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GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEApril 5, 2017Patrick EwingLee ReedJohn J. DeGioiaWashington, D.C. JOHN J. DeGIOIA: Good morning, everyone. Thank you all for being here. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Georgetown. This morning, we have the privilege of introducing to all of you our head men's basketball coach, Patrick Ewing. This is a special moment for our university and for our men's basketball program. 33 years after winning the NCAA National Championship, No. 33 is coming home. Coach Ewing embodies the tradition of excellence that defines our program, a tradition he helped to define three decades ago. A tradition that with his experience, preparation, and character he is uniquely capable of adding new dimensions to as our head men's basketball coach. He's a committed teacher and mentor, a talented coach and a passionate leader, with a deep understanding of the game of basketball and what it takes to excel. His extraordinary career as a player and as a coach has been defined by his talent, his determination, and his work ethic. The. 17 years excelling as one of professional basketball's greatest players ever, and 15 years of coaching preparation, working, studying, and coaching alongside some of basketball's greatest have led to this day. He offers our students unparalleled depth of knowledge about basketball as it is played today, a track record of winning at the highest levels of competition, and a commitment to bringing out the very best in each of our young people. He has a deep connection to this place, to Georgetown, to our values, to our tradition, to our community. Coach, we're excited and grateful for the impact that we are confident you'll continue to have on Georgetown basketball. Coach Ewing, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to the Hilltop. PATRICK EWING: Thank you. JOHN J. DeGIOIA: Before I invite Lee Reed, our Director of Intercollegiate Athletics to the podium, I wish to express my deep appreciation to our chair members, Vice President, Paul Tagliabu, and Kevin Warren, and to Lee in their outstanding service in leading the search process that led to Patrick's selection. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd now like to invite Lee Reed to offer remarks and then to introduce our coach. LEE REED: Thank you, Jack. Welcome everybody. What a great day for Georgetown basketball and Georgetown University. Just 12 short days ago we set out to find the 18th head coach of men's basketball in Georgetown University's history. As we embarked on this important task, we embraced the expectations that have consistently defined our program for generations. One, that our program will represent this great institution with integrity. Two, that our student-athletes will achieve academically and prepare for life beyond the Hilltop, and three, that our program will be competitive on a national level. It is within that context that we set out to find our next leader of our basketball program. The criteria for the job were based upon the following parameters. We wanted someone who embraced the values of Georgetown University, that believed as deeply as we believe in the balance between student and athlete. We wanted someone who embraced the rich tradition of Georgetown basketball, someone who was comfortable with that tradition. We wanted someone who would set a high standard as a leader of our young men. After all, that is why we are here. We wanted someone who understood and was passionate about doing things the right way, the only way, the Georgetown way as it relates to building a nationally competitive program. We wanted someone who, through their personal experience, understood what it took to be successful at the highest levels. We wanted someone with a track record of developing young men, mind, bodies and spirit. After a comprehensive national search ably led by Vice Chairman Paul Tagliabu, and assisted by board member Kevin Warren, who I'm grateful for as well, it became obvious to us who the best person for this challenge was. I've been in the Georgetown community for seven years, but obviously have known from afar Patrick Ewing and all that he's meant to Georgetown University and to the game of basketball. We could spend a lot of time talking about his accomplishments as a player: Three-time consensus, first-team All American, national champion in 1984, the first lottery pick in NBA history, 11-time NBA All-Star, member of the original Dream Team, top 50 player in NBA history, and a 2008 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee. You've covered it all. But during this process, I quickly learned a great deal more about Patrick and his accomplishments as a coach. I came to know him as a professional who has worked as hard to become a great coach as he worked to become a great player. A man who took the demanding and humbling path that would best prepare him for an opportunity such as this. Patrick has honed his craft for 15 years, coaching elite level athletes, many the same ages as the members in our current program, collegiate-aged players. What I also found out during this process was that Patrick was not only prepared to coach and lead a program, but that he had his own, distinct vision for where Georgetown basketball should go. This program is our program, and it's his program. Pat was not anointed here, nor given a pass through a process. He earned this opportunity the old-fashioned way, the only way he knows how. He earned it through hard work and preparation. So we're really happy and excited to welcome Patrick back home. Before I turn it over to introduce him to you, we'd like to have a quick photo opportunity here. If you'll recall when Patrick came to Georgetown, when he signed to come to Georgetown in 1981, this was the photo. So I'm honored to introduce Patrick Ewing. Coach, welcome home. PATRICK EWING: First of all, it's great to be back. I can remember the speech that I gave when myself and my mother, we were at Satch Sanders' restaurant in Boston, and I remember saying, "After considering all the facts, my decision is to attend Georgetown University." Half the room walked out. They were expecting me to say Boston College. But I made the right choice. I just want to say I'm very honored and pleased to be named head coach at Georgetown basketball. We've had a rich tradition led by the man in the back, Coach Thompson. His vision, his hard work, his dedication has helped to lift the program to where it's gotten. It's my job to add on to that legacy. JT3, I thought, did an outstanding job when he was here, had a few down years, and they decided to make a change. Can't take anything away from the success and the things that he has accomplished, but it's a new era now. It is my job, along with these two gentlemen that sit here beside me to help and rebuild the program and try to get it to the prominence that it was at before. I would like to thank these two gentlemen for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach this fine institution. I'm here and dedicated to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Just want to say thank you, and I'm honored. Q. Coach, what drew you to the college game after having spent a number of years in the NBA? PATRICK EWING: What drew me to the college game? Well, I think if it was any other university I