Paul Hewitt may have same fate as Georgia Tech’s arena
Was Georgia Tech's victory Sunday also Paul Hewitt's last win on campus? (Vino Wong/AJC)
A wonderful final act, wasn’t it? The home team won. The building was full for its last breath before the wrecking ball. Fans were loud and sometimes even on their feet. When it was over, Paul Hewitt stood and soaked it all in as the band played the school fight song, followed by “Auld Lang Syne.” Everybody smiled.
It was almost like a time warp.
Ever visit the back lot of a movie studio, where they have fake building fronts with no back? That’s sort of what Georgia Tech resembled Sunday. Great curb appeal. Just don’t peak around the corner.
The Yellow Jackets had a cool and perfect ending to their regular season. They drilled Miami 66-57. They had a pressure defense that forced 21 turnovers. They had four players score in double figures. Then afterward, when Hewitt finished his post-game news conference, he walked briskly down the hall at Alexander Memorial Coliseum because he had an important guest waiting.
“I really don’t have time – I’ve got a recruit waiting,” Hewitt said.
When asked if this game and the crowd reminded him of better times, Hewitt said: “When we win, that’s how people react. We’ve just got to win. It’s no different than any other year.”
One thing is different. This might have been Hewitt’s final act on campus. Georgia Tech will go into the ACC tournament as an 11th seed. The Jackets’ stay in Greensboro could be brief. The coach’s future may be next to feel the wrecking ball.
I want to start with this, because it tends to get lost amid the swarm of bitter folks who seemingly are taking glee in Hewitt’s demise: The man is not an idiot.
Basketball coaches don’t just luck into four NCAA tournament berths and three 20-plus wins seasons in their first seven seasons. So please, enough with the proclamations about Hewitt’s limitations.
Here’s a coach who understands the mission of college athletics, doesn’t cheat and doesn’t embarrass the university. He has succeeded at the highest level, taking over a program that failed to reach the NCAA tournament in four straight years and getting the Jackets to their first ever national title game in his fourth season. He never has projected anything but caring about his players, his program and the university. In college basketball, that puts him in special company.
The win totals obviously have been a problem of late. There is no excuse for losing to Kennesaw State. There is no excuse for going 2-14 and 5-11 in the ACC in two of the last three years. In many ways, it’s mind-boggling how far Tech has fallen.
But understand that if Hewitt loses his job — and that appears likely – this will be about much more than wins and losses.
When athletic director Dan Radakovich fired football coach Chan Gailey, it wasn’t because Gailey couldn’t coach. It wasn’t even because he couldn’t win. Fact is, Gailey never had a losing record. He won seven games every season – save the year he had nine. He went to a bowl every year.
But fans were divided on Gailey. Radakovich felt the need to galvanize and ignite the fan base. He believed the only way to accomplish that was by changing coaches.
Perception is reality. If Hewitt meets the same fate as Gailey, it will be less because of a belief that Hewitt can’t win any more than it will a belief that not enough folks around the program are buying in.
When presented with the Gailey comparison at halftime, Radakovich said: “You’re accurate to say it’s part of the overall evaluation of the program, and the direction of where we are and where we’re going.”
Radakovich repeated the usual sound bites of evaluating Hewitt after the season. He acknowledged the importance of having Tech fans excited before the arena reopens in two years, saying: “I want to be able to open this building on an uptick rather than a down tick.”
He was gratified by Sunday’s crowd. But when asked about declining attendance, he said: “There are certain factors that aren’t pointing in the right direction.”
Hewitt was asked how he is dealing with everything swirling around him.
“I’m just coaching the team,” he said.
Tunnel vision probably is wise in this case.
By Jeff Schultz
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191 comments Add your comment
UGA=YAWN
March 7th, 2011
7:38 am
Hewitt can win? When and where? 2004 was a lonnnnnnng time ago. This is just insane. Fire him before the 1st round of the ACC tourney. I could care.
sharecropper
March 7th, 2011
7:46 am
“Galvanizing the base”? Really? I think when your football coach says publicly that .500 or slightly better is about all Tech should expect, ever, it is more about winning and expectations than galvanizing. If firing him galvanizes the base, fine. But getting somebody in who wants to win, and believes he can win, at Georgia Tech, is a hell of a lot more important. The fan base will follow. But competing and winning is the impetus.
