Thomas named new Hampton coach
Fred Jeter | 3/21/2024, 6 p.m.
Hampton University has chosen Ivan Thomas to navigate its basketball program through what has been choppy waters of late.
The hiring was announced last week by HU Athletic Director Anthony Henderson Sr. Coach Thomas, who replaces Ed “Buck” Joyner, arrives at HU with an impressive résumé including successes as a high school head coach, college assistant and AAU travel coach.
The Norfolk native and Norview High alum will try to resuscitate a Pirates program that has gone 17-48 overall the past two seasons and 8-28 in the Coastal Athletic Association.
Coach Thomas guided Hampton’s Kecoughtan High to a 127-60 record and T.C. Williams of Alexandria to a 75-9 mark that included a State Group AAA crown in 2008. He also coached at Edison High in Alexandria.
Coach Thomas also led the Boo Williams U-17 AAU squad to national recognition from 2002 to 2015.
In 2016, Coach Thomas joined Ed Cooley’s staff at Providence University of the Big East Conference. The Friars made five trips to the NCAA under Cooley.
This past season, Cooley moved to Georgetown, also of the powerful Big East (including ’23 NCAA champ Connecticut), with Coach Thomas serving as his associate head coach.
Coach Thomas has a degree from VCU in guidance and counseling and a degree from George Mason in educational leadership.
