Craig Esherick

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Craig Esherick, known for his trademark moustache, was the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team from 1999-2004. Esherick grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated from Springbrook High School in 1974. He was a four year basketball letterman at Georgetown from 1974-1978 and thereafter attended Georgetown University Law School. During his final two years of law school at Georgetown, he served as a graduate assistant to John Thompson Jr. In 1982, Thompson offered Esherick the position of assistant coach, and along with Mike Riley, he stayed in the position for the next 17 years. Following Thompson's resignation in 1999, Esherick was named head coach.

Although an able assistant for close to twenty years, Esherick was not a stellar head coach, and over the course of his tenure, the Hoyas fell on hard times. Esherick finished his inaugural season with a record of 8-10, missing the NCAA tournament. He would once again miss the tournament the following year, amassing a record of 19-15, playing predominantly weaker teams outside the Big East conference, including a heavy concentration of schools in the MEAC. In 2001, the team made the NCAA Tournament under the stardom of future top-10 draft pick Mike Sweetney. The Hoyas made it to the Sweet 16, losing to the Maryland Terps. Esherick's final seasons were extremely disappointing, missing the NCAA Tournament all three years. He was criticized in 2002 for rejecting a bid to the NIT Tournament, a year in which he felt his 19-11, 9-7 in Big East play Hoyas should have gotten a NCAA Tourney bid. Esherick came under strong criticism for his lack of diversity in play calling, the largely cupcake non-conference teams he scheduled, and his inability to close out tight games.

In 2004, for the first time in 30 years, the Hoyas were not invited to any postseason tournament, having ended the year 13-15 overall and 4-12 in the Big East. The team's 13 wins in 2004 were the fewest since the 1973-74 season, and they finished the year with a nine-game losing streak. Georgetown students started a petition that was signed by several thousand past and present students calling for President Jack DeGioia to fire Esherick. Despite a comment by Esherick on March 5 saying, "I ain't going anywhere -- I may be here for another 30 years," a public showing of support by DeGioia, and a contract extension issued by then athletic director Joe Lang in 2003 to Esherick that ran through the 2009 season, the coach was fired on the eve of a planned protest in which thousands of students and alumni were expected to converge on Healy Circle to call for Esherick's firing. He was replaced by John Thompson Jr.'s son, Princeton University Head Coach John Thompson III. Currently, Esherick serves as a college basketball analyst for College Sports Television.

Esherick's brother, Blake, was formerly a prominent leasing agent for Douglas Development Corporation -- a leading downtown developer -- and frequently attended MCI Center games. He would reportedly defend his brother against vocal critics on occasion, including an instance in a home game against Virginia Tech in the 2003-04 season, in which he reached across an aisle and pulled out of a fan's hands a sign that read: "EaSe our PaiN, Fire Esherick!" In October 2006, Blake Esherick was convicted of wire fraud and two counts of tax evasion, and faced up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina ultimately sentenced him to 8 months, saying Esherick's "volunteer and civic work in the community helped persuade him to hand down a more lenient sentence."

Preceded by John Thompson Jr.

Georgetown Men's Basketball Head Coach 1999 – 2004

Succeeded by John Thompson III