wouldn't be doing this, but it's my alma mater, it's Georgetown. You know, I'm a Hoya, I just thought it was a great opportunity to come back and to try to help to rebuild the program. Any other university and the answer would be no, I'm going to stay in the NBA. But I just thought it was something that I needed to do. Q. Coach, I believe on December 16th, 1981, at the old Caps Centre, Georgetown played GW. I think you played in that game. It's been 36 years. Yesterday Council Member Evans introduced a resolution for a ward two classic, that Georgetown play GW and resume that rivalry. Would you be in favor of doing that? PATRICK EWING: That is something that I'm not at liberty to discuss right now. This is just my first -- I haven't even really started the job as yet. But that's something that Lee and I will sit down and discuss when the time is appropriate. Q. Lee Reed mentioned a distinct vision to him how you want to do things with this program. Obviously, you're so connected with the coach, what is the distinct vision for you coming to this program? PATRICK EWING: It's my vision to try to play a style of ball that's going to be conducive and similar to the style we play in the NBA. I want it to be up-tempo, push the ball, shoot threes if you have them. But it's similar to the way that we play in Charlotte. There is a more up-tempo pace and similar to what we did when I was here when we had opportunities to trap. But also we're going to have to go out and get the guys who have the ability to do all these things. Q. How are you prepared to deal with the recruiting world which has changed drastically since you were recruited? PATRICK EWING: I don't think it's changed that much. When I came out, I was the most highly recruited player. But what I'm going to do is I'm going to put around myself a great staff who has the ability to go out and recruit and teach me all the things I need to know until I get up to speed in terms of recruiting. But I don't see anything different. It's all about going out and selling your program. I think that I'm a great salesman. Q. What do you consider the biggest challenge facing you, and what will be the toughest part of, as you said, rebuilding this program? PATRICK EWING: Well, I don't think in terms of challenge, I'd say the challenge will be what this gentleman just asked me, in terms of learning how to go out and recruit. But I'm going to surround myself with good enough people to be able to not only teach me but also they can reach out in the community and try to get these guys. The D.C. area, D.C., Baltimore, Virginia area is a hot bed of great talent. And I remember when we were at -- when we had things rolling here, none of the great players in this area were able to get out of D.C. when coach was at the helm. That's my job to try to get us back to that level that these great players try to stay home. Q. Coach, the league has changed quite a bit since you played here, but what is your impression of the newly configured Big East, and how much are you looking forward to coaching against Chris Mullin? PATRICK EWING: Well, I'm looking forward to coaching against him. I was joking with someone on my way into the press conference, I said we need to get back to the way it was. No one liked us, Hoya paranoia, smacking people down (laughing). Just get back to the old Big East where it was a rough and tumble Big East. But I'm looking forward to playing Chris. He's a person that I reached out to when I was talking about and thinking about coming to Georgetown. He gave me some great advice. The Big East is the Big East. Georgetown, when you talk about the Big East, people think about Georgetown. Even though we're not at a full strength right now, but we're still Georgetown. Q. Coach, you've obviously been a student and player here, alum and now head coach. How has your perspective of being a Hoya changed in those years? PATRICK EWING: My perspective of being a Hoya has never changed. This is a great institution. I think these guys are very good student-athletes. My mother, when I was coming out of high school, one of the things she told me was she wanted me to get an education. I got a great education here at Georgetown. Anyone who comes here, our goal is to make sure that they graduate. My kids are here. My son graduated, and my daughter she's a senior here. So the tradition is still here. My family's here. This was some of the best years of my life. I came to college a boy and I left a man under Coach Thompson. He gave me the opportunity to grow, not only as an athlete, but also as a person. I met some great guys here, some of my teammates from back then, they're still here. They're still my friends today. So I think it's a close-knit network, a family, and I'll be counting on them for their support and also all the Georgetown alumni for their support to help rebuild this program. Q. Once the school parted ways with Coach Thompson, how quickly did things move for you? And the second part to that, is this kind of the easiest decision, and also possibly the hardest decision you had to make knowing about your NBA aspirations but knowing that Georgetown is home for you? PATRICK EWING: I'm not going to say it was an easy or hard decision, I just thought it was a great fit. They let JT3 go, you know, it's funny because I felt like I got fired. My son was on the staff, so naturally I felt for him. I've been knowing him since we both were young growing up. I remember us playing in McDonough Gym when we were both young. The fact that he got let go, it hurt. But then I thought about it a couple of days, I reached out to Jack and let him know that I thought that it was a great opportunity for me to come back. This is something that I want. Then I got involved in the process. Went through all the interviewing process, spent some long, long times on the phone with the committee. And I told Jack today when I came in, this is the first time I saw him from when we had our last meeting. He has a great game face. Because after I left that meeting I called Coach Thompson and said, "Coach, I don't know. I don't think I've got it. I don't think I've got it." Then Lee called me the next day. I'm like, don't mess with me. I'm like, don't mess with me (laughing). But, yes, I wanted to be an NBA coach. I worked extremely hard to get to that point in my career, but I thought that this was a great opportunity, and I took full advantage of it. Q. Have you had a chance to talk to the team, and what did you say to them? If you haven't, what do you plan to say to them? PATRICK EWING: Yes, I spoke to the team yesterday. Just told them that last year's over. It's over. I'm not sure who is going to be staying. I know there are some people talking about leaving. So I'm going to meet with them tomorrow and we're all going to sit down individually and discuss what their visions are and what my visions are. If they're going to buy into my vision and try to take it from there. I thought that they underachieved last year. They have enough talent that they should have done better, and hopefully they can -- once the summer -- it's a big summer for them in terms of getting in the weight room and making sure they take care of their responsibilities in terms of academics and come back ready for the start of the school year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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