Necessary Changes

[trillesthoya]

As you all saw from Lee Reed’s statement yesterday, the program is committed to making the “necessary changes” to help Coach Ewing succeed. Disregarding the conversation around whether we should be doing a hard reset of the program or not (since it seems like that isn’t happening any time soon), what are some of the things they can do to get us back on the right track? Who are some names for assistant coaches you would target, and what are other culture changes you would implement to bring the program into the 21st century?

[the_way]

Defense.

Defense.

Defense.

Defense

[Elvado]

Shame.

Because no one in authority has any….

[HoyaNyr320]

Mar 3, 2022 13:24:13 GMT -5 trillesthoya said:

As you all saw from Lee Reed’s statement yesterday, the program is committed to making the “necessary changes” to help Coach Ewing succeed. Disregarding the conversation around whether we should be doing a hard reset of the program or not (since it seems like that isn’t happening any time soon), what are some of the things they can do to get us back on the right track? Who are some names for assistant coaches you would target, and what are other culture changes you would implement to bring the program into the 21st century?

MOVE!

REBOUND!

(Kidding)

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

Get Ronny, Howze, whoever does PR, and Assistants out. Hire a legit X's & O's guy and tell Patrick to take a back seat to that person and be the CEO focused on recruiting (like Juwan at Michigan). Bring in a young DOBO and two ace local recruiters and pay them all top dollar. I would bring in Jones from V. Tech, Brooks from Xavier, and maybe A. Freeman to solidify the Dematha ties. Try to flip Tyrell Ward and get all over the WCAC. If needed money, shuffle it from Ronny's 300K as well as ask Pat to restructure his deal to an incentive laden one based on a tourney appearance next year. Promise Jones an associate HC position and fast track him to HC if we don't make the tourney and if we do have him as the coach in waiting.

Restructure McDonough and play all non-major OOC games as well as any post-8pm tips that are mid-week. Every game should feature a tailgate and kegs to make it attractive to the students to show up in force. Rethink from a PR standpoint the Georgetown experience. Re-engage with non-alums who are lifelong Hoya fans and make them part of that McDonough experience. Those are just a few changes for starters.

[hsaxon]

Mar 3, 2022 14:37:15 GMT -5 ColumbiaHeightsHoya said:

Get Ronny, Howze, whoever does PR, and Assistants out. Hire a legit X's & O's guy and tell Patrick to take a back seat to that person and be the CEO focused on recruiting (like Juwan at Michigan). Bring in a young DOBO and two ace local recruiters and pay them all top dollar. I would bring in Jones from V. Tech, Brooks from Xavier, and maybe A. Freeman to solidify the Dematha ties. Try to flip Tyrell Ward and get all over the WCAC. If needed money, shuffle it from Ronny's 300K as well as ask Pat to restructure his deal to an incentive laden one based on a tourney appearance next year. Promise Jones an associate HC position and fast track him to HC if we don't make the tourney and if we do have him as the coach in waiting.

Restructure McDonough and play all non-major OOC games as well as any post-8pm tips that are mid-week. Every game should feature a tailgate and kegs to make it attractive to the students to show up in force. Rethink from a PR standpoint the Georgetown experience. Re-engage with non-alums who are lifelong Hoya fans and make them part of that McDonough experience. Those are just a few changes for starters.

Yes, I'd love to see Mike Jones on the staff.  I doubt we could get him at this point.

[practice]

I don't think Mike Jones would come to Georgetown unless there was a realistic chance he'd be the next HC ... and let's face it, if Ewing can be just mediocre enough, he'll have a job for life.

I'm still hoping that Jack "I've got your back Coach" DeGioia pulls another classic Esherick/JT3 back stabbing and fires/buys out Ewing.

However, if Ewing really is going to stay, pay Kevin Broadus to recruit, hire any former player, and nix the nepotism rule and hire PE Jr ... otherwise the next HC has to be Ronny.

We are a train wreck and national embarrassment and I think/hope/pray that DeGioia pays the price for this and is shown the door with Ewing.

