Four options for Georgetown's next head coach after ugly Patrick Ewing era

The Ewing era will go down as one of the worst in Georgetown basketball history. Here are four potential options for the next Hoyas coach:

Rick Pitino, Iona

Pitino, the head coach at mid-major Iona, has been the biggest name linked to the Georgetown job — mostly by hopeful supporters of the team. He is a former national championship-winning coach at Kentucky and at scandal-plagued Louisville, and he is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Pitino, 70, is near the end of his coaching career. However, if he could lay the foundation for a rebuild and bring credibility back to Georgetown, he might be worth it despite a shady past.

Mike Brey, out of coaching

Brey stepped down at Notre Dame this season following 23 years as coach of the Fighting Irish. It was initially reported that he would be retiring, but Brey has denied this and plans to continue coaching.

Brey, who grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, played his college ball at nearby George Washington and is considered one of the most likable personalities in the sport. He'd bring energy and enthusiasm to a program that desperately needs it.

Ed Cooley, Providence

It seems unlikely that Cooley, who has built Providence into an NCAA Tournament regular, would leave for a downtrodden Big East rival. Nevertheless, he's a name that is on the radar of Aidan Curran,  who regularly covers Georgetown hoops.

As he has shown at Providence, Cooley can win without massive resources. This season, he replaced all five starters, but the Friars probably will make the NCAA Tournament anyway. With the transfer portal making it easier to turn around a program, Cooley could have Georgetown back in tournament contention quickly.

Kim English, George Mason

If Georgetown wanted to take a risk on a promising, young coach from the area, George Mason's English could be the one. He's only 34 and played collegiately at Missouri from 2008-2012.

English led the Patriots to a 20-13 record and top-five finish in the Atlantic 10 this season, his second as an NCAA head coach. There are more proven, experienced options, but English seems bound for a major conference someday.