Tag: Georgetown Hoyas

Georgetown powerfully dedicated its first Big East title game appearance to late coach Tasha Butts

This story will make you want to cry and run through a wall at the same time.

The Georgetown women’s basketball team’s improbable season isn’t so far-fetched after all. After punching their ticket to the Big East title game for the first time in program history, senior Kelsey Ransom credited their late coach, Tasha Butts, who passed away from cancer in 2023.

In October 2023, Georgetown women’s basketball coach Tasha Butts passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. The basketball community and the Georgetown women’s basketball team have been mourning since then. This season, the team has been donning pink ribbons on their jerseys with two T’s on each side of the ribbon for “Tasha Tough.” They’ve used that strength to forge a path to play in the Big East championship game for the first time, turning heartbreak into triumph.

The best part? They did it on Butts’ birthday.

When asked why the team was able to do it, senior Kelsey Ransom shared this brief but powerful message:

“Man, I love you, Coach Tasha. I wish you were here to see this, but it’s ‘Tasha Tough’ always. We did it for her this year.”

After series win over Akron, Duke remains steady at No.12 in D1Baseball Top 25

Duke remains at No. 12 in D1Baseball ahead of week that features five games. Three of those games are against top ranked Wake Forest.

Despite losing its first game this past weekend, Chris Pollard’s baseball team is a crisp 10-1 and remains the no. 12 team in the latest D1Baseball poll released Monday morning.

D1Baseball released its top 25 this week, with no movement at the top as every team in the top 14 remained the same from last week’s poll. There are still six ACC schools in. the top 25, with Wake Forest pacing the country at number one. Clemson is still the 10th-ranked team in the country after they went 3-0 last week with two big wins over their biggest rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks. Much like Duke, Virginia suffered its first loss last week, yet they remain at 13. NC State went an impressive 5-0 and remains steady at 14. The Tarheels of North Carolina were the only ACC team to slide as they fell one spot to 17th despite going 5-0 last week themselves.

Duke has two mid-week games this week against Appalachian State and Georgetown before the Blue Devils make their first proper road trip this upcoming weekend to Winston-Salem to take on the top-ranked Demon Deacons to kickstart off conference play.

Duke was 1-2 in their home series versus Wake Forest last year, with both losses to Wake Forest being by two runs apiece, sandwiched between an 8-1 win.

Georgetown coach, longtime LSU women’s basketball assistant Tasha Butts passes away

Tasha Butts, an assistant at LSU from 2011-19, passed away Monday following a two-year battle with breast cancer.

Georgetown women’s basketball coach Tasha Butts, a longtime assistant at LSU before later becoming the head coach of the Hoyas last April, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer on Monday at the age of 41.

An assistant coach at LSU from 2011-19, Butts left to become the associate head coach at Georgia Tech. It was during her time with the Yellow Jackets that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.

Butts was hired at Georgetown this offseason but stepped away from the team in September to focus on her health with assistant Darnell Haney taking over as the interim.

“Tasha was a great player and went on to have a successful career as a coach too,” LSU head coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said in a release. “More importantly, she had an impact on so many lives throughout her lifetime. We are sad to lose her at such a young age.”

Butts, who arrived at LSU after a stint as an assistant at UCLA, was a star player in college at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt. While with the Tigers, Butts helped secure three top-20 recruiting class and develop seven All-SEC selections.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of Tasha’s passing,” LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey, who serves on the board of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, said. “The courage she displayed as she battled cancer should set an example for us all and her spirit should inspire us all to continue in her honor to work towards a cure for breast cancer.”

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LSU has contacted talented Georgetown transfer Primo Spears, per report

Spears is one of the best players currently on the transfer market.

After a season that featured LSU’s first losing record overall since the final year under [autotag]Johnny Jones[/autotag] in 2017 and an embarrassing 2-16 mark in SEC play, no one expected coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] to rest on his laurels entering Year 2.

In fact, the Tigers have undergone yet another campaign of offseason roster turnover. Four players have entered the portal since the conclusion of the season, and LSU has been in contact with several experienced transfers around the country.

The latest is Georgetown guard transfer [autotag]Primo Spears[/autotag], who LSU has reportedly been in contact with along with a litany of other power programs

The 6-foot-3 player out of Hartford, Connecticut, shined as a true freshman at Duquesne before transferring to the Hoyas, where he was even more productive as a sophomore in 2022-23.

He averaged 16.0 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds, but following a frustrating season in Washington, D.C., that featured the firing of coach Patrick Ewing, Spears entered the portal.

A player of his caliber would be a major pickup for this LSU team, especially after losing starting point guard [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] to the transfer portal.

