Tech’s Hewitt says no to St. John’s — updated at 2:39 p.m.
Paul Hewitt has withdrawn from consideration to be St. John’s next basketball coach.
Hewitt is out of town on a recruiting trip and has not returned a message left on his cell phone at 10:33 a.m.
“My family and I have developed deep ties to Georgia Tech and the city of Atlanta,” Hewitt said in a statement released by Georgia Tech. “I strongly believe in what Georgia Tech can do for young people, and I am committed to returning the Tech basketball program to the level of success our fans have come to expect. We took a step in that direction this past season, and I fully intend to continue on that path.”
He is scheduled to meet with the media at 9:30 p.m. tonight.
“I think what has transpired over the last few days speaks volumes about Paul Hewitt and about Georgia Tech,” Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich said in a statement. “Paul’s credentials as a human being, a family man, a leader and a builder of character are impeccable. All of us at Georgia Tech are committed to assist him in providing an outstanding men’s basketball program.”
Hewitt is from the New York City area and is known as an outstanding recruiter. The Red Storm hoped that he could tap into the high school talent in the five boroughs that St. John’s in recent years hasn’t been able to keep from leaving to programs such as Connecticut and Cincinnati.
However, Hewitt has repeatedly said that he and his family are happy in Atlanta and that he was not looking to leave. His parents and younger brother recently moved to Atlanta. In addition, Tech opened a new practice facility last year, and is reviewing plans for a renovation of Alexander Memorial Coliseum that will cost at least $45 million.
“I would say it’s highly unlikely I’d go anywhere,” Hewitt said Tuesday afternoon.
He has been criticized by fans and boosters for not being able to lead Tech to better than a seventh-place finish in the ACC this season, despite having two potential NBA lottery picks on the roster in Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors. The Jackets advanced to the finals of the ACC tournament before being eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament by Ohio State. The finished the year 23-13, 7-9 in the ACC.
Hewitt is 177-144 at Tech, including 67-93 in the ACC in 10 seasons as the Jackets’ coach. He has led the Jackets to the NCAA tournament five times.
The Red Storm fired coach Norm Roberts last week after six seasons. They reportedly offered the job to Florida’s Billy Donovan last week, but were rebuffed.
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371 comments Add your comment
Home grown-Long gone
March 25th, 2010
1:30 pm
I hope he stays forever. I love and miss Cremins. But, at least Hewitt got the program to a National Title game. If you feel Hewitt isn’t your guy, please, get off of here.
Go Dawgs! To Hell!
March 25th, 2010
1:30 pm
Lay off of Hewitt and his family, please. Most Tech fans want him to go but let’s not get into the gutter with the sewer dogs. Correction on the Cremins situation: after Cremins crawfished out of the USC job many thought it was time he left, but virtually everyone was respectful and cognizant of his contributions. People here recognize the good things Hewitt did, but they pale in comparison with Cremins (lone exception NC game appearance) and his building of Tech’s ACC program.
wiley
March 25th, 2010
1:31 pm
great…looks like Hewitt is staying. A family decision?? So are we really letting a woman’s unwillingness to move trump the large amounts of money involved with this decision. Our alumni, donors, fans, and students deserve better. We deserve a coach who wins and recruits kids who are healthy for this program. Our basketball program will be mediocre until things change….it may take an ugly year or two.
D
March 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
And now you have it that Ga Tech Insider is a fraud, he only post what he reads elsewhere.
Hewitt didn’t tell DRad he was leaving yet.
old Tech fan in NC
March 25th, 2010
1:35 pm
“coach” might need ear plugs.
Ben
March 25th, 2010
1:36 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nickj0321
March 25th, 2010
1:36 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Go Dawgs! To Hell!
March 25th, 2010
1:36 pm
And Go Hewitt! To NYC!
Is he PW?
March 25th, 2010
1:37 pm
?
Buzz
March 25th, 2010
1:38 pm
I TOLD you he would never leave this GOLDEN CONTRACT!!!! He would be a fool too!!!! He’s just used the family card!!!! lol.. More years of INSANITY watching Tech basketball.
T3
March 25th, 2010
1:38 pm
RRRAAAAAAAAAATTT FFFAAAAAAAAAARRRTTT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AlabamaRamblinwreck
March 25th, 2010
1:38 pm
Hewitt is the gift that keeps on giving. I really dislike this man to a level that is probably not healthy.
Tech Season Ticket Holder
March 25th, 2010
1:39 pm
I hope Tech sucks for the next 10 years!!
