Georgetown has already indicated that coach Patrick Ewing will be returning for next season, but some Hoyas fans still hope that’s not the case.
Georgetown ended its disastrous season Wednesday night with a 21st straight loss — a 57-53 defeat at the hands of Seton Hall in the first round of the Big East Tournament. Following the loss, Hoyas fans took to social media to lament about the team’s failures and argue about whether Ewing deserves another season at the helm.
“I don’t care if they have to fire him or if he chooses to resign or retire, but Patrick Ewing cannot be the head basketball coach at Georgetown University this fall,” one fan tweeted.
“They are afraid to fire Ewing,” tweeted another Hoyas fan. “St. John’s had the same issue with Mullin a few years back, but he stepped down. High school kids don’t remember Ewing as a player. If his name was Patrick Erving, he would have been fired.”
The horrendous end of the season comes a year after Ewing’s Hoyas went on a miraculous conference tournament championship run to earn an NCAA bid — its first since 2015. But after starting the season 6-4, the Hoyas dropped 21 straight games — 13 of which by 11 or fewer points. The 25 losses are the most in a single season in program history.
Earlier this month, Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed released a statement backing Ewing as the team’s coach.
Georgetown has released a statement in support of Patrick Ewing. pic.twitter.com/RojvGdXdPc
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 2, 2022
“We are committed to Coach Ewing, and we are working with him to evaluate every aspect of the men’s basketball program and to make the necessary changes for him to put us back on the path to success for next year,” Reed said in a statement.
One factor that could be at play in keeping Ewing is his contract situation. The late-season heroics last year from Ewing’s squad earned the coach a contract extension, which was reported by FanDuel’s Jon Rothstein in February.
“Any announcement about my future will come from me or Georgetown University. First and foremost, I am not a quitter,” Ewing tweeted March 4. “My plan is to be back next year coaching at my alma mater and bringing this program back to prominence.”
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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