Remarkable
March 7th, 2011
7:54 am
Jeff, It’s not your place to fire Hewett. Give it a rest untill the school decides to do something. It seems to me that you are the one rocking this boat. You seem to be calling out fire but there is no “fired” to see. Some schools are willing to give a coach time to right the ship (UGA). Perhaps that is the direction that GT is taking. I like good basketball in Georgia too, but I also belive that each school has the right to make their own decisions and set their own pace.
You know there are some major financial reasons for not pushing Hewett out and that is a very real concern in this economy. If GT starts winning next year many will say that the school was right to give him more time. Some will even wonder why you were pushing so hard for his ouster? Sports are cyclical. Good coaches and good teams have down years. Sometimes those down years are the motivations that they need to set things right.
I’m sure that you will never read this but perhaps someone will point this out to you. Find another topic to write about. I think most of us are tired of this one!
Fark Badley
March 7th, 2011
8:14 am
Maybe the greatest coach ever, Paul Johnson, can double dip and coach basketball also. I bet Mark Bradley would be on board.
acowa
March 7th, 2011
8:42 am
Video from the final game at AMC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk5NUvlAv3E
Jeff Schultz
March 7th, 2011
9:01 am
Gary — I agree with you on Georgia State and Barnes.
Jeff Schultz
March 7th, 2011
9:04 am
Hey GT Fan — I deleted your comment because of the “race” part of it. You’re welcome to re-post without it.
Hewitt Fan
March 7th, 2011
9:06 am
@Jeff
Jeff, have you notice that every year Hewitt has a monster team, the refs seem to call cheap fouls on his big men? Did you think that GT was given a fair chance against Duke in the ACC championship game where Singiler shot a record number of FTS? Or how about the Ohio State game, where it seemed to be a lot of cheap fouls called on Favors and Lawai?
Jeff Schultz
March 7th, 2011
9:07 am
Folks, my standard guideline for commenting: You can be as critical of a team, individual or me as you want. But when it crosses into race, I’m deleting the comment. You also risk being banned from further commenting. The choice is yours.
Keith
March 7th, 2011
9:21 am
Will anybody change their opinions if the team goes deep into the ACC tournament. Stranger things have happened. The players have to believe!!!
Paul in RDU
March 7th, 2011
9:32 am
Jeff,
Another positive for Hewitt – he never lost his team.
For all the people wnting to hire Mark Price, I have 2 words – Sidney Lowe. Another PG legend who took his team to great heights (in his case an NCAA championship). Sidney will be unemployed by next Monday.
GTBob
March 7th, 2011
9:40 am
@Remarkable, is that a joke post? A down year? Have you actually followed GT in the past 11 years? There is a reason for the frustration that all of the fans are showing. It didn’t just build overnight because of this year. Bradley and Schultz are just reporting on what they know is coming and should have come a while ago.
T3
March 7th, 2011
9:40 am
Hewitt’s contract “rolls over” on April 15th every year.
The contract states that GT must notify Hewitt at least (30) days PRIOR to that date
of any expected change to Hewitt’s employment status.
So, GT will have to decide on Hewitt no later than March 15th, next Tuesday.
After the ACC tournament.
I will be VERY surprised if D-Rad doesnt cut Hewitt loose next week.
Buckeye
March 7th, 2011
9:41 am
For the past 20 od years in this town I enjoyed Tech basketball. For the last three, have not cared. Need new blood and direction.
Rooting for Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Howard (before I was Trey) Thompkins in the conf tourneys and beyond.
Old Gold 53
March 7th, 2011
9:43 am
I like the man and I like what he has coming back next year. Don’t be too hasty about firing a good coach.
5150 UOAD
March 7th, 2011
9:44 am
Jeff Schultz
can you tell JUARD that Tech Forever- Hewitt Fan- 5150 UOAD are not the same person. he is so sure we were having a conversation between ourselves yesterday. Thanks.
Mark Price coaching at private high schools and being a NBA shooting consultant doesn’t qualify him to Head Coach in the ACC. Hell the Milton High coach has done more in coaching than Mark Price.
