Georgetown considering former Hoya Patrick Ewing for head coach position
‘He’s the perfect guy for the job. He’s the greatest player in Georgetown history’
Patrick Ewing could be the next potential coach for Georgetown’s basketball team, following the firing of John Thompson III. But who is he?
Ewing is one of the greatest players in Hoya History
Patrick Ewing played for Georgetown’s basketball team, and helped lead them to the NCAA title during the 1983-84 season. He was the number one pick in the 1985 NBA draft, and went on to become one of the greatest NBA players of all time as a star player on the New York Knicks.
Ewing has been looking for a head coach position for a while
Ewing has been an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Charlotte Hornets, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to become head coach. With the spot now opened up, this could be Ewing’s chance.
Former NBA players are even vouching for Ewing to get the position
Mark Jackson, Ewing’s friend and former Knick’s point guard, told the NY Daily News, “He’s the perfect guy for the job […] He’s put in a lot of time coaching in the league. He’s the greatest player in Georgetown history. He should be the one to say he wants the job. That’s a no-brainer.”
Ewing could be the solution to the Hoya basketball team’s recently poor performance
After two consecutive losing seasons, students and outside fans alike have been frustrated by the recent mediocrity of the storied Hoya basketball program. This season ended in a particularly bitter manner with Georgetown losing its last six games. The Hoyas finished 9th out of 10 teams (only ahead of DePaul) in the Big East Conference, a very poor outcome for a traditionally highly respected program.
Following the announcement that John Thompson III had been fired, President DeGioia stated that “[Georgetown is] committed to taking the necessary steps to strengthen our program and maintaining the highest levels of academic integrity and national competitiveness.”
Accepting the job won’t be the easiest choice for Ewing
As a Hoya, Ewing was coached by John Thompson III’s father, famed coach John Thompson. The Thompsons are like family to Ewing, but it is questionable whether the elder Thompson would support Ewing replacing his son. Some worry that Georgetown’s basketball program won’t succeed without Thompson’s support.
Ultimately, Ewing will have to decide between his loyalty to the Thompson family, or the head coach position he’s been working towards for years.