▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁that ▁capacity ▁for ▁ 1 7 ½ ▁seasons , ▁took ▁over , ▁beginning ▁his ▁own ▁five - and - a - half - season ▁run ▁as ▁head ▁coach . ▁E sh er icks ▁first ▁game ▁as ▁head ▁coach ▁was ▁against ▁Prov idence ▁on ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Tw enty - two ▁days ▁after ▁Thom ps ons ▁res ignation , ▁Ge or get own ▁made ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁remarkable ▁com eb acks ▁in ▁school ▁history , ▁al beit ▁in ▁a ▁losing ▁cause . ▁On ▁January ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁Ho y as ▁faced ▁Vill an ova ▁at ▁First ▁Union ▁Center ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁and ▁missed ▁their ▁first ▁ten ▁sh ots ▁to ▁fall ▁behind ▁the ▁Wild c ats ▁ 1 3 – 0 . ▁The ▁Ho y as ▁closed ▁to ▁a ▁ 3 9 – 3 0 ▁def ic it ▁at ▁hal ft ime , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁Vill an ova ▁opened ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 6 – 8 ▁run ▁that ▁left ▁Ge or get own ▁trailing ▁ 5 5 – 3 8 ▁with ▁ 1 3 : 5 5 ▁left ▁to ▁play . ▁With ▁Nat ▁Bur ton ▁scoring ▁ 1 1 ▁of ▁his ▁game - high ▁ 2 1 ▁points , ▁Ge or get own ▁then ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 9 – 0 ▁run ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁that ▁gave ▁the ▁Ho y as ▁a ▁