Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing (CAS '85) coached the Georgetown men's basketball team from 2017-2023 after an outstanding playing career that included a national title in 1984. Ewing, a center, is often considered the greatest player in program history — including by his coach, John Thompson Jr.1

Georgetown (1981-1985)

Ewing, a seven-foot center, was the number one recruit in 19812 and announced his commitment to Georgetown at Satch Sanders's in Boston3. While Ewing's arrival helped Georgetown achieve unprecedented success, Coach John Thompson Jr. recounted in his autobiography that "Patrick didn't come to Georgetown to make us good. He came here because we were good"4. He joined an experienced team with five seniors5 that had reached the Elite Eight two years before.

Ewing displayed his versatility immediately, posting 12.7 points per game along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks during his freshman season6. He played a crucial role in the Hoyas' run to the national championship game that year. Ewing was called for goaltending five times at the start of the game on Thompson's instructions, as Thompson believed Ewing's blocks would demoralize North Carolina7. Though the Hoyas lost 63-628, Ewing would have two more chances to win a national title.

With the departure of five seniors, the 1982-83 Hoyas lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament9. Ewing continued to develop, maintaining his block numbers while averaging almost 18 points and over 10 rebounds per game10. In 1983-84, Ewing and the Hoyas finished with a 34-3 record and once again reached the national championship game. This time, the Hoyas faced Houston and their dominant center Hakeem Olajuwon11. After Georgetown's 84-75 win, Ewing was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. 

Ewing returned to Georgetown for his senior year. The Hoyas had another dominant season but lost a tight matchup against Villanova 66-64 to conclude Ewing's Georgetown career12. Thompson later expressed that his greatest regret from the game was that he "couldn't give [Ewing] another championship, because nobody deserved it more"13.

NBA playing career

Ewing was drafted first overall by the New York Knicks in the 1985 NBA Draft14. He made an immediate impact in New York, averaging 20 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year in 1985-8615. Playing at Madison Square Garden, Ewing shared a home court with St. John's - his former Big East rivals. Ewing's first NBA playoff appearance came in 1988 with former Providence coach Rick Pitino, the same year he began his streak of 10 consecutive All-Star appearances16.

Ewing continued to excel for the Knicks, though his teams struggled to beat Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. From 1989-93, the Bulls eliminated the Knicks four times in five years across several hard-fought series17. In 1994, Ewing's Knicks beat the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on their way to Ewing's only NBA Finals appearance18. The Knicks faced off against the Houston Rockets, setting up a rematch of the 1984 title game matchup between Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon19. This time, Olajuwon came away as the winner after a tight seven-game series20.

The Knicks fell in the conference semifinals the next four seasons before they returned to the Finals in 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs21. Before the 2000-01 season, the Knicks traded Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics22. After a year with the Sonics, Ewing wrapped up his stellar career with the Orlando Magic23. He retired after the 2001-02 season as the Knicks' career leader in points, rebounds, and blocks - a testament to his versatile skillset24. Ewing averaged 21 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game in his NBA career; he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 200825.

Coach at Georgetown (2017-2023)

Ewing was hired to succeed John Thompson III in April 2017, taking over a Georgetown program that had suffered back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 197226. At the time of his hiring, Ewing was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets27. 

Ewing's Hoyas opened the 2017-18 season with strong non-conference performances, entering Big East play with a 10-1 record. Unfortunately, the Hoyas struggled in conference play and finished the season 15-1528. Ewing's Hoyas finished the 2018-19 season with a 19-14 record, the program's first winning season since 2014-1529. 

After some improvement in 2018-19, the Hoyas entered the 2019-20 season hoping to take a major step forward. However, the departure of four players in December left Georgetown with a depleted roster and the Hoyas finished the year with a 15-17 record30. After withdrawing from the NBA Draft process, guard (and future Dunk Contest winner) Mac McClung also transferred after the season31. 

With the 2020-21 season's start pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hoyas struggled to a 3-8 record in their first 11 games32. A COVID outbreak then sidelined the team for three weeks, and the Hoyas went 6-4 upon their return33. Entering the Big East Tournament as an eight-seed, Ewing's Hoyas went on a spectacular four-day run in Madison Square Garden. After an easy first-round win over Marquette, the Hoyas upset top-seeded Villanova 72-71, led by freshman Dante Harris's 16 second-half points34. The Hoyas then beat Seton Hall 66-58 to set up a title game matchup with Creighton, needing a win to reach the NCAA Tournament35. They got exactly that with a dominant 73-48 performance, and Harris was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player36. The Hoyas received a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost 96-73 against Colorado in the first round37.

