Gene Thompson was named Men’s Tennis Coach in January 8, 2005 at Virginia State University, Fitness Center Coordinator & Adjunct Professor. Thompson has guided the Trojans to 161 wins and 104 losses in 14 seasons, with 10 seasons at Lincoln University his overall collegiate record 261 wins and 155 loses. His teams has won 5 Division Championships with a NCAA in bid 2009). He served on the ITA Division II National Ranking Committee. Thompson coached the men’s and women’s Tennis teams at Lincoln University part-time for 10 years (100 wins and 50 loses).
Before coming to VSU, Coach Thompson coached in Delaware with stops in North Carolina (Southwestern), Virginia (Douglass & Warren County) and Delaware (Wilmington & A.I. DuPont) where his high school basketball coaching record was 489 wins and 227 losses. At Wilmington: He was Assistant Football Coach over 10 years (with a state title in 1971); Head Track & Field Coach (with a state title in 1995); Head Basketball Coach (with 3 State titles in 78, 83 and 88) and Head Tennis Coach.
In Delaware he was named State Coach of the Year in Basketball, Tennis, and Track & Field.
Conference Coach of the Year in Basketball 9 times;
USTA/Middle States Tennis Coach of the Year;
CIAA Tennis Coach of the year.
Delaware Afro-American Hall of Fame-Basketball -2009
Delaware Interscholastic Basketball Hall of Fame;2013
USTA/MS/Delaware District Tennis Hall of Fame- 2013
VIA Heritage Association Hall of Fame- Coach- 2018
National Community Service Awards: 1. USTA Eve Kraft Award in Houston, Texas
2. NCAA/ITA Division III in Saddleback, Fla
During his high school coaching career he had 92 % of his athletes to attend college when only 38% of the student body matriculate to an institute of higher learning. He has served as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach for the Virginia State University. He also served as Interim Head Men’s Basketball coach in 2011 when the team was in last place in the Northern Division. He turn them around and finished in 4th place in the Division.
A native of Newport News, Virginia, Thompson graduated from Carver High School, attended Compton College (Football), US Army (Football/Basketball) and graduated from Elizabeth City State University (Football/Tennis), BS. He received his M. ED. degree from Virginia State University. He has done advance studies at: University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Virginia State University and University of Penn. He was EPDA Fellow at VSU 1969-70.
He has worked the fame Five Star Basketball Camp for 31Summer years (3 weeks ea. summer) alongside coaches like Hubei Brown, Rick Patino, and John Calipari. He coached Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Monte Williams, and Vince Carter on his camp teams. The Five Star Camp is where all the great ones attend.
Membership: ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association)
USTA-United States Tennis Association (Life member)
ATA- American Tennis Association (Life member)
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (Life member)
Christ & Grace Episcopal Church
100 Black Men of Peninsula
