Georgetown officially announced it has hired former star player Patrick Ewing as the school’s new head coach.Georgetown interviewed Ewing formally for the first time on Monday. The school officially announced the hire later that afternoon.Hoya for Life. #H4L @GUAlumni pic.twitter.com/zXLf2TlgbA Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) April 3, 2017
Currently in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets, Ewing was in the mix for an NBA head coaching gig in recent years but never landed a top job. Ewing, 54, replaces John Thompson III, the son of Ewing’s former coach with the Hoyas, John Thompson Jr.Ewing interviewed by phone initially and was set for a face-to-face sit-down with university officials to coincide with the Hornets’ visit to Washington. Charlotte is scheduled to play the Wizards on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.”This is a big loss for the Charlotte Hornets, but we are all excited for Patrick to have the opportunity to go back to Georgetown,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said in a statement. “Everyone knows how much his alma mater means to him. I’ve had the privilege of working with him for 12 years with three organizations and I know the effort he has put into coaching. “He has attacked this profession with the same mentality he had as a player, with hard work, dedication and a passion for the game of basketball. I’m thrilled that all of Patrick’s hard work has paid off and he has earned the opportunity to be Georgetown’s head coach. We wish him the best of luck in the next chapter of his coaching career.”Georgetown fired Thompson III on March 23 after a second straight losing season. Ewing’s son, Patrick Ewing Jr., was a member of Thompson’s coaching staff.Ewing joins Chris Mullin of St. John’s as the only Division I head coaches who were Hall of Famers as players. Both schools are in the Big East Conference.Ewing played for Georgetown from 1981-85 and led the team to the 1984 national title. The Hoyas reached the title game two other times during Ewing’s playing career.After being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, Ewing made 11 NBA All-Star teams as a member of the New York Knicks. Ewing also been an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic, serving as in a coaching role since the 2002 season with an NBA franchise.Sports XChange contributed to this report.
