Report: Georgetown Retains Search Firm to Assist with Coaching Search

Georgetown has retained a search firm, led by an executive with interesting ties to a popular head coaching candidate from last cycle.

According to Scott Abraham of 7News DC, Georgetown has retained the search firm Turnkey ZRG, and “all indications point to Turnkey helping with their search for a new men’s basketball coach.”

While this news on its own is not very significant, as Georgetown hired another search firm, Korn Ferry, last time it needed a new head coach, what is interesting is who works for Turnkey ZRG.

Jocelyn Gates, wife of Missouri head coach Dennis Gates, is Vice President of College & Coaching Practice at Turnkey ZRG.

Dennis Gates, of course, was one of the top coaching candidates available last spring, after a successful run at Cleveland State, where Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed served in the same role for eight years before coming to the Hilltop.

Reed’s connection with Jocelyn Gates is considered to be the driving force behind Georgetown choosing to work with Turnkey ZRG this time around.

While it is highly, highly unlikely that Dennis would leave his job at Missouri after one successful year, the connection is an interesting one, and suggests that, had Georgetown acted sooner and parted ways with Patrick Ewing after last season, Gates would have been a top target of Georgetown’s.

In the meantime, Georgetown fans will continue to wait for the official announcement from the university regarding the end of Patrick Ewing’s tenure as head coach.