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Brooks Thompson begins his second year on the staff at Arizona State, as Rob Evans hired the former NBA first-round pick in April of 2004, marking a reunion of a former player and coach. Thompson, the first-round draft pick of the Orlando Magic in 1994, came to ASU from Yavapai College where he led the RoughRiders to a 55-14 record from 2002-2004, earning Thompson consecutive NJCAA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors.
"Coach Thompson's work ethic, focus and energy helped our program immediately," says Evans, who was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State when Thompson was playing. "His playing experiences at Texas A & M and Oklahoma State are valuable, and having a first-round NBA draft pick on your coaching staff is a huge asset. He did a great job at Yavapai and is doing the same for us."
Thompson took Yavapai College to levels of success previously unseen at the Prescott, Ariz., campus, compiling a 55-14 record over two seasons. Yavapai's only trip to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., was in 1980, yet Thompson took them there twice. His inaugural year in 2002-03 saw him lead the RoughRiders to their first ACCAC regular season championship the Region 1 Tournament championship and the most wins in school history with 28. The team followed that in 2003-04 as they repeated as ACCAC regular season champions and Region 1 champions, in addition to attaining the highest national ranking in the school's history at No. 8.
Thompson turned to coaching after a NBA playing career that included being a member of the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. He competed in the NBA Finals during his rookie season with the Magic in 1994-95 and set the Orlando franchise record for most points in a quarter (21). He began his collegiate playing days at Texas A&M and eventually transferred to Oklahoma State where he competed in three NCAA tournaments (1992-94). He earned first-team All-Big Eight honors in 1993-94 and second-team in 1992-93 and led the team in assists both seasons an averaged 16.9 points in his senior year. His redshirt year was Rob Evans' final season in Stillwater, which meant Evans coached him daily as they were getting the first team ready.
Thompson returned to Oklahoma State to complete his studies, earning a bachelor of science degree in political science in 2001 and served as director of basketball operations. He also coached at Metro Christian Academy (2000) in Tulsa, Okla., and at Southeastern Louisiana (2001). Brooks and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Ryan (5) and Brooke (3), and they reside in Gilbert, Ariz.