How to save $7 million
March 7th, 2011
9:46 am
Don’t fire Hewitt. Demote him to assistant coach and hire a real coach. Grant it we would be paying a lot for him and a new coach but still less than 7mil! His ego could not take it and he would quit. Just a thought
Buzz me
March 7th, 2011
9:49 am
The Milton High coach is a shifty dude. Bring back Bobby Cremins and add Price as an assistant. See if John Sally is around as well
Hewitt Fan
March 7th, 2011
9:52 am
@Paul in RDU I noticed during the Ohio State game you posted a couple of comments complaining about the refs..I was shocked..you bashed me over and over but you noticed it too!
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2010
2:51 pm
We are getting no calls
Duh
March 7th, 2011
9:53 am
Yes CPH did not cheat. But, that would not be a big deal in most other states. Unfortunately, we have to live with UGA right up the road…
GoJackets!
March 7th, 2011
9:54 am
Whoever becomes a new coach he’ll have at least .500 record in ACC next season as long as Shumpert, Rice, and Oliver all come back. Honestly, this team shouldn’t lose to anyone but Duke and Carolina based on talent level alone. 11th place in a very down year is just plain embarrassing. Carolina will actually appreciate this team because Tech actually woke them up after that sad beat down from Tech on Jan 16th. That’s what good coach with a talented team does after a loss like that. He makes an adjustement to avoid same thing to happen ever again.
GoJackets!
March 7th, 2011
10:01 am
It’s been said often that Hewitt never embarrassed the school and its program. But isn’t getting on probation because of academic mishap by students kind of embarrassing the institute? I heard Tech has the worst graduation rate among basketball players. High academic standard doesn’t work because schools like Duke and UVA all have high academic standard as well. I’m glad Hewitt has maintained a clean program when it comes to recruiting violations and players getting in legal troubles. But honestly, how many coaches run a dirty program? I never hear anything about violations from any of ACC coaches or players.
T3
March 7th, 2011
10:06 am
D-Rad to Miami ?? ROTFLMAO !!
Someday, after GT, D-Rad’s next job will be as Commissioner of a D-1 Conference.
Look, the folks running UM are some of THE stupidest people on the planet.
UM desparately needs LOTS of money. Their situation is much more challenging than GT.
Donald Trump TWICE strongly recommended Mike Leach for their HC job,
once before UM hired Randay Shannon, and again before they hired Al Golden.
Twice UM rejected Trump’s recommendation.
Story was that Trump was prepared to give MILLIONS & MILLIONS to UM…IF…
they would hire Mike Leach.
TWICE over the past several years, UM refused Trump’s “offer,”
even as UM’s financial situation continued to deteriorate.
That’s stupidity on a grand scale.
Techster
March 7th, 2011
10:13 am
To most Institute people I talk to it’s all about the Tickle Piles. They simply haven’t been good lately and it’s because of all this losing in basketball and football. Changes must be made. Out traditions are more important than any one individual.
Tech Forever
March 7th, 2011
10:30 am
Guys this isn’t rocket science. Hewitt is a good lookin guy, articulate, intelligent, and marketable. He’ll get a really nice TV gig on ESPN. In fact as a former (possibly) Div. I coach out of the ACC from the NE and being —– the only thing that’d make him more marketable is if all of that were still the case and he were a hot female to boot. With Jay Williams and Hubert Davis as the primary —– commentators on ESPN, having Hewitt would be HUGE for them…..and him.
Forget about Tubby Smith to Tech (and anybody else for now) | Jeff Schultz
March 7th, 2011
10:34 am
[...] to Hewitt. As I addressed Sunday, while there are strong indications that he may have coached his final game on campus, it’s unfortunate the degree of vitriol that some fans are showing toward a coach who has been [...]
Buzz me up
March 7th, 2011
10:51 am
Its time for paul to go..everything has been said for 4 years. Fire Hewitt and get this program moving up again.
Paul in RDU
March 7th, 2011
11:04 am
Hewitt Fan
You copied a single post of mine from a game from almost a year ago? Wow – someone has way too much time on their hands.
Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don’t. If you think that Hewitt has a bad record because of a not getting calls in some games against Duke and in a 2nd round NCAA game against OSU you have an interesting view.
You’ve posted numerous times that fans needed to “stand up” for GT and Hewitt and that if they did, GT would have had a better record. What do you mean by that? Berate the referees? Scalp tickets for every away game and yell at the referees there?
