Ex-Coach To Analyze Games

October 14, 1999 / 5:54 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Former Georgetown coach John Thompson, who resigned abruptly during the early part of last season, has joined Turner Sports as an NBA analyst.

Thompson, who has not ruled out returning to coaching in the future, will work a full slate of games this season for both TNT and TBS. He replaces Doc Rivers, who left the cable network to coach the Orlando Magic.

Thompson might be teamed with Kevin Harlan.

"I'm totally committed to doing it," Thompson said Thursday. "I have been looking to do something that kept me close to basketball, but this isn't something that I planned. They called me to audition."

Thompson stunned college basketball in January when he resigned, citing personal reasons related to his marriage. His name has come up for various NBA coaching jobs since.

"It was a personal thing as to why I got out of coaching," Thompson said. "I was going through a divorce that is pretty much resolved now. As I said then, I was resigning not retiring.

I didn't stop coaching because I didn't like it."

Thompson, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on Oct. 1, coached 27 seasons at Georgetown, compiling a 596-239 record. He led the Hoyas to 24 straight postseason appearances and three NCAA Final Fours, including a national championship in 1984.

He was the Boston Celtics' backup center for Bill Russell on the 1965 and 1966 NBA championship teams.

"There are several players who I coached and have relationships with that are key players in the NBA," Thompson said. "I'm around the game a lot and I'm going to have fun with this."

Among those he coached who are currently in the league are Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing.

Thompson has served as an analyst for Turner Sports' annual NBA draft coverage since 1997. He also is the host of a sports talk radio program in Washington.

"John brings with him nearly four decades of basketball experience and an understanding of the game and its players that is unparalleled," said Turner executive producer Mike Pearl.