By
The Associated Press
Princeton hires John Thompson III as coach
PRINCETON, N.J. - John Thompson III was hired as coach of Princeton yesterday, following the career path of his father, who built Georgetown into a basketball power.
The appointment came on the same day Bill Carmody left the Ivy League school to become coach of Northwestern of the Big Ten.
This will be the first head-coaching job for the 34-year-old Thompson. He has been an assistant coach the past five years at Princeton under Pete Carril and Carmody.
"He's got a challenge," John Thompson said yesterday during the "The John Thompson Show," his WTEM sports radio talk program in Washington. "I'm proud as a father."
Princeton scheduled a news conference for today to introduce the younger Thompson.
Thompson has three starters returning from a team that went 19-11 record last season, losing in the first round of the NIT to Penn State.
However, the Tigers sustained a major loss a little more than a week ago when unanimous All-Ivy League center Chris Young signed a baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Unlike the NCAA, the Ivy League does not allow athletes who sign a professional contract in one sport to play in another.
Thompson, a former Princeton player, graduated in 1988. A forward, Thompson was co-captain in his senior year and shared the team most valuable player award as the Tigers went 17-9.
The older Thompson was at his son's home at Princeton during his broadcast. He laughed about all the telephone calls he received from his son, complaining about how much he hated things during his first two years at the school.
However, that all changed in his final two years, Thompson said, and no one could say anything bad about Princeton in front of his son.
The younger Thompson fell in love with Princeton, married a woman from Princeton and bought a house next to the university, the father said.
Getting the head coaching job also proved to be a matter of being in the right place at the right time for John Thompson III, who has also served as the Princeton junior varsity coach the past four years.
Aikman out of Sunday's game
IRVING, Texas - Had the decision been left solely to him, Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman would play in Sunday's game at Arizona. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided otherwise.
Jones said yesterday that the decision to hold Aikman out after his ninth concussion was made yesterday after three days of medical evaluations from the team's own training staff and outside physicians.
"It's not easy, but look at it logically, it's probably the right decision, the smart decision," Aikman said. "It's just difficult not to go out to play when you feel like you can play."
Aikman admitted he was still having headaches from the concussion he suffered in the season-opening 41-14 loss to Philadelphia. He still felt that he could have practiced with the team and been ready to play against the Cardinals.
Jones and Aikman both said there was no timetable set for the quarterback's return.
"I'm hoping it's just a one-week thing and I'll be back after that," Aikman said.
Randall Cunningham, whom the Cowboys acquired as a free agent during the offseason, will start his first game since last October. After an All-Pro season in 1998 for Minnesota, Cunningham started the first six games before losing his job to Jeff George and not playing again during the regular season.
Rookie Clint Stoerner was signed from the Cowboys' practice squad to serve as Cunningham's backup.
Aikman missed two games last season after suffering two concussions in an eight-day period. After a concussion against Indianapolis, he returned the following week against Minnesota, only to suffer another one.
"That is why there is some real caution right now," Aikman said. "If I were to have another one, it's the medical opinion I'd be out 4 to 6 weeks minimum."
Jones said while the decision was ultimately his to make, he made it only after getting the medical evaluations and having a thorough conversation with Aikman.
