The National Association of Basketball Coaches recognized Hobart College Head Coach Stefan Thompson '13 as one of the top young coaches in the collegiate game. The 29-year-old was named to the NABC Under Armour 30 Under 30 Team today.
 
"This is tremendous recognition for Stefan," says Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Deb Steward. "While he may be under 30, he has the composure and presence of a veteran coach. We are proud of his accomplishments as a Hobart student-athlete and coach and look forward to his impact on future generations of Statesmen."
 
Representing the most outstanding coaches in college basketball, the 30 honorees represent all three NCAA divisions.
 
In his first season as a head coach, Thompson guided the 2019-20 Statesmen to a historic season. Hobart beat NYU on the road to open the season and give him his first head coaching win. The Statesmen won 11 of Thompson's first 12 games and finished the COVID-19 shortened season with a 23-5 record, matching the Hobart season record for wins. The Statesmen, who were ranked No. 20 in the final D3hoops.com Top 25, defeated three ranked teams during the year, taking down No. 22 Baldwin Wallace 68-56 in Hobart's home opener, No. 14 Saint Joseph 78-74 in the NCAA tournament opener, and No. 17 Springfield in the NCAA second round.
 
Thompson is the first Hobart head coach to guide the basketball program to the third round of the NCAA Championship. The Statesmen were scheduled to play at Christopher Newport in the third round when the remainder of the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.
 
Featuring one of the toughest defenses in the nation, Thompson's team led the nation in field goal percentage defense (.367), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.274) and rebounding margin (+12.5). Hobart also ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense (7th, 62.4), defensive rebounds (12th, 31.25), total rebounds (15th, 1,202) and winning percentage (16th, .821).
 
The 2019-20 D3hoops.com East Region Coach of the Year, Thompson mentored two all-region players and three all-conference players. His Statesmen also excelled in the classroom, earning five conference all-academic honors with one player also garnering CoSIDA Academic All-District recognition.
 
Thompson, a native of Syracuse, graduated from Hobart in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology. The first NABC All-American in program history, he led the Statesmen to an 82-31 record over four seasons. He and his classmates were the first class of Hobart basketball players to produce four consecutive winning seasons in over 55 years and the first ever to make four consecutive postseason appearances.
 
One of the top players in Hobart history, Thompson scored 1,643 points, handed out 492 assists and made 45 steals in 113 career games. He holds the Statesmen record for most games started (111), ranks second in assists, sixth in points, and eighth in steals.
 
Thompson graduated five seniors from the 2019-20 team, but will welcome back 14 lettermen, including four players with experience in the starting lineup.