Georgetown Basketball: Takeaways from the Hoyas hiring of Patrick Ewing

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Feb 25, 2017; Queens, NY, USA; Georgetown Hoyas guard Kaleb Johnson (32) shoots as St. John’s Red Storm guard Malik Ellison (0) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Big John still holds major power within program

If it wasn’t already evident, Big John Thompson still holds a hefty amount of power within Georgetown’s program. Thompson, who is the father of John Thompson III, led the Hoyas to their only National Championship in 1984.

With son his getting fired, Big John was pushing for his former player Patrick Ewing to be the next head coach.

And the president and athletic department at Georgetown sure did listen.

The reason: Big John still holds a major voice in D.C. He sits in the back of every press conference and sits courtside at every home game. Georgetown also just built a brand new practice facility that is named after their legendary head coach.

The Hoyas went after several big names on the coaching carousel, Shaka Smart, Mike Brey, Ed Cooley, among others, but struck out in part because of the overwhelming voice that Thompson currently has. That won’t be a problem with Ewing but what happens if this doesn’t work out? What happens if this backfires? Are the Hoyas going to be comfortable firing another coach that is close to Thompson?

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