John Thompson (born October 16, 1955) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University from 2003 to 2004 and at Arkansas State University on an interim basis twice—first during the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl and then in the 2014 GoDaddy Bowl. He has compiled a career college football coaching record of 5–20.^[1]

Thompson was hired by head coach Ed Orgeron, who played under Thompson at Northwestern State University. Thompson has also served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas, the University of Florida, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech, and the University of Memphis. From 2003 to 2004, he was the head football coach at East Carolina University.

His most recent coaching position, prior to Ole Miss, was as co-defensive coordinator at South Carolina, but he left to return to his alma mater, the University of Central Arkansas, as the athletic director. Thompson then accepted the position as defensive coordinator at Georgia State University. Thompson accepted the defensive coordinator position for the Arkansas State Red Wolves on February 25, 2012 under Head Coach Gus Malzahn. Thompson, his wife, Charleen, and two sons, Cabe and Hays, currently live in Alpharetta, Georgia outside of Atlanta.