Background
Esherick grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated from Springbrook High School in 1974 as an all-state forward.
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Craig Esherick
Edit ProfileEducation
He was a four-year basketball letterman at Georgetown from 1974 to 1978 and thereafter attended Georgetown University Law School, receiving a law degree in 1982.
Career
He was formerly the head coach of the Georgetown University men"s basketball team and assistant basketball coach and scout for the 1988 United States. Men"s Olympic basketball team During his final two years of law school at Georgetown, he served as a graduate assistant to John Thompson, Junior. In 1982, Thompson offered Esherick the position of assistant coach, and along with former teammate Mike Riley, he stayed in the position for the next 17½ seasons.
After abruptly resigning in January 1999, Thompson named Esherick head coach.
Georgetown head coach
Esherick continued the style of play and scheduling habits of his predecessor as coach. During his 5½-season tenure, Esherick came under growing criticism for the weak non-conference teams he scheduled, and his inability to close out tight games.
After Esherick took over the team on January 8, 1999, Georgetown finished the 1998-1999 season with a record of 15–15 before falling to Princeton University in the first round of the 1999 National Invitation Tournament. The 1999-2000 team improved to 19–15, earning another National Institute of Technology bid.
In Esherick"s third season, 2000-2001, the team made the 2001 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men"s Division I Basketball Tournament under the stardom of future top-10 National Basketball Association draft pick Mike Sweetney.
The Hoyas made it to the "Sweet 16", losing to the University of Maryland in the West Region Semifinals. Esherick"s final three seasons proved disappointing. The 2001-2002 season saw the Hoyas narrowly miss the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament with a 19–11 mark, and Esherick was criticized for rejecting a bid to the 2002 National Institute of Technology, as he objected to playing away from home throughout that tournament because of the number of classes his players would mississippi
In the 2002-2003 season, Georgetown earned a bid to the 2003 National Institute of Technology, in which the Hoyas advanced to the championship game, losing to Saint John"son
The departure of Mike Sweetney left the Hoyas" lineup bare entering the 2003-2004 season, in which the Hoyas started 13–6 before collapsing and losing their last nine games of the season, ending with a 13–15 record. Despite a comment by Esherick on March 5, 2004, saying, "I ain"t going anywhere -- I may be here for another 30 years," and a public showing of support by Georgetown president John DeGioia, Esherick was fired five days after the end of the season following student protests over his continued tenure and failure to produce winning teams.
He was replaced by John Thompson, Junior."s son, Princeton University head coach John Thompson III.
