ATLANTA - Legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. has died at the age of 78.

Thompson is accredited with a list of legacies that include recruiting and developing four game-changing and hall of fame pro-players that include: Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson.

Coach Thompson, simply known as "Big John," essentially set the bar for minority coaches, gaining aspiration status following Georgetown's 1984 national title run.

According to ESPN, Thompson also spoke his mind and his words were followed up by action. The coach walked off the court in 1989 to protest Proposition 48, which at the time banned academically ineligible freshmen from receiving scholarships. The measure from the NCAA was believed to disproportionately affect minority students.

Thompson's death was announced Monday morning (August 31), just two days before his birthday.