Jeff BorzelloESPN staff writer3 minutes to read
Why Patrick Ewing remains a Georgetown legend despite coaching difficulties
Patrick Ewing’s contributions to Georgetown’s basketball program are indisputable, says Fran Vracella, even with his lackluster coaching tenure.
Patrick Ewing will not return as the men’s basketball coach The Georgetown Hoyas announced the upcoming season, Thursday night.
Ewing, one of the greatest college basketball players ever while at Georgetown, was the head coach of his alma mater for six years and finished with a record of 75-109.
“I am very proud to have graduated from Georgetown University,” Ewing said in a statement. “I am very grateful to the president [John J.] DeGioa for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my ambition of becoming a basketball coach. It is especially rewarding to be in charge of the basketball program at my alma mater. I wish the program nothing but success. I will always be Hoya.”
Ewing had never been a head coach at any level before succeeding John Thompson III at Georgetown.
The Hoyas said they have already launched a national search for “new leadership.”
Ewing coached the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament in 2021 after they won the Big East tournament title, but they’ve struggled since then. Georgetown went winless in conference play last season, finishing 6-25 overall. This season, the Hoyas have gone 7-25 overall and 2-18 in Big East play.
The Hoyas have lost a record 29 consecutive conference games that started during the 2021 regular season and ended in January.
Georgetown’s season ended Wednesday night with an 80-48 loss to Villanova in the first round of the Big East Tournament.
“Patrick Ewing is the heart of Georgetown basketball,” Digua said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful to Coach Ewing for his vision and determination and for all that he has enabled Georgetown to achieve. Over the past six years, he has been tireless in his dedication to his team and the youth he has coached and we will be forever grateful to Patrick for his courage and leadership in the Georgetown community.”
Under the tutelage of head coach John Thompson, Ewing helped make Georgetown one of college basketball’s powerhouses in the 1980s. He was named an All-American three times during his time with the Hoyas, was named National Player of the Year in 1985 and won a national championship in 1984.
Ewing was the #1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, spending 15 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Knicks. He was named an NBA All-Star 11 times. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Prior to joining Georgetown as its head coach in 2017, Ewing spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Washington Wizards.