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Providence lands George Mason head coach Kim English to replace Ed Cooley

Kim English was announced on Thursday as the next head coach of Providence.

The Providence Friars had a whirlwind of the last week after getting eliminated in the Round of 64 by the Kentucky Wildcats, 61-53.

Reports surfaced that Ed Cooley was the top target for the Georgetown Hoyas opening after the school fired Patrick Ewing. Cooley would accept the job and leave Providence after a 12-year stint as the head basketball coach. The Providence, Rhode Island, native opted to leave for a rival Big East school.

The Friars acted swiftly as they were tasked with finding a replacement for Cooley. On Thursday, the school announced they officially hired Kim English of George Mason to take over the men’s basketball program.

The Baltimore native played for the Missouri Tigers before the Detroit Pistons drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. After a brief run as a professional, English turned to coaching in 2015 as an assistant with the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. He also served as an assistant with the Colorado Buffaloes and Tennessee Vols before being named George Mason’s head coach in 2021.

During his short tenure with the Patriots, English led George Mason to a 34-29 overall record and 18-16 in A10 conference play. This past season the team finished 20-13 (11-7) but missed out on postseason play.

English will now have the opportunity to run the Friars program.

“I am beyond excited to be named head men’s basketball coach at Providence College,” English said in a release from Providence. “I want to thank Father Sicard and Steve Napolillo for this incredible opportunity. I want to be clear to everyone in Friartown, we are going to do great things at Providence College for a long time. I know that this is a special place with amazing fans, a great tradition and support throughout the community. We look forward to establishing new relationships with the players, the alums and the fans. The work begins now!”

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Men’s College Basketball: Coaching carousel news and notes

Latest updates as the men’s basketball coaching carousel begins to pick up speed.

The coaching carousel for men’s college basketball is in a full spin at the moment.

It was announced on Monday that Iona head coach Rick Pitino would leave the program after three seasons to return to the Big East as the St. John’s head coach. Pitino was linked to multiple programs but ultimately chose to head up the Red Storm’s program.

Another major shakeup happened between Big East rivals, the Providence Friars and Georgetown Hoyas. Providence head coach Ed Cooley opted to take over the Hoyas program after 12 seasons with the Friars.

These two moves have opened up head coaching jobs with Iona and Providence. Recently Georgia Tech filled its men’s basketball coach vacancy with Boston Celtics‘ assistant Damon Stoudamire and Ole Miss hired former Texas and Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard to lead their program.

The breakdown of coaching movement among major programs around the country.

School Previous Coach New Coach
Georgetown Patrick Ewing Ed Cooley
Georgia Tech Josh Pastner Damon Stoudamire
Ole Miss Kermit Davis Chris Beard
Providence Ed Cooley Open
St. John’s Mike Anderson Rick Pitino
Syracuse Jim Boeheim Adrian Autry
Texas Chris Beard Rodney Terry (interim)
Texas Tech Mark Adams Open

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Georgetown makes coaching hire, Micah Shrewsberry still at Penn State

Georgetown basketball coaching hire is great news for Penn State

It’s a nerve-wracking time for Penn State basketball fans right now.

Coming off the most successful season the program has had since 2011, it’s clear the fans out there are pleading with the administration to keep head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] in State College.

After legacy powerhouse Georgetown parted ways with their program legend [autotag]Patrick Ewing[/autotag] earlier this year, Shrewsberry’s name had been floated as a potential target.

Georgetown is an alluring job for many coaches. In addition to the history behind the great players and success of the program, it also is in a recruiting hotbed. The best DMV and Baltimore area recruits always have Georgetown at the top of their lists.

It looks like that was enough to lure Providence coach, Ed Cooley, into the Washington DC area. Despite being offered an extension to stay at Providence, Cooley has accepted the offer to become the head coach of Georgetown.

This is good news for Penn State fans. It’s one less competitor Penn State has to worry about when it comes to retaining Shrewsberry. Notre Dame is also reportedly targeting Shrewsberry to replace their coach Mike Brey, who stepped down following the end of this season.

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Report: Georgetown set to hire Providence’s Ed Cooley as head coach

Georgetown could be closing in on their hire to replace Patrick Ewing.

The Georgetown Hoyas’ search for their next head coach following the dismissal of Patrick Ewing appears to be near the finish line. According to multiple reports, the university has pegged Providence head coach Ed Cooley to lead the program going forward.

According to Fox broadcaster and reporter John Fanta, a Big East insider, Georgetown is expected to be offering the long-time head coach upwards of $6 million to take over the program.

Cooley, 53, will leave Providence after 12 seasons with the program, leading the Friars to a 242-153 record over his time with the program. He also led the program to one Big East Regular Season title in 2022 and one Big East Tournament title in 2014.