GT Dude
March 7th, 2011
11:05 am
only 8 more days of darkness…
Georgia Tech nearing that all-important moment of truth with Hewitt | Beyond the Arc
March 7th, 2011
2:06 pm
[...] Hewitt could turn things around. The guy’s always brought in good players. But if public perception is that he can’t get Tech back to the top of the ACC, it might not have a choice. From Jeff Schultz’ column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: [...]
Scott
March 7th, 2011
5:42 pm
3 years too late…..the time has been way overdue to FIRE PAUL HEWITT !!!!
GO JACKETS !!!
RT in NC
March 7th, 2011
6:52 pm
I am so sick of the “classy guy, doesn’t cheat” defense for any D1 coach. I am a heck of a guy, an alumni and I would never embarrass the school with off the court issues. One of the women who worked for me once referred to me as a “cupcake”. Are you willing to pay me a million plus to coach a D1 program? If you are, then you are a fool.
If I were AD I would demand class and honesty, just to get an interview.
If you were hired and did not win, I’d pull the plug on you quick.
Money and a chance to coach the big time would keep coaches coming.
Keep doing that until you strike gold with a winning coach and then pay him like you want to keep him.
It ain’t rocket science.
RT in NC
March 7th, 2011
6:54 pm
I am so sick of the “classy guy, doesn’t cheat” defense for any D1 coach. I am a heck of a guy, an alumni and I would never embarrass the school with off the court issues. One of the women who worked for me once referred to me as a “cupcake”. Are you willing to pay me a million plus to coach a D1 program? If you are, then you are a fool.
If I were AD I would demand class and honesty, just to get an interview.
If you were hired and did not win, I’d pull the plug on you quick.
Money and a chance to coach the big time would keep coaches coming.
Keep doing that until you strike gold with a winning coach and then pay him like you want to keep him.
It ain’t rocket science.
Double Zero Eight
March 8th, 2011
9:32 am
The only way Hewitt can remain is for Tech to win
the ACC. Winning the SEC prolonged Felton’s career
at Georgia for a couple of years.
bodybuilder granny
March 8th, 2011
9:38 am
So long Paul Hewitt, I hope! He is definitely not an idiot as Ms. Schultz mentioned above, if he was an idiot he would’ve either taken the St. Johns position or never agreed to the “infinite” contract. The man is smart, just no longer a good fit as head coach at Georgia Tech. NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mebeingme
March 8th, 2011
9:44 am
Out with old and………………in with the new.
mebeingme
March 8th, 2011
9:49 am
but wait, there’s more………..as soon as i’m done visiting w/ my recruit that’s waiting on me and can’t wait on me any longer. Next question pls. Yeah right.
marcus
March 8th, 2011
11:22 am
georgia state university’s basketball team is calling you mr. hewitt. bring in some of those semi-heralded recruits from the state of georgia and florida and thrown in a mix of the ny-nj connection parochial school kids anxious to escape the city and you will have winner. the kids from ny-nj have already attained the focus and discipline to get the classwork done and heading to atlanta beats the u of richmond, vcu, towson state and the other mid-level programs that typically offer to 1-2 star recruits. come on hewitt sign the contract. you know you don’t want to spend the next 5 years scouting and your family loves it here. the best thing for the hewitts will be him not taking the st john’s job, getting canned at tech and spending the next 7-10 years building a respectable program in downtown atlanta. hell! ludacris and some b-list stars might even show up.
Dave (Tech '75)
March 11th, 2011
10:55 am
$7.2 million for a contract buyout? In THIS economy?
It’s time for the citizens of Georgia to DEMAND that State funds cease to be spent on supporting the farm system for professional football and basketball. Get the universities back to their core mission – teaching and research.
Paul Hewitt was undone at Georgia Tech by more than losing | Jeff Schultz
March 12th, 2011
12:46 pm
[...] didn’t do that and left little impression that he could do that. Positive energy hasn’t existed around Georgia Tech’s basketball program for the past few years. He would blame critics for that. Critics would blame [...]
World Spinner
March 12th, 2011
1:10 pm
Paul Hewitt may have same fate as Georgia Tech's arena | Jeff Schultz…
Here at World Spinner we are debating the same thing……