John Thurston (basketball)

John Thurston (born April 17, 1948) is a retired American college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the St. Francis College women's basketball team from 2012 to 2018.[1] Thurston was born in the Bronx, New York and is an alumnus of Archbishop Molloy High School and Seton Hall University.[2] Through both high school and college, Thurston was a two sport player playing baseball and basketball. After graduating high school in 1966, Thurston was drafted by Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1966 MLB Amateur Draft.[2]

John Thurston
Biographical details
Born (1948-04-17) April 17, 1948
Playing career
Basketball
1966–1970Seton Hall
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Men's basketball
1971–1972Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham (assistant)
1972–1975Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham
1975–1985James Madison (assistant)
1985–1988James Madison
1988–1997Wingate
Women's basketball
2003–2006UNC Wilmington (assistant)
2006–2008Northwood
2008–2010Fordham (assistant)
2010–2012St. Francis Brooklyn (assistant)
2012–2018St. Francis Brooklyn
Head coaching record
Overall165–232 (men's)
114–131 (women's)
TournamentsMen's
0–1 (NIT)
Women's
0–1 (NCAA Division I)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Women's
2 FSC regular season (2007–2008)
NEC tournament (2015)
Awards
Men's
CAA Coach of the Year (1987)
Women's
FSC Coach of the Year (2008)

Coaching career

Thurston is one of only a few coaches who has been a head coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII and NAIA levels in 26 years of coaching men's college basketball from 1971 to 1997. Thurston started out as an assistant basketball coach of men's basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Florham Campus in 1971. Then from 1972 to 1975, he served as the FDU-Florham Devil's head coach. Thurston next served as an assistant to Lou Campanelli at James Madison University, and was promoted to head coach in 1985. With the Dukes, Thurston helped lead the team to three straight trips to the NCAA tournament from 1981 to 1983, and was named Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 1987. In 1988, he moved to Wingate University as athletic director and head men's basketball coach.

Thurston then began coaching women's basketball. From 2003 to 2005, he was the top assistant at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and in 2005, became the head coach at Northwood University, as the first head coach of the women's program. In two seasons with Northwood, he led the Lady Seahawks to two Florida Sun Conference titles, a trip to the NAIA national tournament, and was named Coach of the Year in 2008. After the 2008 season, Thurston resigned from Northwood and became an assistant at Fordham University for two years.[3][4] In 2010, Thurston was hired as an assistant coach by then Terriers head coach Brenda Milano for the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers women's basketball program.[5]

In 2012, Thurston was named the head coach of the Terriers women's basketball program. His 2013–14 squad set the program record for wins in a season with 19. The following year, his 2014–15 squad won the NEC tournament and participated in the NCAA tournament, the first in the program's history. After the 2017–18 season Thurston retired from coaching the St. Francis Terriers women's basketball team.[6]

Head coaching record

Men's
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham Devils () (1972–1975)
1972–73 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 9–15
1973–74 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 12–14
1974–75 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 18–10
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham: 39–39 (.500)
James Madison Dukes (Colonial Athletic Association) (1985–1988)
1985–86 James Madison 5–233–11T–6th
1986–87 James Madison 20–108–6T–3rdNIT First Round
1987–88 James Madison 6–112–4
James Madison: 31–44 (.413)13–21 (.382)
Wingate Bulldogs (South Atlantic Conference) (1988–1997)
1988–89 Wingate 17–13
1989–90 Wingate 10–15
1990–91 Wingate 8–20
1991–92 Wingate 11–17
1992–93 Wingate 11–15
1993–94 Wingate 9–17
1994–95 Wingate 8–18
1995–96 Wingate 11–16
1996–97 Wingate 10–18
Wingate: 95–149 (.389)
Total:165–232 (.416)

Women's
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Northwood Seahawks (Florida Sun Conference) (2006–2008)
2006–07 Northwood 18–138–21st
2007–08 Northwood 23–89–31stNAIA First Round
Northwood: 41–21 (.661)17–5 (.773)
St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers (Northeast Conference) (2012–2018)
2012–13 St. Francis Brooklyn 11–198–107th
2013–14 St. Francis Brooklyn 19–1110–85th
2014–15 St. Francis Brooklyn 15–199–95thNCAA Division I First Round
2015–16 St. Francis Brooklyn 7–224–149th
2016–17 St. Francis Brooklyn 8–226–12T–7th
2017–18 St. Francis Brooklyn 13–179–9T–3rd
St. Francis Brooklyn: 73–110 (.399)46–62 (.426)
Total:114–131 (.465)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References
  1. "St. Francis Brooklyn College Terrier Athletics - New Women's Basketball Head Coach John Thurston Introduced on Monday". Sfcathletics.com. 2012-03-28. Archived from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  2. "2015-2016 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff John Thurston". SFCAthletics.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  3. "Thurston Resigns As Northwood Women's Basketball Coach". thesunconference.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  4. "2008-09 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff John Thurston". ordhamsports.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  5. "St. Francis (NY) Women's Basketball Adds John Thurston to Coaching Staff for 2010-11 Season!". SFCAthletics.com. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  6. "Championship Head Women's Basketball Coach, John Thurston Retires". SFCAthletics.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
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