CHARLESTON, SC - Former Citadel Head Basketball Coach Mel Thompson, 76, of Indianapolis, Ind., died Feb. 5, following several years of declining health.
Thompson succeeded Norm Sloan as the head basketball coach at The Citadel in 1960 and guided the Bulldogs for seven seasons (1961-67) marking a career record of 67-96. His Citadel career was immortalized in the 2002 book, My Losing Season, written by his former player, Pat Conroy.
“Coach Thompson was a wonderful yet very competitive man of few words who kept his emotions to himself,” said former Citadel Director of Athletics and Basketball Coach Les Robinson, who traces his relationship with Thompson back to a N.C. State alumni game in 1961 when Robinson was a Wolfpack freshman. “I remember Coach (Everett) Case speaking so highly of him (Thompson) as a player, and he was.”
Born on Oct. 5, 1932, in Richmond, Ind., the son of the late John and Alma (Gross) Thompson, Thompson was a three-sport athlete playing football, basketball and baseball at Richmond High School. Mel also pitched in the Chicago Cubs organization and was drafted to play basketball in the NBA by the Fort Wayne Pistons. After high school, he played basketball as a center for North Carolina State University under legendary Coach Everett Case. N.C. State, with Thompson at the post, won the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament championship in 1953.
After his coaching career, Thompson returned to the Midwest and focused on business opportunities and raising his family. He enjoyed traveling the warmer parts of the country in the winter months to play golf.
He was preceded in death by his wife Julia Thompson, and is survived by his five children, Sharon (Bob) Thompson-Brubeck of Findlay, Ohio; Mike Thompson, M. Keith (Lori) Thompson Jr. and Laura (Charlie) Thompson-Ponsler of Indianapolis; David (Diane) Thompson of Catania, Italy; his loving ex-wife and caregiver Pat (Bittner) Thompson of Indianapolis and nine grandchildren, including Robbie and John Brubeck of Findlay.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. at Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home, 635 E. Market at College, Indianapolis.
