Home  >  Archives


Georgetown Basketball: June 2009 News Archive

Brennan Named Assistant Coach 6/25/09

Mike Brennan, most recently an assistant at American, was named to John Thompson III's staff Wednesday.

"I am very happy to have Mike join our staff," said Coach Thompson said in a brief statement. "We won three league titles together at Princeton and since then he has won two more at American. His knowledge and understanding of the game are invaluable, but just as important is his ability to teach, instruct and pass that knowledge on to our players. His experiences as a player and coach will provide us with varied insights."

Brennan, 37, is a 1994 graduate of Princeton who played three years with the Tigers before a pro career in Europe. He spent seven years on the Princeton staff and was a candidate for the head coaching job there before former Georgetown assistant Sydney Johnson was named head coach in 2007. Brennan moved on to two seasons at American, where the Eagles earned NCAA bids for the first time since joining Division I in 1966.

Left unsaid in the wake of the Brennan hiring is what happened to former assistant Robert Burke. A high school teammate of Thompson who served on his Princeton coaching staff before moving to Georgetown in 2004, Burke was apparently dismissed "sometime in the spring", according to the Post article cited above.

In the past month, fans noted the removal of links to Burke's bio from the basketball pages of the GUHoyas.com web site. After some earlier speculation in May, ESPN.com reported that "Georgetown finally filled its vacant assistant coaching position after John Thompson III's good friend, Robert Burke, was told he wouldn't be retained."

Additional coverage follows below:

Georgetown Voice Discusses Thompson Salary 6/22/09

Head basketball coach John Thompson III's salary increased to over $2 million in 2007-08, according to the Georgetown Voice.

Citing public documents filed by the University under IRS Form 990, the Voice reports Thompson's salary rose from $664,422 in 2006-07 to $2,007,508, with another $1.003 million in benefits and deferred compensation from a contract extension signed in 2007. The next highest paid employee, the executive VP of the medical school, received $710,000.

As a private institution, Georgetown is only required to disclose the salaries of its five highest paid employees, which for many years was normally reserved for deans or University administrators. No other coaches or athletic department officials were cited in the report.

Letter From Interim AD 6/21/09

Interim athletic director Dan Porterfield sent an introductory letter to Georgetown fans and alumni this week, which was posted at GUHoyas.com.

"Last week Bernard Muir completed his tenure as Georgetown's Director of Athletics and, as he moves into the same position at the University of Delaware, we wish him the very best," he wrote. "President DeGioia has started the process of selecting an executive search firm to assist in the recruitment of the new leader in Athletics. As he announced last month, I will serve as Interim Director of Athletics until the permanent leader arrives, the timing of which will be influenced by the search process and the needs of the individual President DeGioia selects."

The letter also announced the selection of Scott Taylor as the school's NCAA faculty representative, and noted October 16 as the annual Midnight Madness to kick off the basketball pre-season.

Interim Athletic Director Announced 6/4/09

While it has already been known within University channels, GUHoyas.com has officially announced the appointment of Daniel Porterfield (C'83) to serve as interim athletic director during the search process to replace Bernard Muir, who announced his resignation last month to join the athletic department at the University of Delaware.

"I'm looking forward to providing interim leadership while President DeGioia recruits a new leader for the department," Porterfield said in the release. "My priorities will be to provide effective management, ensure a smooth transition for our permanent Athletics Director, meet and listen to coaches and alumni, and engage deeply with students so I can understand still better the nature and future potential of the student-athlete experience at Georgetown. This interim role combines nicely with my pre-existing work at Georgetown, which is to help foster academic excellence, on-campus continuity, service to the city and new initiatives."

Porterfield will continue to serve as an assistant professor of English and vice president of strategic development during the search process.

McDonald Honored By New Orleans Award 6/4/09

Former Georgetown All-American Perry McDonald will be honored this weekend as a selection to the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune. McDonald, a standout guard/forward at G.W. Carver High school from 1980-84, averaged 24 points a game before arriving at Georgetown in 1984, competing on two Big East title teams and earning a well deserved reputation as one of the school's best defensive players ever. Congratulations to Perry and his family on the announcement.

Tulane To Host Hoyas 6/2/09

Also from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Tulane will open its 2009-10 season at home versus Georgetown.

The Green Wave (14-17 in 2008-09, RPI 188) return three starters from last season's team and will return the game with a trip to Washington for the 2010-11 season. This will be the first meeting between the schools in men's basketball and Georgetown's first visit to New Orleans in 20 years.

Williams Named HS Coach In Towson 6/1/09

Georgetown Hall of Famer Reggie Williams (C'87) has been named the new coach at Towson Catholic HS, reports the Baltimore Sun. Williams was 24-6 last season at Jericho Christian in Landover, which closed this spring.

Campus Plans Get Local Reaction 6/1/09

Initial discussions to include a convocation center/arena in future campus planning drew a cold reception from a neighborhood forum, according to the Georgetown Voice. The initial meetings are part of plans for outlining potential campus building projects from 2011-2020. The article did not speak to the status of a basketball practice facility previously discussed but not pursued to date.

Big East Meetings 6/1/09

A recap of Big East conference meetings was posted at the Providence Journal, maintaining the 16 team format for the men's basketball tournament.

"Last year we produced three number one seeds, so it worked pretty well,” said PC athletic director Bob Driscoll. “If there is a better men’s and women’s basketball league in the country, I’d like to see it.”

 
 

HoyaSaxa.com: The One-Stop Web Site For Hoya Basketball™
An independent web site not affiliated with Georgetown University. All rights reserved.