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Georgetown needs to forget about the past when hiring next coach

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The sun has finally set and it's time for Georgetown to step out from underneath John Thompson's shadow - that had been cast over the Hoyas' program for 40 of the past 45 years - and move in a new direction.

Following Thompson III's removal as head coach on Thursday, Georgetown is now tasked with looking for a new coach and someone not named Thompson, as John Thompson Jr. was head coach from 1972-99.

Georgetown needs to move on from its past and look for a new vision and voice with no tie to the Hoyas' program.

That means a possible Patrick Ewing reunion needs to be halted, as no one from Georgetown's glory years should be considered for the job.

Ewing has had a successful 14-year career as an assistant in the NBA, but to have someone tied to the past will only keep what is wrong with the team going forward - an inability to let go.

That latching on to the past saw four-star guard Tremont Waters ask for his release from his National Letter of Intent, a massive blow to the Georgetown brand.

The Hoyas have missed three of the last four NCAA tournaments and have not reached anything past the third round since making the Final Four in 2007, which was Thompson III's third year on the job.

When Thompson Jr. stepped down in 1999, the Hoyas qualified for just one NCAA tournament under Craig Esherick, which led to a call to go back to the Thompson name, seeing Thompson III hired.

However, even under the Hall of Famer, Thompson Jr. only had Georgetown advance out of the second round twice from 1990-99, a stark difference from a national championship in 1984, a two-time runner up, and six Elite 8 berths from 1980-89.

A longtime assistant turned head coach (Esherick) and the son of a national championship winning coach (Thompson III) proved they could not bring Georgetown back to the same level seen over 30 years ago.

The Hoyas and their fans had their time in the sun back in the 1980s and it is good for them to remember, but the program itself and athletic officials need to know it is 2017.

A clear break is needed as the Thompson name or someone closely associated with it has reined for 45 years, with little to show in the last 30.

When Georgetown eventually announces its new head coach, that name needs to be a complete outsider and embraced if the Hoyas want to be back at the top.

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