Rx for Hewitt: Coach more, Tweet less (new Tweets added)
Here's "GTCoachHewitt", perhaps pondering his next Tweet. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
I understand what Paul Hewitt is trying to do. He’s trying to foment belief in a team that, after losing four times in six games, has cause to doubt. But I’m not sure Twitter is the vehicle for that. I’m not sure a coach who’s under .500 in a diluted ACC with three McDonald’s All-Americans in his first five needs to be daring Georgia Tech fans to prove their fanhood.
Tech folks have been patient with Hewitt. He hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game since 2005. He has had four losing seasons in his first nine years on the job. He has a losing record against Georgia. Since Tech played for the national championship in April 2004, his record is 96-86 overall and 35-58 in ACC regular-season play. At a place that cared deeply about the sport, he’d have been gone long ago, his $7 million golden parachute absorbed as the cost of doing business in big-time basketball.
But he’s still here. Does he have critics? Yes. (I know. I’m one.) Is he booed when introduced before home games? Not so you’d notice. (And I try to notice.) But when a coach challenges his constituency on his Twitter account, it’s a signal he’s feeling the heat. A sampling of Hewitt’s latest Tweets, all offered in the past three days:
• Clearly we are playing our best basketball of the season. Don’t believe what you read from the “experts.” Believe what you see.
• As we are coming to the latter part of the season, now is not the time to be judgmental. You all need to come out and support this team.
• Are you a critic or a supporter of this team? Supporters will continue to watch this team fight.
• To you critics: when athletes say some of the things you say, then you condemn them as quitters. Are you quitting?
• I believe in this team!
And here are three that arrived Thursday afternoon:
• Our team deserves to be treated truthfully. This young basketball team is on the verge of earning an NCAA [berth].
• We realize we still have work to do but no one should ever question the effort, intelligence, or dedication of our program.
• Their effort and level of commitment should never be questioned.
I don’t think anyone is questioning the team. (Questioning the coach, yes. Is that not allowed?) But saying the Jackets deserve “to be treated truthfully”? Has someone miscalculated the record? Is Tech really 25-2?
And that tired old bit about this being a “young basketball team”? Tech starts a fifth-year senior, a junior and a sophomore. Its sixth man is a senior. In contemporary college basketball, that’s a fairly seasoned bunch.
But that’s not the way Hewitt sees it. Before practice Thursday, he told reporters that coverage of his team has been reduced to “cyberbullying.” He also claimed he hadn’t read the AJC since 2005 because the team that went to the ACC finals and lost to Louisville in Round 2 of the NCAA tournament was “absolutely bashed.” (Given that I covered the ACC tournament and the loss to Louisville, I assume he was referring to me.)
He also contended that the past 3 1/2 games have been the best stretch of Tech basketball in two years. Yet Tech has won only once in that span, and to claim that this team is better than last season’s isn’t saying much. Those Jackets were 2-14 in ACC play.
I should stipulate that, for as critical as I’ve been regarding Hewitt, he and I have never had a heated exchange. I was surprised he took umbrage at a question after Tech nearly wasted a 16-point lead against North Carolina State. He’s usually the essence of professionalism. But he has to know that this season is his last real chance to win back those who’ve lost faith in his stewardship. That said, do you win anyone back via a dare?
Loading ...Some folks laughed when, after losing at Maryland at the horn Saturday, Hewitt said he believed Tech was on the verge of something big. I didn’t. I remember how I laughed six years ago when, after a home loss to North Carolina State that took the Jackets’ ACC record to 6-7, Hewitt said Tech was “playing as well as anyone in the country.” But seven days later it won at Duke, and a month later it was in the Final Four.
Former assistant Dean Keener once told me: “You know Paul — he’s the most optimistic man in the world.” And I submit there is reason for Tech to keep the faith as it heads into March. It is playing better. It could well have a nice tournament run. But it isn’t “critics” and “experts” who have lost seven of the past 14 games. It’s Tech, as coached by Hewitt.
Believe what you see, Tweeted GTCoachHewitt, but I’m not sure he means that. Because some Tech rooters might say, “Know what I see? I see a coach who’s 6-7 with the most talented team in his league asking why I’m not rooting harder.”
That’s the trouble with a dare. Ask someone to look hard at your program and that someone might decide your program isn’t half what it should be. If several such someones band together, it might not be your program much longer.
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275 comments Add your comment
Jeckyll Island
February 25th, 2010
4:24 pm
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
73-66!!!!
That’s what Dawg fans think about Tech’s overrated basketball team!!!!
Tech is overrated in basketball just as they were overrated in football (30-24!!!!)
