Athlon: 10 Coaches on the Hot Seat

[hoyaboya]

As schools' (and boosters') budgets continue to expand with fewer COVID restrictions, there could be even more turnover to come this year. These coaches, in particular, could see their jobs on the line if they don't turn around their respective programs.

Patrick Ewing, Georgetown

Ewing guided Georgetown to the 2021 Big East Tournament title and thus secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a head coach, which cooled his seat a bit. But the Hall of Fame player is still just 26-44 in Big East contests through four seasons, and he's finished eighth in the league in three of them. That's obviously well below the Hoyas' historical standard. So if Ewing finishes near the bottom of the Big East standings again, the administration will have to make a tough decision about an iconic alumnus.

athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-coaches-hot-seat-2021-22

[augustusfinknottle]

Athlon doesn’t know the GU administration very well.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 26, 2021 16:09:22 GMT -5 augustusfinknottle said:

Athlon doesn’t know the GU administration very well.

True, but sometimes these story lines gain steam and there's nothing the "administration" can do about it. Remember when JT3 started getting booed at home games in his final year? The media needs something to talk about, and with the product on the floor not expected to be very good, the offcourt stories gain more traction.

[bamahoya11]

I suppose I can see why Ewing would make a list like this, but I don’t think it accounts for the overall trajectory of the program or just how challenging a situation he inherited. The team Ewing inherited was going to be bad for several years. It didn’t matter who coached it, it was going to be a rebuild. I saw the potential arguments for a change two years ago after the core of the team transferred away but thought he deserved another year. Then, he won the BET, made the NCAAs, and brought in an elite recruiting class. Ideally, we would see more progress this year, but I’m not personally convinced that Ewing should be on such tenuous ground. I just don’t see this as a make-or-break year.

[professorhoya]

Oct 26, 2021 16:04:02 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

As schools' (and boosters') budgets continue to expand with fewer COVID restrictions, there could be even more turnover to come this year. These coaches, in particular, could see their jobs on the line if they don't turn around their respective programs.

Patrick Ewing, Georgetown

Ewing guided Georgetown to the 2021 Big East Tournament title and thus secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a head coach, which cooled his seat a bit. But the Hall of Fame player is still just 26-44 in Big East contests through four seasons, and he's finished eighth in the league in three of them. That's obviously well below the Hoyas' historical standard. So if Ewing finishes near the bottom of the Big East standings again, the administration will have to make a tough decision about an iconic alumnus.

athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-coaches-hot-seat-2021-22

Did you write that?

Weirdly there’s no byline for that article.

[guru]

Oct 26, 2021 16:24:38 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Oct 26, 2021 16:09:22 GMT -5 augustusfinknottle said:

Athlon doesn’t know the GU administration very well.

True, but sometimes these story lines gain steam and there's nothing the "administration" can do about it. Remember when JT3 started getting booed at home games in his final year? The media needs something to talk about, and with the product on the floor not expected to be very good, the offcourt stories gain more traction.

Huge difference between JT3 and Patrick Ewing. There’s no universe where Patrick would ever get the type of treatment that JT3 got at the ugly end of his tenure. This was always going to be the problem with the Ewing hire if things didn’t go well: He simply won’t - can’t - be fired. If you don’t get that, you really oughta change your handle.

[DFW HOYA]

Oct 26, 2021 20:00:28 GMT -5 guru said:

Huge difference between JT3 and Patrick Ewing. There’s no universe where Patrick would ever get the type of treatment that JT3 got at the ugly end of his tenure. This was always going to be the problem with the Ewing hire if things didn’t go well: He simply won’t - can’t - be fired. If you don’t get that, you really oughta change your handle.

"Won't" is one thing, but "can't" is quite another. John Thompson's own son was fired. No polite resignation, retirement ceremony, and or press conference valedictory. Gone.

There were people (myself included) who saw change as further down the road but that Georgetown won't just cut a 13 year head coach like they do at other schools. Well, they did.

[mapei]

Oct 26, 2021 19:05:38 GMT -5 bamahoya11 said:

I suppose I can see why Ewing would make a list like this, but I don’t think it accounts for the overall trajectory of the program or just how challenging a situation he inherited. The team Ewing inherited was going to be bad for several years. It didn’t matter who coached it, it was going to be a rebuild. I saw the potential arguments for a change two years ago after the core of the team transferred away but thought he deserved another year. Then, he won the BET, made the NCAAs, and brought in an elite recruiting class. Ideally, we would see more progress this year, but I’m not personally convinced that Ewing should be on such tenuous ground. I just don’t see this as a make-or-break year.

I don’t think the team that Patrick inherited was any worse than the teams that any new coaches inherit. In fact, It started two all-BE players and also placed two more on the all-freshman team. That’s not bad IMO.

[dchoya72]

Seems like the "bad-mouthers" are having the same influence that got JTIII fired! All this negative talk is having its effect.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 26, 2021 20:00:28 GMT -5 guru said:

Oct 26, 2021 16:24:38 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

True, but sometimes these story lines gain steam and there's nothing the "administration" can do about it. Remember when JT3 started getting booed at home games in his final year? The media needs something to talk about, and with the product on the floor not expected to be very good, the offcourt stories gain more traction.