[hoyas212]

Just about everything needs to change.  This team isn't just bad, there is an enormous gap between Georgetown and the rest of the Big East.  And they're going to be hard pressed to get top candidates interested in a Ewing reclamation project, or retain them if they perform the miracle of helping elevate Georgetown to a mid tier Big East program. But since this appears to be the road they are going down....

Van Gundy suggestions - Jeff and Stan obviously have a ton of contacts, are knowledgeable about coaching and organization management.  They both have such a strong affinity for Ewing, that it wouldn't be a surprise to see them willing to take a deep dive into the problems and suggest fixes.  Yes, they're NBA guys but they know NCAA basketball is different.  And there are guys, Mike Dunlap under Lavin at St. John's, who can be effective at both levels.
 
Someone who can help fix a defense that has consistently been among the worst in D1 - maybe hands the keys to the defense to some lower level assistant from a program that has a track record of excelling on defense (Texas Tech, Virginia, VCU, etc.)

Someone who can get local players - Maybe Jordan Brooks leaves Xavier, especially if Steele is out.  Mike Jones is probably wishful thinking now, maybe Glenn Farello or another WCAC HC.  Maybe a Team Takeover coach.  A more veteran NCAA option could be Bino Ranson from DePaul, who recruited decently when at Maryland.

Someone connected to high level recruits - Like when Willard brought in Tiny Morton in order to get his Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez to salvage his Seton Hall tenure.  Wouldn't be surprised if there is a big market for Cleveland State's Dru Joyce, LeBron's high school teammate, to try to get Bronny James and the associated buzz.  He probably wouldn't come to GU regardless.  But Oklahoma State and USC made hires to get Cunningham and Mobley, there are hires out there to be made in order to land a top guy at a school without a ton of recent success.  This obviously doesn't help sustain a program, but GU is so desperate for an injection of talent and enthusiasm.

Player Development - Younger guys with a reputation for being smart and assets in player development, who could also probably help in all facets of the program: Mike Jordan or Dave Klatsky from Colgate, Scott Greenman from American (yes, connected to the past but probably not married to the Princeton offense).

[OldHoyafan]

Ewing’s teams that overachieved like the Allen led team and last year were based on the team playing solid m-to m defense, not great defense because his 3pt defense has always been deficient. His help defense was suspect at the beginning of the year but by the end of the year it was solid but 3pt defense has always been suspect. The lack of a center with any credible shot blocking prowess has severely hurt his defense this year. Add to that that none of his 3 big men are good rebounders, you are adding 2 and 3 shots to an opposing teams offense which also does not help your defense. He had printed himself into a corner with all 3 centers having another year of eligibility, therefore there is no hope of a big improvement next year regardless of assistant coaches changes.

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

Mar 3, 2022 15:23:36 GMT -5 OldHoyafan said:

Ewing’s teams that overachieved like the Allen led team and last year were based on the team playing solid m-to m defense, not great defense because his 3pt defense has always been deficient. His help defense was suspect at the beginning of the year but by the end of the year it was solid but 3pt defense has always been suspect. The lack of a center with any credible shot blocking prowess has severely hurt his defense this year. Add to that that none of his 3 big men are good rebounders, you are adding 2 and 3 shots to an opposing teams offense which also does not help your defense. He had printed himself into a corner with all 3 centers having another year of eligibility, therefore there is no hope of a big improvement next year regardless of assistant coaches changes.

That Allen team didn't even sniff the tourney though (I realize it was a COVID cancellation but we were clearly outside of the field).

[thedragon]

Mar 3, 2022 14:54:29 GMT -5 practice said:

I don't think Mike Jones would come to Georgetown unless there was a realistic chance he'd be the next HC ... and let's face it, if Ewing can be just mediocre enough, he'll have a job for life.

I'm still hoping that Jack "I've got your back Coach" DeGioia pulls another classic Esherick/JT3 back stabbing and fires/buys out Ewing.

However, if Ewing really is going to stay, pay Kevin Broadus to recruit, hire any former player, and nix the nepotism rule and hire PE Jr ... otherwise the next HC has to be Ronny.

