Georgetown Parts Ways With Head Coach, Knicks Legend Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing's on-court heroics did not transfer over to the sidelines at his alma mater, as the New York Knicks legend was fired by the Georgetown Hoyas on Thursday.

Georgetown University's men's basketball program parted ways with New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing on Thursday, ending his return to Washington D.C. after six seasons at the Hoyas' helm. 

Ewing was one of the most lauded names in the accomplished history of both the Georgetown program and the Big East Conference, earning the Big East Defensive Player of the Year Award in all four of his collegiate seasons (among many other titles) and guiding the Hoyas to the 1984 national championship. His NBA entry was the subject of the Association's first draft lottery, won by the Knicks in 1985 and tipping off the first of 15 years of collaboration between Ewing and New York. 

In a macabre sense of irony, Ewing's final game as the head coach occurred below the No. 33 Knicks jersey raised into the Madison Square Garden rafters. His Hoyas, seeded last in MSG's annual Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, fell by an 80-48 final to rival Villanova in opening round action. The loss was Georgetown's worst in Big East Tournament play in program history and capped off a 7-25 season, the first time they won fewer than 10 games in consecutive seasons since 1937-38. 

Thus capped off a brutal six-year tenure for Ewing, who amassed a 75-109 record, including a 28-81 tally in Big East play. In January, the Hoyas set the record for the longest losing streak in conference play in Big East history, a dubious mark that began with an 0-19 showing last season. The streak reached 29 games before the Hoyas beat DePaul on Jan. 24. 

Georgetown did make two postseason appearances under Ewing's watch, as they reached the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament thanks to an improbable conference run as the eighth of 11 seeds at MSG that took down Marquette, top-seeded Villanova, and Seton Hall before they bested Creighton in the title game. It was Georgetown's first conference tournament victory in 14 seasons. The Hoyas also reached the 2019 National Invitational Tournament, but a championship appearance at MSG was denied to them with a first-round loss to Harvard. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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