Director of Athletics John Tharp was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Sept. 29.

“I have a sense of gratitude for that day,” Tharp said. “For sharing that with everybody, and the idea that all these people are a part of my life.”

Tharp, a Wisconsin native, played basketball for Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1991 and a master’s degree in education in 1992. He then coached as an assistant at Lawrence University until he was offered a position as men’s basketball head coach at Lawrence at 24 years old. 

Tharp worked as head coach for men’s basketball at Lawrence for 13 years. Lawrence is an NCAA Division III private liberal arts college located in Appleton, Wisconsin. 

While at Lawrence, Tharp led his team to three conference titles, four NCAA Division III tournament appearances, two NCAA DIII Sweet 16 appearances, one NCAA DIII tournament Elite Eight appearance, and set a school record for 25 straight wins, according to Charger Director of Athletic Communications James Gensterblum. 

Tharp was inducted into the Beloit College Hall of Honor in 2002 and the Lawrence University Hall of Fame in 2014.

Tharp then coached the Charger men’s basketball team for 16 years and became the most-winning coach in Charger history with a 66.2% win percentage until stepping down to become director of athletics in 2023, according to Gensterblum. 

Tharp said he believes the most important aspect to a team is a sense of family within the team, which he always sought to instill. 

“The program wasn’t a basketball program, it was a family,” Tharp said. “When you’re around the right type of people, you create a culture that’s about more than winning and losing. It’s about the process.” 

Keven Bradley, current Charger head basketball coach, played for Tharp for two years at Lawrence, coached under him as an assistant for a year at Lawrence, and was an assistant coach for him at Hillsdale for three years before taking over the position of head coach after Tharp became director of athletics. 

Bradley said he appreciates Tharp’s team mentality and how he builds meaningful relationships with his players and staff members. 

“He always makes you feel like you’re the most important person when he’s having a conversation with you,” Bradley said. “I valued so much of that in our relationship, and now what he’s done for the program and the department.”

Bradley said he believes Tharp’s success on and off the court comes from his ability to build strong relationships with people and make them feel seen.

“By far, his greatest impact is that he genuinely cares about people, and that is his greatest strength,” Bradley said. 

Tharp said he intentionally allowed his players to see the many aspects of his life as a way of setting an example for them and their futures beyond the court. 

“All the players over the 29 years I coached saw me as a father also,” Tharp said. “They saw me as a husband. They saw me as a coach. They saw me mad, they saw me happy as well, but they knew I was a person, not just a coach. And I think they have to be the same.”

Tharp said he is grateful for the ceremony and all the relationships that have helped him get to where he is today, especially with his family. 

“The foundation of who I am, and the things I did as a coach, really started with my mom and dad,” Tharp said, “and what they taught me about my words and faith.”