Craig Esherick

Craig Esherick (MSB '78, L '82) coached the Hoyas men's basketball team from 1999-2004. Esherick played guard for the Hoyas from 1974-78 and was an assistant coach during Georgetown's 1984 season. 

Early career at Georgetown

Esherick, who grew up in Maryland, played for Georgetown from 1974-78 under Coach John Thompson Jr.1 Thompson later hired Esherick as an assistant coach before the 1982-83 season, shortly after Esherick graduated from Georgetown Law2. Esherick served as an assistant until Thompson's midseason retirement in January 1999, taking over as Georgetown's new head coach3.

Head coach

In Esherick's first full season as head coach, the Hoyas finished 19-15 and lost in the second round of the NIT4. The 2000-01 season was a significant step forward for the program, as Georgetown finished with a 25-8 record and returned to the NCAA Tournament5. The ten-seed Hoyas reached the Sweet Sixteen after a 63-61 win over Arkansas and a 76-57 win over Hampton6. Their tournament ended with a 76-66 loss to Maryland7.

After Mike Sweetney's departure for the NBA, the Hoyas finished with a 19-11 record in 2001-02 and missed the NCAA Tournament8. Though Georgetown received an invite to the NIT, Esherick declined because travel arrangements would have forced players to miss multiple classes9. The 2001-02 season marked the first time since 1974 that the Hoyas did not play in a postseason tournament10. The Hoyas returned to the NIT the following season, losing to Big East rival St. John's in the tournament's championship game11.

After the 2003 season, Esherick received a contract extension through 200912. Yet the 2003-04 season would be his last on the Hilltop after almost 30 years as a player, student, and coach at Georgetown. Esherick's Hoyas posted a disappointing 13-15 record and faced growing frustration from fans and alumni13. Though President John DeGioia offered public support for Esherick in February 2004, he fired Esherick on March 1614. In a statement announcing the decision, DeGioia described Esherick as "an inextricable part of the success of Georgetown University basketball over this last quarter century"15. The university hired John Thompson III, son of Esherick's predecessor John Thompson Jr., to succeed Esherick16.

Legacy

Esherick finished his Georgetown career with a 103-74 record as head coach17. In five-plus years, Esherick's teams made three NIT appearances and one NCAA Tournament appearance18. While he reached the NCAA Tournament only once, his strong 2004 recruiting class laid the foundation for Georgetown's 2007 Final Four run under John Thompson III. Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, and Jonathan Wallace — all Esherick recruits — stuck with the program after Esherick's firing and were key players on the 2007 team. 

• 1"Georgetown Graduate Esherick Appointed Head Coach." The Hoya. 19 January 1999.
• 2Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 162.
• 3"Georgetown Graduate Esherick Appointed Head Coach." The Hoya. 19 January 1999.
• 4HoyaBasketball.com, Craig Esherick. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/c_esherick.htm.
• 5HoyaBasketball.com, Craig Esherick. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/c_esherick.htm.
• 6"Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records." NCAA.com. 16 March 2021.
• 7"Browse every NCAA bracket since 1939 with stats and records." NCAA.com. 16 March 2021.
• 8HoyaBasketball.com, Craig Esherick. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/c_esherick.htm.
• 9Hezel, John-Paul. "Esherick says N-O to NIT." The Hoya. 15 March 2002.
• 10Hezel, John-Paul. "Esherick says N-O to NIT." The Hoya. 15 March 2002.
• 11HoyaBasketball.com, Craig Esherick. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/c_esherick.htm.
• 12Wood, Julie. "Esherick Signs Contract Extension." The Hoya. 1 May 2003.
• 13Wood, Julie. "It's All Over for Esherick." The Hoya. 19 March 2004.
• 14Wood, Julie. "It's All Over for Esherick." The Hoya. 19 March 2004.
• 15Wood, Julie. "It's All Over for Esherick." The Hoya. 19 March 2004.
• 16Wood, Julie. "John Thompson III Named New Head Coach." The Hoya. 30 April 2004.
• 17Wood, Julie. "It's All Over for Esherick." The Hoya. 19 March 2004.
• 18HoyaBasketball.com, Craig Esherick. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/c_esherick.htm.