Ewing's 2021-22 season was remarkably difficult for Georgetown. After a shaky non-conference record that included a home upset to Dartmouth and a home win over Syracuse, the Hoyas went winless in Big East play38. Their 6-25 record was the program's worst since 1971-72. Ewing responded by revamping his staff and signing a strong transfer class39. However, a strong offseason didn't yield much on-court improvement. The Hoyas finished the 2022-23 season with a 7-25 record, winning only two Big East games and setting the conference record for the longest regular-season Big East losing streak40. 

Firing

After a first-round loss to Villanova in the 2023 Big East Tournament, Georgetown fired Ewing the following day41. He finished his tenure as Georgetown's coach with a 75-109 record, one Big East championship, and one NCAA Tournament appearance42. In a statement announcing the decision, President John DeGioia described Ewing as "the heart of Georgetown basketball" and expressed gratitude for his coaching efforts43. Georgetown hired Providence coach Ed Cooley as Ewing's successor on March 20, 202344.

Legacy

Ewing is often considered the greatest player in program history. He reached three Final Fours in his four years at Georgetown and played a pivotal role in the Hoyas' only championship. He was also the first of four Hoya players to reach the Hall of Fame. While his achievements at Georgetown alone would be enough to make him a program legend, he's arguably better known for his dominant NBA career with the Knicks. Ewing holds Knicks franchise records for points, rebounds, and blocks45. 

• 1Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 194.
• 2Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 143.
• 3Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 145.
• 4Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 150.
• 5Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 150.
• 6Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 7Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 157.
• 8Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 159.
• 9Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 168.
• 10Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 11Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 178.
• 12Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 193.
• 13Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 194.
• 14Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 15Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 16Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 17Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 18Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 19Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 20Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 21Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 22Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 23Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 24Bock, Hal. "Patrick Ewing retires after 17-year career." The Seattle Times. 17 September 2002.
• 25Basketball-Reference, Patrick Ewing. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ewingpa01.html.
• 26Hoffman, Sean and Paolo B. Santamaria. "Patrick Ewing Named as New Men's Head Basketball Coach." The Hoya. 4 April 2017.
• 27Hoffman, Sean and Paolo B. Santamaria. "Patrick Ewing Named as New Men's Head Basketball Coach." The Hoya. 4 April 2017.
• 28Hoya Basketball.com, Season By Season Results. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/2018.htm.
• 29Hoya Basketball.com, Patrick Ewing (2017-). https://www.hoyabasketball.com/coaches/p_ewing.htm.
• 30Shanahan, Will. "After Humbling Year, Men's Basketball Looks For An Identity." The Georgetown Voice. 23 November 2020.
• 31Shanahan, Will. "After Humbling Year, Men's Basketball Looks For An Identity." The Georgetown Voice. 23 November 2020.
• 32Hoya Basketball.com, Season By Season Results. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/2018.htm.
• 33Hoya Basketball.com, Season By Season Results. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/2018.htm.
• 34Arnold, Andrew. "Dante's Inferno: Harris' Dominant Second Half Propels Upset of Villanova." The Georgetown Voice. 11 March 2021.
• 35Quill, Brendan. "MEN'S BASKETBALL | Georgetown Keeps Dancing, Defeats Seton Hall 66-58 in Big East Tournament Semifinals." The Hoya. 19 March 2021.
• 36Klein, Josh. "The slipper fits: men's basketball going dancing after thrashing Creighton." The Georgetown Voice. 13 March 2021.
• 37Shanahan, Will. "Wrecked By Ralphie: Colorado Blows the Doors off Georgetown in Somber Return to NCAA Tournament." The Georgetown Voice. 20 March 2021.
• 38Hoya Basketball.com, Season By Season Results. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/2018.htm.
• 39Liu, Henry. "Comeback time: After a disastrous season, Men's Basketball looks for a fresh start." The Georgetown Voice. 4 November 2022.
• 40Fendrich, Howard. "Patrick Ewing fired by Georgetown; went 13-50 last 2 seasons." ABC News. 9 March 2023.
• 41Copeland, Kareem. "Patrick Ewing out at Georgetown after program bottoms out." The Washington Post. 9 March 2023.
• 42Copeland, Kareem. "Patrick Ewing out at Georgetown after program bottoms out." The Washington Post. 9 March 2023.
• 43Copeland, Kareem. "Patrick Ewing out at Georgetown after program bottoms out." The Washington Post. 9 March 2023.
• 44Jakabcsin, Ben. "Cool times ahead: Georgetown announces Ed Cooley as next head coach." The Georgetown Voice. 20 March 2023.
• 45Basketball-Reference, New York Knicks Career Leaders. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/leaders_career.html.