In the 1980s, the Georgetown Men’s Basketball team’s national dominance was unquestionable. The Hoyas played in three consecutive NCAA title games, winning the national championship in 1984. John Thompson, towel on his shoulder and all, was among the most renowned of college basketball coaches, and every year the Hoyas were mentioned among the country’s top contenders.
Times have changed. Over the past five years, Georgetown’s once illustrious basketball program has made exactly two NCAA tournament appearances, one of which was a solid run to the Sweet 16 in 2001. While that might pass as success at other schools, here it’s a far cry from our past dominance.
While a number of circumstances have contributed to the team’s decline, one constant has been there throughout it all: Head Coach Craig Esherick. Esherick, the longtime lead assistant for Thompson, has been unable to win the big games, sign the big recruits, or adjust for new styles of play, as evidenced by this season’s 3-7 conference record and mediocre 13-9 showing overall.
Last summer, after Esherick signed a new two-year, multi-million dollar extension to his contract, two longtime assistants-one Thompson’s son-left the program for greener pastures. Additionally, the projected starting backcourt for this season, rising-juniors Tony Bethel and Drew Hall, transferred because of differences with the program.
Last week, the Hoyas lost games at both Temple and Virginia Tech, who had never previously beaten Georgetown in the Big East. This week they lost to St, John’s, a program down to five scholarship players and nine athletes overall as the result of a devastating case of dismissed rape allegations.
In the past, these games would have been considered easy wins. Even before last week’s disheartening losses, however, Washington Post Sports Editor George Solomon commented that, “The sad part is not that Georgetown’s basketball program is not good; it’s that it is becoming irrelevant in the Washington sports scene.”
The time has come for a change. There have been enough losses of personnel, players, and most importantly basketball games, to necessitate a new Head Coach for the program. While Esherick is a nice man and a bright alum, he has not served the team well as coach. Unfortunately, that’s the job that has been given to him, and as such, it’s time to give someone else a shot.