We are a train wreck and national embarrassment and I think/hope/pray that DeGioia pays the price for this and is shown the door with Ewing.

I actually could see Mike Jones and Gtown making a ton of sense from both sides. Jones makes a lateral move back to DC - and a chance to recruit DMV from his base. If he's able to pull in some good local talent it's a win win. Either the Hoyas improve and he gets recognition and someone comes calling for a HC position or if the team underperformed but he's shown he can recruit local talent possibly become the heir apparent for thr Gtown HC job.

IF Ewing returns - which I still think is up in the air statement or not - I'd like to see a staff of Ewing, Mike Jones, Jordan Brooks, Clinton Crouch. DOBO - Tyler Adam's. Special Assistant to the HC - Steve Clifford or Tom Thibodeau.

Jones, Brooks and Crouch would make a DMV three headed monster. Tyler as DOBO would be a step up in level but a step back in title. I believe he's a full assistant at Alcorn. But he would bring some young Gtown alumnus energy to the sideline. Austin Freeman would be a fit for this role as well but he's trying to get the Dematha HC position. I also think the reason this staff is intriguing is because it's completely doable in terms of getting these guys.

The Special assistant role is more of a crapshoot. Is a 60 year old Clifford ready to take a backseat role in his career. He's still got a shot at being a NBA HC again. Would a recently fired Thibodeau (I'm assuming) with a good Ewing relationship take the role for a year or 2 to recharge his batteries. Stan Van Gundy probably fits the bill too. This role isn't a recruiter. Purely a X and Os guru to help on both sides ball especially on defensive end.

While I still believe this is the wrong route- if we do go down this road of reshaping the staff this to me is how it should look.

[TC]

Mar 3, 2022 15:56:52 GMT -5 thedragon said:

I actually could see Mike Jones and Gtown making a ton of sense from both sides. Jones makes a lateral move back to DC - and a chance to recruit DMV from his base. If he's able to pull in some good local talent it's a win win.

Is it? What happens if you leave a good job at Virginia Tech, you start recruiting, and then Ewing gets fired at the end of 2022-2023, and now you have Assistant Coach of a 2-18 team on your resume? How do you explain that career move? What's the upside in leaving an ACC team to move down conferences to put that line on your resume? No one in their right mind is going to leave a functioning ACC team with a record over .500 for this dysfunctional mess of a program.

This job is going to appeal to people that are going to offer up quick-fix solutions, possibly sign-for-hire type deals with handlers.

[thedragon]

Mar 3, 2022 16:04:11 GMT -5 TC said:

Mar 3, 2022 15:56:52 GMT -5 thedragon said:

I actually could see Mike Jones and Gtown making a ton of sense from both sides. Jones makes a lateral move back to DC - and a chance to recruit DMV from his base. If he's able to pull in some good local talent it's a win win.

Is it? What happens if you leave a good job at Virginia Tech, you start recruiting, and then Ewing gets fired at the end of 2022-2023, and now you have Assistant Coach of a 2-18 team on your resume? How do you explain that career move? What's the upside in leaving an ACC team to move down conferences to put that line on your resume?

This job is going to appeal to people that are going to offer up quick-fix solutions, possibly sign-for-hire type deals with handlers.

Because I think there would be a high probability he would get a hard look as the HC if that happens.

[rhw485]

Appreciate the spirit of the thread, but it's just really hard to get conceptually around three major points:

1. All of the things that are being suggested are essentially to take away as much power / authority / decision making from the coach while simultaneously allowing him to hold the role.  At that point what value is he adding?  He's not an ace recruiter, let alone one that could make in-roads by himself into the WCAC.  We're saying he needs a defensive assistant / specialist.  I've defended his offense as not terrible but at some point what are we really talking about.

2. Ewing has shown no willingness or desire to really change or take responsibility.  Every press conference boils down to they didnt do what I said.

