Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing out for game against Butler

NS_headshot_clearbackgroundby:Nick Schultz•01/12/22•

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When Georgetown takes on Butler on Thursday, the Hoyas will be without their head coach.

Patrick Ewing entered COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday and won’t be on the sideline for the Big East showdown, the program announced. Assistant coach Louis Orr will be Georgetown’s acting head coach for the game.

Ewing had COVID-19 in May 2020 and later revealed he had a blood clot during his bout with the virus.

Georgetown is 6-6 so far this season and lost its Big East opener 92-64 to Marquette on Friday. The Hoyas are coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance last season after going on a run to win the Big East tournament and steal the league’s automatic bid.

The Hoyas are set to tip off against Butler on Thursday at 8 p.m. on FS1.

Patrick Ewing: ‘Big John is rolling over in his grave’ after Marquette blowout

After watching his team get blown off his home floor by Marquette, 92-64, Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing wasn’t too pleased.

He didn’t hold back in his postgame press conference, referencing the late John Thompson.

“Big John [Thompson] is rolling over in his grave,” he said. “Everyone is on notice.”

Thompson spent 27 years at Georgetown from 1972 to 1999. He led the Hoyas to three Final Fours and the 1984 national championship. Ewing was a big part of that title-winning team, defeating Hakeem Olajuwon and the famous “Phi Slama Jama” Houston Cougars team.

Georgetown hired Ewing in 2017 to turn around the program. That hasn’t been done and the program has had a rough go ever since the Hoyas legend was hired. In his time as head coach, Ewing has a 68-65 record.

In 2017-18, the Hoyas went 15-15 overall, including 5-13 in conference play. Georgetown then went 19-14 overall, including 9-9 in the Big East, in 2018-19.

In 2019-20, the Hoyas finished 15-17 overall and 5-13 in the Big East. Then, last season, Georgetown finished 13-13 overall with a 7-9 record in the Big East. They had a breakthrough last season by winning the Big East Tournament, but still got bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and lost to Colorado by 23 points.