Huge difference between JT3 and Patrick Ewing. There’s no universe where Patrick would ever get the type of treatment that JT3 got at the ugly end of his tenure. This was always going to be the problem with the Ewing hire if things didn’t go well: He simply won’t - can’t - be fired. If you don’t get that, you really oughta change your handle.

Ewing doesn’t need to be fired, necessarily. His contract runs out after next season. If he oversees another stinker of a season, he’s not getting a contract extension. Do you really think he’ll coach as a lame duck in the final year of his contract?

[guru]

Oct 26, 2021 20:14:50 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Oct 26, 2021 20:00:28 GMT -5 guru said:

Huge difference between JT3 and Patrick Ewing. There’s no universe where Patrick would ever get the type of treatment that JT3 got at the ugly end of his tenure. This was always going to be the problem with the Ewing hire if things didn’t go well: He simply won’t - can’t - be fired. If you don’t get that, you really oughta change your handle.

"Won't" is one thing, but "can't" is quite another. John Thompson's own son was fired. No polite resignation, retirement ceremony, and or press conference valedictory. Gone.

There were people (myself included) who saw change as further down the road but that Georgetown won't just cut a 13 year head coach like they do at other schools. Well, they did.

I get your point, but Patrick Ewing is far more essential to Georgetown basketball than JT3 ever was, even after a mostly successful 13 year run as coach. Look, it’s certainly not an absolute impossibility, but it seems entirely far-fetched to imagine Ewing getting canned here. As I wrote before, this was always the huge risk in hiring him. If you toss him aside, after you’ve already fired the legendary coach’s son and the legendary coach has died, you have gutted your program’s history, at least the part that was nationally relevant.

Hey, maybe that’s the only way to get things turned around, but the administration(s) have wedded themselves so closely to the past that the only way to move on from it may be to burn it down, Kylo Ren style.

[guru]

Oct 26, 2021 20:54:00 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Oct 26, 2021 20:00:28 GMT -5 guru said:

Huge difference between JT3 and Patrick Ewing. There’s no universe where Patrick would ever get the type of treatment that JT3 got at the ugly end of his tenure. This was always going to be the problem with the Ewing hire if things didn’t go well: He simply won’t - can’t - be fired. If you don’t get that, you really oughta change your handle.

Ewing doesn’t need to be fired, necessarily. His contract runs out after next season. If he oversees another stinker of a season, he’s not getting a contract extension. Do you really think he’ll coach as a lame duck in the final year of his contract?

If it’s a poor season, I think it would be up to Ewing to decide he’s had enough.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 26, 2021 20:54:00 GMT -5 guru said:

Oct 26, 2021 20:14:50 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

"Won't" is one thing, but "can't" is quite another. John Thompson's own son was fired. No polite resignation, retirement ceremony, and or press conference valedictory. Gone.

There were people (myself included) who saw change as further down the road but that Georgetown won't just cut a 13 year head coach like they do at other schools. Well, they did.

I get your point, but Patrick Ewing is far more essential to Georgetown basketball than JT3 ever was, even after a mostly successful 13 year run as coach. Look, it’s certainly not an absolute impossibility, but it seems entirely far-fetched to imagine Ewing getting canned here. As I wrote before, this was always the huge risk in hiring him. If you toss him aside, after you’ve already fired the legendary coach’s son and the legendary coach has died, you have gutted your program’s history, at least the part that was nationally relevant.

Hey, maybe that’s the only way to get things turned around, but the administration(s) have wedded themselves so closely to the past that the only way to move on from it may be to burn it down, Kylo Ren style.

I hate to break it to you, but we’re not nationally relevant as it is. Ewing’s 26-44 Big East record has assured that, particularly following the end of JT3’s tenure.

It’s much easier for Ewing and Georgetown to cut ties now than it was when JT2 was still alive.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 26, 2021 20:30:20 GMT -5 mapei said:

Oct 26, 2021 19:05:38 GMT -5 bamahoya11 said:

I suppose I can see why Ewing would make a list like this, but I don’t think it accounts for the overall trajectory of the program or just how challenging a situation he inherited. The team Ewing inherited was going to be bad for several years. It didn’t matter who coached it, it was going to be a rebuild. I saw the potential arguments for a change two years ago after the core of the team transferred away but thought he deserved another year. Then, he won the BET, made the NCAAs, and brought in an elite recruiting class. Ideally, we would see more progress this year, but I’m not personally convinced that Ewing should be on such tenuous ground. I just don’t see this as a make-or-break year.

I don’t think the team that Patrick inherited was any worse than the teams that any new coaches inherit. In fact, It started two all-BE players and also placed two more on the all-freshman team. That’s not bad IMO.

Totally agree with mapei - it’s revisionist history to say that Ewing inherited a program in worse shape than most schools that change coaches. This wasn’t Baylor after Dave Bliss.