3. The people best positioned to actually help can't possibly see this as the best scenario for them to join under a lame duck coach with a roster that requires a full reconstruction

I appreciate there were some good suggestions above, I just don't think they feel realistic

[TC]

Mar 3, 2022 16:08:36 GMT -5 thedragon said:

Because I think there would be a high probability he would get a hard look as the HC if that happens.

Would he? He's not an insider, he has no college head coaching experience, and you're paying top-of-the-scale salary. Really good chance he gets passed over.

Also, why on earth would you want to contaminate your next HC by having them work for a year in this program culture? Next HC should bring in a new culture in a clean house.

[Bigs"R"Us]

What assistant is going to climb aboard the Titanic after it’s hit the iceberg?

[thedragon]

Mar 3, 2022 16:17:42 GMT -5 TC said:

Mar 3, 2022 16:08:36 GMT -5 thedragon said:

Because I think there would be a high probability he would get a hard look as the HC if that happens.

Would he? He's not an insider, he has no college head coaching experience, and you're paying top-of-the-scale salary. Really good chance he gets passed over.

Also, why on earth would you want to contaminate your next HC by having them work for a year in this program culture? Next HC should bring in a new culture in a clean house.

We don't disagree on the fact that I'd also prefer a clean slate. I'm just stating my opinion that for Mike Jones personally it could make sense. And knowing how Gtown operates, being on the inside when they make a HC change is likely an advantage unless the administration thinking changes drastically

[practice]

Mar 3, 2022 16:17:42 GMT -5 TC said:

Mar 3, 2022 16:08:36 GMT -5 thedragon said:

Because I think there would be a high probability he would get a hard look as the HC if that happens.

Would he? He's not an insider, he has no college head coaching experience, and you're paying top-of-the-scale salary. Really good chance he gets passed over.

Also, why on earth would you want to contaminate your next HC by having them work for a year in this program culture? Next HC should bring in a new culture in a clean house.

I worry that Ewing gets some support and can over around a 40% - 60% win rate that he'll be in the job for as long as he wants.   If DeGioia won't fire him after this season then he certainly won't fire him after a 15-15 or 13-17 or 14-16 record.   We'll be stuck with him ... and we have five years of at best blah and at worst historic failure.  

[hoya9797]

Mar 3, 2022 16:30:17 GMT -5 practice said:

Mar 3, 2022 16:17:42 GMT -5 TC said:

Would he? He's not an insider, he has no college head coaching experience, and you're paying top-of-the-scale salary. Really good chance he gets passed over.

Also, why on earth would you want to contaminate your next HC by having them work for a year in this program culture? Next HC should bring in a new culture in a clean house.

I worry that Ewing gets some support and can over around a 40% - 60% win rate that he'll be in the job for as long as he wants.   If DeGioia won't fire him after this season then he certainly won't fire him after a 15-15 or 13-17 or 14-16 record.   We'll be stuck with him ... and we have five years of at best blah and at worst historic failure.  

He’s going to make an OOC schedule next year that will guarantee at least 10 wins going into BE play. And, even though the team will be horrible, they’ll probably stumble into a 5-15 record and everyone will celebrate what a genius is is for improving so much when the reality is that nothing will have changed.

[hoyasaxa2003]

I do not want to clog this thread with non "changes" related content, since there are other threads for that on which I have made my views known. But, given that this thread assumes Ewing is coming back (no sure thing, still, I think), are there any examples of programs in this situation (or close to it), who have made changes and succeeded? In other words, is there any precedent in any college basketball program in the past at this level where the same coach has turned things around?

I am not aware of any. I have always used the example of Willard, but that's not even appropriate anymore. Willard's first five years were arguably better than Ewing's (and certainly nowhere nearly as bad as this year's debacle). And he's the closest I can come.

The reason I ask is because, if there are any such programs, I would be interested to know what they did to change things around so drastically. But, I don't think there is any precedent for this to occur. DePaul kept Purnell for 5 years, and Leiato for 6 (second stint), and neither came close to turning things around during their tenures. I am just at a loss as to what changes can be made that would actually make a difference.

Perhaps a secondary question, can anybody think of a head coach in basketball whose performance increased substantially only AFTER hiring new assistants?