Patrick Ewing Actually Is The Hoya Destroya

PublishedMarch 9, 2023 4:47 PM EST|UpdatedMarch 9, 2023 4:47 PM EST

Patrick Ewing hasn’t played for Georgetown in more than 40 years, but doesn’t mean he’s not still the Hoya Destroya.

Not that that’s a good thing.

This time around, the four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year is wrecking Georgetown, instead of its opponents.

In an unintended effort to revive his legendary nickname in the worst way possible, the GU alum has destroyed a once-great program since taking over as Hoyas head coach in 2017. The destruction culminated with last night’s 32-point loss to Villanova in the first round of the Big East tournament.

That’s been the story for the majority of Ewing’s Georgetown coaching tenure. His six seasons at the helm had a respectable start, briefly appeared headed towards sustained contender-status, and then took a nosedive.

Over the last two seasons, Ewing’s Hoyas have gone 13-50. That mark includes a hard-to-believe 2-37 stretch in Big East games. Before topping DePaul in January, Georgetown had lost 29-straight Big East contests. Prior to that January night, their last conference win was in March of 2021.

This is freakin’ Georgetown we’re talking about here. Not some run of the mill mid-major who sneaks into the tournament once every couple of decades.

Georgetown has been a mess for most of Patrick Ewing's six seasons as head coach. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Sadly, Othella Harrington’s not walking through that door!

"It was a rough year,” Ewing said following Wednesday’s loss. “It was not the year we thought we would have had.”

I sure hope not.

Can Ewing Restore The Magic Or Will Georgetown Fire Him?

Admittedly, I wanted the Ewing-Georgetown (second?) marriage to work. I'm a sucker for legends returning to their schools in an attempt to revive or maintain a program's greatness. I was rooting for Chris Mullin to work at St. John's and am still firmly team Penny at Memphis.

But, clearly, this hasn't gone as planned for Patrick Ewing or Georgetown. A big reason why - recruiting. Georgetown's recruiting ranks, per 247Sports, are as follows:

2022: 53rd

2021: 16th

2020: 60th

2019: 54th

2018: 31st

2017: 44th

This is a program that has historically landed some of the country's top recruits, pre-Ewing. Names like: Mutombo, Mourning, Iverson, Hibbert, etc.

And more recently, current NBA Slam Dunk champion, Mac McClung, who spent two seasons with Ewing in D.C. before transferring to Texas Tech.

Strong recruiting classes are no longer the norm for Georgetown. And that's likely one of the main reasons why the Hoyas have made the NCAA Tournament just once (2020-21) under Ewing's watch, a first round loss to perennial powerhouse...Colorado.

All the losing seems to point towards Georgetown showing one of their most famous alumni the door. Though Ewing's contract details have not been made public, he's widely been rumored to have received a contract extension after the 2020-21 season that runs through the 2025-26 campaign.

His buyout is speculated to be somewhere between $10 - $20 million, which has seemingly delayed his exit while keeping his seat scorching hot.

“My thoughts are with those kids right now,” Georgetown Athletic Director Lee Reed said following the Hoyas' season-ending loss. “It’s been a long year.”

Holly Hoya Have They Been Bad

If the inevitable divorce happens prior to next season (a betting man would advise you take the under), Ewing will finish his Georgetown coaching tenure with a 75-109 record overall and zero tournament wins.

“It’s been rough," Ewing admitted. " (I'm) Disappointed in the outcomes of these past two years. My future’s in the hands of our president, the AD, and our Board of Directors.”

Should Georgetown shock the world (no, I'm not talking about winning a Big East game) and opt to keep Ewing, I have a suggestion for the Hoya Destroya of past and present:

Mandatory grey undershirts for everyone. It worked so well before, why not go back to the well?