Patrick Ewing Makes Triumphant Return to Hilltop


“It’s been so long since last we met … There goes old Georgetown straight for a rebound … See how they gain ground!”

At the Thompson Athletic Center April 5, the band played the Georgetown University fight song, the press conference was set, administrators greeted basketball players, T-shirts that read, “#HOMESW33THOME,” were handed out and the pep squad lined the way for the star of the day: the school’s newly minted men’s basketball head coach, Patrick Ewing, Hoya legend and NBA great.

“This is a special moment for our university and for our men’s basketball program,” university president John DeGioia said. “Thirty-three years after winning the NCAA National Championship, No. 33 is coming home.”

Ewing, now 54 years old, was also introduced by Lee Reed, the university’s director of intercollegiate athletics, who said of the decision: “We wanted someone who would set a high standard as a leader of our young men. After all, that is why we are here. We wanted someone who understood and was passionate about doing things the right way, the only way, the Georgetown way as it relates to building a nationally competitive program.

“What I found out during this process was that Patrick was not only prepared to coach and lead a program, but that he had his own, distinct vision for where Georgetown basketball should go,” said Reed, less than two weeks after head coach John Thompson III was let go. “This program is our program, and it’s his program.”

For his part, Ewing — National Champion and Most Outstanding Player of the 1984 NCAA Tournament, No. 1 overall NBA Draft selection, NBA Rookie of the Year, 11-time NBA All-Star, member of the original Dream Team and the New York Knicks — was enjoying the moment and the challenge on this sunny day.

“I think if it was any other university, I wouldn’t be doing this,” said Ewing, who was also a coach in the NBA for 15 years. “But it’s my alma mater. It’s Georgetown. You know, I’m a Hoya. I just thought it was a great opportunity to come back and to try to help to rebuild the program. Any other university and the answer would be ‘No, I’m going to stay in the NBA.’ But I just thought it was something that I needed to do.

“I came to college a boy and I left a man under coach Thompson,” Ewing continued. “He gave me the opportunity to grow, not only as an athlete, but also as a person. … I’m very honored and pleased to be named head coach of Georgetown basketball. We’ve had a rich tradition, led by … coach Thompson. His vision, hard work, and dedication has helped to lift the program to where it has gotten. It’s my job to add on to that legacy. I’m here and dedicated to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

John Thompson, Jr., for whom the athletic center was named, was in the house and greeted his old college star and friend.

“It’s my vision to try to play a style of ball that’s going to be conducive and similar to the style we play in the NBA,” Ewing said. “I want it to be up-tempo, push the ball, shoot threes if you have them. It’s similar to the way that we play in Charlotte. There is a more up-tempo pace and similar to what we did when I was here.

“We need to get back to the way it was. No one liked us. ‘Hoya Paranoia,’ ” Ewing said. “When people think about the Big East, they think about Georgetown. Even though we’re not at full strength right now, we’re still Georgetown.”

With that, the old Hoya made his way to various interviews in the building — a new coach, still with his winning smile, and well aware of the need for new hires and fresh recruiting, among the many jobs to do. It was a happy homecoming, after all, with just the right amount of hype.

“But the yell that wins the day is the ‘Hoya, Hoya Saxa!’ for the dear old Blue and Gray.”

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