the household," Ronny Thompson said, "we were learning things when we didn't really realize we were learning them or picking them up at a very early age.
When the brothers were growing up, their parents didn't encourage them to go directly into coaching. When Ronny Thompson graduated from Georgetown, he worked at Wall Street for Prudential. About a year later, he began his coaching career at the University of Oregon during the 1993-94 season.
John Thompson said he wanted Ronny Thompson to get experience away from basketball to better allow him to decide if he wanted to become a coach.
"I thought that he should go out and get some other experiences before that decision was made," John Thompson said. "I wasn't opposed to him being a coach as much as I was opposed to him going right into it."
John Thompson III, who led Georgetown to the Sweet 16 this year, said although Ronny has just now became a head coach, he has always helped him.
"He has been a part mentally of my coaching career," John Thompson III. "We talk two or three times a day. I would say he is a tremendous resource to me. What he has picked up, what he has learned - I don't know. I'm just excited for him right now."
Ronny Thompson, who previously spent three years as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas, said his father and his brother didn't have a role in terms of him taking the Ball State position. However, he said they have helped him reach his first head coaching job.
"Both of them have played a tremendous role in terms of preparing me for it," Ronny Thompson said.
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