Back at Georgetown, Ewing eyes 'new era' as basketball coach

WASHINGTON - Patrick Ewing says ''it's great to be back'' at Georgetown as its basketball coach in hopes of creating a ''new era,'' 33 years after leading the school to a national championship as a shot-blocking center.

During an on-campus news conference Wednesday, Ewing recreated the image from when he announced he would attend Georgetown out of high school, raising a pennant with the university's name overhead just the way he did all those decades ago.

This is Ewing's first college coaching job and first as a head coach at any level, after 15 years as an assistant in the NBA, most recently with the Charlotte Hornets.

With the Hoyas, he replaces John Thompson III, who was fired after consecutive losing seasons. Thompson's father, John Jr., was Ewing's coach at Georgetown. The older Thompson attended Wednesday's event at the school's recently opened practice facility, which is named for him.