DAWG Supreme
March 25th, 2010
1:39 pm
TECH has an basketball program???? I just thought that they showed up 1 out of every 10 years and played and few games and talked about how good Marc Price was!!!!!
the Price is Right
March 25th, 2010
1:39 pm
insider is merely someone that subcribes to blogs so that he can read other information and post on ajc..sometimes he is right and sometimes he is wrong but doesn’t know more than anyone else and most times knows least…if Hewitt stays, I am begging DRAD to override Hewitt and place Mark Price on the coaching staff as academic advisor/free throw-guard position coach, who cares..etc…just add him to the program and bring some promise to the chaos
Buzz
March 25th, 2010
1:40 pm
I’m soooooo upset I forgot how to spell or write!!!!!!!! GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUNNNNNNDDDDDDDD HHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOGGGGGGGG DDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:40 pm
Bitter as gar broth.
SMITTYSTHEMAN
March 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
I’m not partial to Tech or UGA, but I think it’s hilarious how the Dawg fans quote the Tech vs. UGA record “since 2001″, as if UGA didn’t exist before Mark Richt. You guys wanted to get rid of Goff and Donnan just as bad as Tech wanted to get rid of Gailey. Looks as though both schools now have the coaches they want and they are 1-1 against each other. So why don’t you both just shutup and wait 10 years and see who has the best record then. (My bet will be with Tech.)
GT2002
March 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
The GTAA has gotten their last penny out of me until we end this insanity. Drad, please fire him today and let’s see how much his wife likes living here without the free membership to Druid Hills CC.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 25th, 2010
1:41 pm
why why why do you do this to me …. How much are the seats behind the bench again?
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
I have to believe that Radakovich will find a way to fire this guy anyway. Maybe Mrs. Hewitt would rather be married to Paul Hewitt the management consultant because he sure as hell isn’t going to be Georgia Tech’s coach much longer.
jack
March 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
looks like another year of mediocrity and under achieving by GaTech,,,,whatta shame
.WILL THIS EVER END
March 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
GT fans need to hire some UGA or Bama fans to place a for sale sign in Hewitt’s yard..UGA and Bama are experts at that
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
What part of “WE DON”T WANT YOU” don’t you understand?
NoCoach Blewitt
March 25th, 2010
1:43 pm
He is doing this just to spite GT, the adm, and the fans ….. now you like him?
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:44 pm
It could be worse…we could be losing Favors and Lawal to the NBA…..wait a second….THEY’RE LEAVING?!?! Get the tar and feathers, very hot sticky tar.
GT2002
March 25th, 2010
1:45 pm
How can we NOT fire him now after all of this?
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:45 pm
Oh, I get it. Now he’s going to show us all that fine class and character he has and he’s going to resign for us. That’s nice of him.
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:46 pm
Boy, for a minute there I thought you said he was coming back to be the coach at Georgia Tech. What a horrible nightmare. What a sick joke.
Bad day on the Flats
March 25th, 2010
1:47 pm
Isn’t this the part where we’re supposed to look into the camera and say “We’ve been PUNKED!”
ATLDAWG
March 25th, 2010
1:48 pm
Thanks goodness Tech is content with CPH.
Gate City Jacket
March 25th, 2010
1:49 pm
Coach Hewitt St. John’s would be lucky to have you but I’m very glad you are staying on North Avenue. Hope you start recruiting more “Duke-like” players that need 2-3 years to develop. These NBDL Yellow Jacket guys have been coming that leave after 6 mths in classes are terrible. Don’t think Kenny Anderson even went to class when I was at GT.
Continued success and blessings to you, your family and GT Basketball!!!!
NoCoach Blewitt
March 25th, 2010
1:49 pm
I need a xanax
j
March 25th, 2010
1:51 pm
Alan,
Why don’t you and the rest of the UGAY fans go get owned by Kentucky in everything. Maybe UGAY’s GAY football team will get past the Tennessee 34 yl this year? UGAY < Pathetic. Go on your own board, LOSER!
Chris
March 25th, 2010
1:54 pm
Well that’s an awkward turn of events
Tech Fan
March 25th, 2010
1:54 pm
About Paul Hewitt:
(credit goes to various sources for some of these points)
1) In the last 5 years (including this year), he is 76-74. With all of the McDonalds All Americans and future NBA players, he is two games over .500 in all games, which include 8 or so each year against the likes of Arkansas Pine-Bluff
and Winston Salem State.
2) In his entire 10 years, he is 26 games under .500 in regular season ACC games, and has only one season over .500 (9-7 in 2004).
3) In his entire 10 years, he has a winning record against 3 ACC schools and a losing record against the other 8.
4) He also has a losing record against mostly poor UGA teams.
