Dear aspiring coach:
Thank you for submitting your application to be considered for the position of men’s basketball head coach. As you well know, Georgetown has a long and storied tradition of excellence, both in academics and basketball. If you are awarded the job – and it is an award – the responsibility to uphold those traditions will fall squarely on your shoulders.
The relationship between coach and fans is a delicate one; that you should understand. It is a relationship of give and take. Coach Esherick had no relationship with fans of the team or students of the university. We expect and demand more from you, should you get the job.
This season has been a harsh reality for us. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program’s one and only NCAA National Championship. Yet contrast this with the fact that we were just dealt the worst finish for the team in more than 30 years, and you will begin to understand what we want. Namely, we want a winning season and a reason to believe that we are on the road toward returning to Georgetown’s former glory.
We as students and as fans recognize, however, that this is not an easy task and it is not a short journey. It will take time, and we promise to rally behind your leadership of the team and give you adequate time to show improvement.
We gave Esherick more than enough time, yet he continued to lead the Hoyas down the wrong road. Our calling for his firing was not a brash reaction to a single bad season or a lone losing streak; it was the manifestation of more than five years of pent-up frustrations and disappointments. It was the manifestation of our love for a team that deserved better.
The mere fact that you are not Craig Esherick is a mark in your favor. Go from there.
So there you have it: a pledge that you will not have those crazed Georgetown fans and rash HOYA columnists calling for your resignation immediately after your first loss. But those are not the only things standing between you and a return to Georgetown’s glory days.
I am sure your resume is very impressive, but the fact is that there are five major challenges, many of them unique to Georgetown basketball:
1. You face an administration whose commitment to the basketball program is questionable at best.
President DeGioia did the right thing last week in firing Esherick, but it was the first right move he has made for the program in a long time. Just a year ago the administration broke Hoya hearts by extending Esherick’s contract through 2009. That came just about two months after Athletic Director Joe Lang called making the NCAA tournament every year an “unreasonable” expectation. Please come prepared with a detailed plan for making it a reasonable expectation. A willingness to ask for and, when necessary, to demand a firmer commitment from the administration is a must; “yes-men” need not apply.
2. You do not have a real home.
Georgetown is stuck, at least for the foreseeable future, playing basketball at MCI Center. Yet talk continues and promises abound of an on-campus basketball facility “in the future.” Frankly, from the fan’s standpoint, this athletic department string-along stinks. Be prepared to deal with it.
3. The Big East is a changing conference.
Twenty-five years ago, Georgetown was a founding member of a conference that quickly became one of the toughest basketball conferences in the country. Now we are all but discounted as a non-entity. For the 2005-06 season, five new members join the conference – three of whom battled their way into the NCAA tournament this season, while Marquette plays its second-round NIT game tonight. All this means that the conference is going to get even tougher than it already is. And that is saying something.
4. Winning breeds winning.
Unfortunately, this is not something Georgetown has done a lot of recently. Even going into this season, the Hoyas were compared to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire – “all great dynasties that fell to ruin,” one magazine article stated. And seasons like the one we just finished do not help that image any. That can mean only one thing: no longer can Georgetown rely on the same caliber of player matriculating just because “it’s Georgetown.” Look outside the region; in the past, Georgetown has gathered successful players from places far and wide, from California to Cameroon. Winning breeds winning, but losing does not have to mean bringing in losers. Not many coaches can win with just the “right” players, so please come prepared with a detailed plan for luring the best ones, even before things turn around.
5. Georgetown is, above all else, an academic institution.
John Thompson brought in the best and the brightest. He not only won, but he graduated players. More important than Georgetown’s tradition as a dominant basketball program is its heritage as an upright and academically-minded institution. This means no scandals – academically, monetarily or otherwise. Too often recently have college athletic programs at the top or on the rise been destroyed by scandal. Georgetown can neither afford nor tolerate being a part of those scandals. Please submit three references who will attest to your willingness to obey the rules of sportsmanship.
These are the challenges you face should your application be successful. They begin the moment you ink the deal. On the bright side, you have already got one thing going for you: you are not Craig Esherick. Thank you again for your application.
Hoya Saxa,
Derek Richmond