Cooley was named the Big East Coach of the Year and Naismith College Coach of the Year for the Friars 2021-2022 season in which they went 27-6 including 14-3 in conference play. The Friars made it to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 before being knocked out by the eventual national champions, the Kansas Jayhawks. During his 12 seasons, the Friars made seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

Prior to his time with Providence, the Rhode Island native also spent five seasons with the Fairfield Stags of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, leading the Stags to a 92-69 record including 58-32 in MAAC play.

Georgetown will hope Cooley will be able to turn around the historic program that has fallen on hard times over the last decade. Under Ewing, the Hoyas were 75-109 including 28-81 in Big East conference games. This past season, they went 7-25 including 2-18 in conference play, a second straight season in which they won less than 10 games after going 6-25 in the 2021-2022 season.

Since the 2012-2013 season, the Hoyas have only made the NCAA Tournament twice. Despite their struggles over the past decade, the program still is top-25 all-time in tournament appearances with 31.

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Micah Shrewsberry responds to latest coaching rumors

What Micah Shrewsberry said about the latest coaching rumors

Following Penn State’s Big Ten semifinal victory over Indiana on Saturday in Chicago, head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] had plenty to say about the effort of his team, facing Purdue in the Big Ten championship game on Sunday, and more. As Penn State was preparing to take on the Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon, rumblings and reports of Shrewsberry drawing interest to fill job openings at other schools surfaced, leaving him to answer questions about his future with Penn State as well.

“I’m complete tunnel vision on our team,” Shrewsberry said in his postgame media availability following a 77-73 win over Indiana when asked about the reports linking him to potential opportunities elsewhere. “That’s all I’m focused on. I’m happy to be here.”

Shrewsberry’s name has been tied to the coaching searches going on at Georgetown and Notre Dame. Georgetown fired its head coach, Patrick Ewing, following its elimination from the Big East tournament. Notre Dame is looking to replace the retiring Mike Brey.

Shrewsberry’s stock as a coaching candidate is as hot as it has ever been. In just his second season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Shrewsberry has put together a roster built on transfers and returning players and recruits that will end its 11-year NCAA tournament drought and play for the Big Ten championship. It has been quite a run for Shrewsberry, and Penn State fans are hoping it’s not over so quickly.

Penn State should be in position to keep Shrewsberry in Happy Valley. If it comes down to money, Penn State should be more than capable of equaling or topping any offer that comes his way. There is simply too much revenue coming Penn State’s way from the Big Ten’s media rights deals to allow for that to be a reason Shrewsberry leaves town. But if Shrewsberry wants to take on an opportunity to coach a program with a bit mroe basketball history behind it, Penn State would have to sell Shrewsberry on the opportunity to build a similar story in State College.

It is a venture Penn State has had brief glimpses of achieving every decade or so, but has never been sustained for one reason or another. But the time is now to keep Shrewsberry most interested in continuing what he has started with the Nittany Lions.

The pressure is on for Penn State, because the more Shrewsberry continues to win, the hotter his name is going to continue to be on the coaching market.

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Micah Shrewsberry a trendy name in college basketball coaching search

Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry is reportedly drawing interest in the coaching carousel

Penn State fans have long been accustomed to seeing head football coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] have his name thrown around the college coaching rumor mill every year almost since the first year he was in charge of the program, so it would seem. But now it is its men’s basketball coach that Penn State fans are seeing pop up as the coaching carousel in the world of college hoops is officially underway.

As Penn State was preparing to face Indiana in the Big Ten tournament semifinal in Chicago, multiple reports surfaced suggesting [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] could be among the top coaching candidates for Georgetown. Georgetown is in search of a new head coach after parting ways with Patrick Ewing. With Shrewsberry coaching a Penn State program into the Big Ten semifinal and on the verge of receiving an NCAA tournament bid in just his second season, it makes sense he would be an attractive candidate.

Shrewsberry has the coaching profile that would make sense for Georgetown. He has solid reputation as an assistant coach in the NBA and in college basketball at programs like Butler and Purdue. And using a mix of transfers, returning veterans, and fresh recruits, Shrewsberry is about to take Penn State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2011. He is a well-respected coach and looks to have just the right mindset that a once proud Georgetown program is in need of as it looks to return to any sense of respectability.

Shrewsberry will no doubt continue to see his name thrown around as a rising coaching candidate given his recent success at Penn State, which will not confuse anyone for being a basketball school. But his focus will remain on taking this Penn State team as far as it can go in March. And if nothing else, Penn State will be pressed to do something it probably has to do and find a way to set aside the money to keep Shrewsberry happy in Happy Valley.

It’s a good problem to have for Penn State.

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