5) “This seventh-seeded Tech team cannot dribble, cannot pass, cannot hit free throws, cannot exploit a massive size and talent advantage when it has one, cannot inbound the ball to save its life” – Pat Forde ESPN article that sums up
our coach brillianty
6) TV commentators talking during the tourney saying things like, “This has to be one of the most talented teams in the country…they look like world beaters…this has to be the most sloppy and undisciplined basketball team we’ve seen
this year…this team has to be very frustrating to watch for the Tech fans…”
7) Tech set a record for # of turnovers and missed free throws in the 57th ACC tourney, plus the announcers used the ineptness of simply getting the ball in bounds as a running joke on TV, embarrassing.
Shooting % in 2008-2009 under Dennis Felton was 63.8%. This year under Mark Fox? 71.8%. The Dawgs even lost their best FT shooter in Terrance Woodbury (83.9%) but still managed to improve 8 percentage points (for those of you interested,
that is a statistically significant improvement). Consider these improved numbers: Travis Leslie went from 57.5% to 73.5%, Dustin Ware from 68.4% to 82.2%, Jeremy Price from 52.2% to 69.4%, Chris Barnes from 43.7% to 56.1%, etc. In fact,
EVERYONE who played on last year’s team improved their free throw shooting percentage this year. Coincidence? Let’s also not forget that Mark Fox’s previous teams at Nevada also shot the ball well from the charity stripe: over 70% during
his tenure there.
It’s truely unfortunate that the admin have let it get to this point. They clearly are aware that blind loyalty turned to mass appathy turned to vocal majority long ago. They are telling us that we didn’t scream it enough yet. I love my
Jackets, have NEVER spoke out against a coach, but this coach has to go, like 8 years ago….
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
supersize that order, mutt
March 25th, 2010
1:54 pm
NoCoach, I was almost on the verge of telling you I would see you at AMC next year, but that dream just came to an end
Harry
March 25th, 2010
1:55 pm
If we don’t make the dance next season, paul hewitt should get fired.
Tech Fan
March 25th, 2010
1:58 pm
9) More national media, The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece showing how Hewitt is the WORST DEAL IN THE COUNTRY, which doesn’t even take into consideration his horrible golden roll-over. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690294088913675.html
CAC
March 25th, 2010
1:59 pm
I’m glad that Coach Paul/Chan Gaily Hewitt is staying. Let mediocrity continue!! Go Dawgs!!
Tech Fan
March 25th, 2010
1:59 pm
Harry, what would one year (next) prove? You have ten years of history to look back on. It is what it is…very bad after signing of the Golden Contract!
NoCoach Blewitt
March 25th, 2010
1:59 pm
I dont understand, in what language would you like us to tell you “We do not want you here, get a plane ticket and get the F out of Atlanta” ….. can not wait until he realizes what a terrible decision this has been …. on a side note we now know our head BB coach has NO BALLS
oldmanfan
March 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
don’t rush…timeout…lets think about this. No wait, we are out of time outs because Blewiit called his last one with 7 minutes to go! Hire him a full time asst to control time outs and in bounds plays.
our record would improve by 4 or 5 wins
Tony
March 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
I have been one to criticize the performance of the Jackets this season and wondered if Coach Hewitt was the reason for the Jackets’s demise. Maybe. But giving coach credit, the Jackets could be in a worse predicament without him. The blue-chippers that he is capable of recruiting to Tech is understated. Atlanta is a great recruiting tool to have, and yet we have only been able to acquire bits and pieces for a championship caliber team…this year lacking a point guard. Let’s give him a little credit here. I would like to see the University make more of an effort to make Tech as attractive as a school to play for as does Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, UNC (which is in the NIT), and even Michigan St. If he goes Tech will have its work cut out and would have to have another great recruiter and motivator in place. Look at the dynamics of basketball now. No great player hardly stays in a program long enough for a team to develop. Recommendation if goes: Mike Anderson. If Coach Hewitt goes, thanks for the memories…wow, the players! Go Jackets!
Brad
March 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
good news all UGA fans…Blewitt is staying at Tech…our kicking their backsides will continue unabated.
UGA victorious yet again
March 25th, 2010
2:01 pm
HAHAHAHAHA, he is staying, thanks GT
supersize that order, mutt
March 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
To have started off as such a wonderful day, it sure has gone to hell in the past 10 minutes
wesley30707
March 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
Iam not a huge Hewitt fan.But he is our coach so we should support him.Some of you guys make me ashamed to be a tech fan.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
Wow, how cruel.
Tech Fan
March 25th, 2010
2:03 pm
Hewitt might get rich from getting fired, but he will NOT be an attractive candidate for another high profile school with the way he’ll be vilified for another year. This is going to do serious damage to our program. Appathy turned to serious dislike a long time ago…we held our breath…and….nothing…lets turn the heat up…get ugly folks!!!
If we have to ‘fire’ him and he gets paid the full payout of his contract, I will officially wish him the worst karma I can wish for his basketball dreams, because he is wishing the worst for GT’s. A wish returned, that’s Karma.
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**