Additionally, what “elite” recruiting class are you talking about? This year’s class was ranked 16th nationally by 247sports. While it’s probably Ewing’s best class yet (low bar), it’s certainly not elite.

[guru]

Oct 26, 2021 20:56:10 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Oct 26, 2021 20:54:00 GMT -5 guru said:

I get your point, but Patrick Ewing is far more essential to Georgetown basketball than JT3 ever was, even after a mostly successful 13 year run as coach. Look, it’s certainly not an absolute impossibility, but it seems entirely far-fetched to imagine Ewing getting canned here. As I wrote before, this was always the huge risk in hiring him. If you toss him aside, after you’ve already fired the legendary coach’s son and the legendary coach has died, you have gutted your program’s history, at least the part that was nationally relevant.

Hey, maybe that’s the only way to get things turned around, but the administration(s) have wedded themselves so closely to the past that the only way to move on from it may be to burn it down, Kylo Ren style.

I hate to break it to you, but we’re not nationally relevant as it is. Ewing’s 26-44 Big East record has assured that, particularly following the end of JT3’s tenure.

It’s much easier for Ewing and Georgetown to cut ties now than it was when JT2 was still alive.

Where did I write that we are currently nationally relevant? Are you unclear on the definition of the word “history”?

[calhoya]

He should be on the hot seat given the record and the constant turnover in the program. He should be let go if this team does not show the growth to match its potential. Let's hope though that he has grown as a coach and the arrow is pointing up. In my naive way I cling to the hope that we saw the beginning of a turnaround last year. Funny how many now dismiss last season as a magical and lucky run through 4 games in the BE tournament and mention all the best players are gone. Fact is if you read this Board you will see that Pickett was a major, underachieving liability, Blair a gunner, Bile a selfish player and Wahab an immobile player with limited skills. I don't disagree at all with some of the criticisms, which means the coach must have done something right to produce an impressive season ending run--not just a tournament run. Hoyas finished the regular season on a 6-4 run with 2 losses to UConn, one to Nova and a split with Creighton, the top 3 teams in the BE and all tournament teams. To be clear, another underperforming year for this program and I will be loud and clear along with many naysayers here that the coach needs to go (knowing full well that the Administration will not let that happen) but until that happens it just seems masochistic to dwell on and anticipate only the negatives and ignore some of the positives in terms of this coach's performance in January-February last year with a limited squad.

[SSHoya]

As long as DeGioia is President, Coach Ewing has "tenure." A source (a known source with past reliability) informs that Coach Ewing reports directly to DeGioia, not AD Reed. I assess this report with a high degree of confidence.

IMHO, not a particularly surprising chain of command. Accordingly, any discussion of a "hot seat" for Coach Ewing is not worth any speculation.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 27, 2021 8:14:42 GMT -5 SSHoya said:

As long as DeGioia is President, Coach Ewing has "tenure." A source (a known source with past reliability) informs that Coach Ewing reports directly to DeGioia, not AD Reed. I assess this report with a high degree of confidence.

IMHO, not a particularly surprising chain of command. Accordingly, any discussion of a "hot seat" for Coach Ewing is not worth any speculation.

I don't think there's any doubt that Ewing reports to DeGioia, not the AD. That's pretty much the reporting relationship the men's basketball head coach has had with the university President since JT2.

While it's nice to talk about "tenure" as if it's merely an academic world Ewing/DeGioia live in, there's a big difference between being a mediocre Linguistics professor and a mediocre men's basketball coach. In particular, there are a lot of eyeballs on the basketball program with pretty much every game nationally televised. Whether Ewing/DeGioia like it or not, Ewing's poor performance in his first four years as coach has put him on national lists of "coaches on the hot seat". This will be a story line likely to be a part of many Hoyas telecasts throughout the season.

And like I've said in an earlier post, I personally don't even think it's going to be an issue where the President has to relieve Ewing of his duties. I think Ewing will look at the state of the program by the end of this season, recognize he doesn't have a contract past next year, see that his mentor who gave him the job is no longer around, check his bank account balance, and move on with his life.

[hoyaboya]

Oct 26, 2021 22:14:11 GMT -5 guru said:

Oct 26, 2021 20:56:10 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

I hate to break it to you, but we’re not nationally relevant as it is. Ewing’s 26-44 Big East record has assured that, particularly following the end of JT3’s tenure.

It’s much easier for Ewing and Georgetown to cut ties now than it was when JT2 was still alive.

Where did I write that we are currently nationally relevant? Are you unclear on the definition of the word “history”?

OK, then what's your point? Why would our "history" matter as it relates to the current status of our basketball program?

[swhoya]

Oct 27, 2021 8:47:36 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Oct 26, 2021 22:14:11 GMT -5 guru said:

Where did I write that we are currently nationally relevant? Are you unclear on the definition of the word “history”?

OK, then what's your point? Why would our "history" matter as it relates to the current status of our basketball program?

PLEASE don't respond to this. If he's not capable of critical reading, don't engage. Tired of seeing threads dominated by sniping with hoyaboya. It adds nothing to the conversation and just turns people off.