Don’t cry because it happened, smile because it’s over (hopefully)

BY BEN JAKABCSIN

W elcome to the most hopeful time Georgetown men’s basketball has had in years! Come on down, take a seat. If you’re reading with tears of joy in your eyes, this means that Patrick Ewing has either officially resigned or been relieved of his duties as Georgetown’s men’s basketball head coach. And if you’re just crying, then he hasn’t yet, and we’ll pretend for a moment that our dreams are going to come true. In that spirit of hope, here are my suggestions of the best options to replace Ewing.

The coaches on this list aren’t the only coaches that should be considered; Georgetown would be foolish not to call coaches like Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes, Kansas State’s Jerome Tang, North Carolina State’s Kevin Keatts, Virginia Tech’s Mike Young, and any other big-name coaches who may be either looking to move on from their current school or are at a current compensation level Georgetown should be able to match or exceed. The reason they are not included, though, is because any one of these options should be viewed as a half-court heave due to factors like buyouts or their current programs’ prestige. The following is made up of more attainable targets for the Hoyas.

It cannot be overstated how important the next hire is for our men’s basketball team. This program cannot handle another botched coaching hire after the failure of Ewing. If they mess this one up, they risk sinking into basketball purgatory or worse yet, wherever DePaul is.

For this reason, it makes the most sense for Georgetown to hire a coach with experience, preferably high-major head coaching experience.

So, without further ado, let’s look at my hot board for the next head coach of Georgetown’s men’s basketball.

Age: 45

Record with current team: 39-25 (.609)

Career record: 226-138 (.611)

Current salary: $2 million

Who better to try and turn this ship around than the man responsible for arguably the largest single-season turnaround in modern NCAA history?

Georgetown needs some pixie dust to revive this program to its former glory, and Otz is the wizard who can bring it.

4. Micah Shrewsberry, Penn State

Age: 46

Record with current team: 32-29 (.525)

Career record: 32-29 (.525)

Current salary: estimated $2-3 million

Cooley:

Age: 53

Record with current team: 236-147 (.616)

Career record: 328-216 (.603)

Current salary: $2.2 million

Mack:

Age: 53

Record with current team: 0-0 (in the words of Lavar Ball, “Undefeated, nevva lost!”)

Career record: 278-133 (.676)

Current salary: without contract

In Cooley and Mack, you have two coaches who have proven a whole lot in terms of winning games in the BIG EAST regular season. Both Mack and Cooley have posted above 60 percent win percentages at Xavier and Providence, and would assuredly give Georgetown a strong chance of righting the ship and getting back to being competitive in the NCAA quickly. But their coaching futures are both up in the air. Despite his long history of success at Xavier, Mack had a sour end at Louisville and may not be quite ready to return to high-major coaching. And Cooley’s lifetime job security at a good-but-not-great program in Providence could prove to be too large a barrier.

Shrewsberry has not only proven to be a great Xs-and-Os mind in the huddle—a contrast to Ewing’s disconnect—but he’s also shown his talent for developing players in just two short years of being a head coach. Make no mistake about it, Shrewsberry is a rising star. Whether it’s at Georgetown or another quality Power-6 program, someone is going to be helping this man get the hell out of not-so-Happy Valley very, very soon.

Tier 2: Deep Threes

5. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State

Age: 51

Record with current team: 12073 (.622)

Career record: 234-158 (.597)

Current salary: $3.08 million

7. Anthony Grant, Dayton

Age: 56

6.

Age: 53

Record with current team:

67-59 (.532)

Career record: 231-181 (.561)

Current salary: $1.5 million

Record with current team: 121-62 (.661)

Career record: 314-172 (.646)

Current salary: $1.83 million

While the above tiers have coaches who are alike in age or experience, this tier is more of a wildcard. From Holtmann’s recruiting prowess, to Kyle Smith’s “Nerdball,” to Anthony Grant’s calm (perhaps bland) demeanor and knowledge of fundamentals, this is a tier where you get a little of everything, and each coach comes with its own unique style. All could come in and immediately raise the floor of Georgetown significantly, while still leaving open the possibility for a high ceiling. None of them, though, can be considered a home run at this time.

Why we shouldn’t be rolling with Rick (Pitino):

Hear me out: I know a lot of people around the Hilltop have been campaigning for the former national champion coach, but if you’re Georgetown, you shouldn’t make this move. First of all, the NCAA doesn’t take National Championship banners for nothing. If you don't believe me, search “Rick Pitino Scandal” on your nearest internet-connected device and you’ll see my point—it’s really a pick your poison with the guy and his scandals. However, the next coach will be ushering in the next era of Hoya basketball, the first real postThompson era. We should not bring in a coach shrouded by off-thecourt cloud problems.

At the end of the day, there are many quality options for the next head coach, so let’s not fret—until we inevitably hire current Harvard head man, and failed high-major coach, Tommy Amaker. In conclusion: clear eyes, full hearts, a good new coach, can’t lose? G

For the full length version of this piece, go to the Georgetown Voice website to check it out. Records in print up to date as of March 1.