CanHewitt
February 25th, 2010
4:24 pm
This guy is something else. The more he talks the more people dislike him. I used to support him no matter what the record was. I started getting skeptical about him after 07 tourney. Even since then, I always thought he’d pull things together sooner or later and make the team respectable again. He gets paid close to Calhoun and Donovan but all he does is talk and give out excuses with terrible W-L. I don’t even expect a championship or Final Four run anymore. Just make the team respectable again year in and year out. As many others stated, it’s Georgia Tech. GT is not UNC, Duke, Kansas, KY, or UCONN. But GT still gets very talented players from Georgia often. Coach them up and make them better each year. Let’s start with a NCAA Tournament win or two this year and have next year’s team go to another tourney.
another Dawg fan
February 25th, 2010
4:26 pm
Keep Hewitt!!! We like him! He can take the most talented players in the nation to Athens and get whipped by 2 good players and a bunch of walk-ons!!!
—The Dawgnation
Gordon
February 25th, 2010
4:30 pm
“It’s tough to have a better than 500 record in the ACC…dilution or not. Three McDonalds All Americans…what about UNC…they have 7 and what’s their record….3 and 10.”
By definition, nearly half the teams finish above .500 every year. Hewitt has done it once, and that was 9-7. As for UNC, if Hewitt had won 2 national championships in the last 5 years, I doubt he would be receiving much flak about tweeting or anything else no matter what his team did this year.
Greg
February 25th, 2010
4:32 pm
Foment? Wow, nice one Mark. I thought for sure that was a typo until Google showed otherwise.
StingerSplash
February 25th, 2010
4:33 pm
In regards to Coach Hewitt’s “we’re playing our best basketball of the season,” I shall counter with the wisdom of one Big Tuna who opined that you are what your record says you are.
And Tech’s record says it is a losing team in conference play in a fairly toothless ACC this year.
Tweet that, Coach.
T3
February 25th, 2010
4:46 pm
Tech has been plaing lousy…in year when the ACC as a whole is playing lousy.
Tech played great against a good Maryland team.
Where was that level of play against: NC State, Miami, Wake2, etc. etc.
A lost to a poor BC team on Saturday would be VERY BAD.
I have a problem with a HC that “tweets.”
Good coaches DONT “dare”…the fans.
Team has played inconsistent…ALL YEAR. And thats on…THE COACH.
Dave Braine was a HORRIBLE AD.
But, for long-dedciated GT fans, remember this……
he was there for Eddie Lee Legend needed it the most.
Enough said.
acowa
February 25th, 2010
4:47 pm
Mark,
You stole this idea from The HIVE…specifically Samuels. But you’ve come up with a few good articles on your own in the past and I am willing to keep supporting you.
acowa
February 25th, 2010
4:52 pm
Why do all the Boo dog fans obsess with GT basketball. You guys don’t even go to your own games but always feel the need to add your comments to GT related articles. Nobody at GT gives a s#*t what you think about our basketball program. Get a job and get a life.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
4:57 pm
Yes, Get a grip. Coach Hewitt railed against injustice and (blush) the AJC. I’ve included some of his thoughts above.
ASHEVILLE DAWG
February 25th, 2010
5:02 pm
Hewitt-the great waster of talent. If he remains in charge, what does that say about GT mgt. It’s acceptable to be just ok? What a sorry waste of funds—buying him out is the right thing to do. Next coach please.
Mick
February 25th, 2010
5:08 pm
It’s simple paul. Get to the NCAA’s and the sweet 16 and you will be gt’s coach. Don’t do this and take your garbage somewhere else.
Reid Adair
February 25th, 2010
5:10 pm
Mark, any chance that Hewitt himself doesn’t run that Twitter account? I know there are some coaches around the country who have an assistant or a secretary or even a GA run their Twitter.
Jacket88
February 25th, 2010
5:13 pm
After enduring the recurring problems of poor free throw shooting and a lack of basic half court offense for several years straight, I’m fed up.
I did not renew BB season tickets this year and will not until a coaching change is made! Where can I donate my $1000 to help buyout Coach Hewitt’s contract?
Boise Dawg
February 25th, 2010
5:17 pm
I think Tech squeaks into the Tournament this year and therefore Hewitt won’t be fired…assuming they can win out at home. Even if they lose their final road game, I think they would still finish 8-8 in the ACC. That probably gets them in… I don’t understand the ACC getting 7 teams in as most have forecasted… I suspect Hewitt would have the PAC-10 to thank since it is looking like they may only get an auto qualifer this year.
yunel asscobar
February 25th, 2010
5:27 pm
Mark — If Hewitt is bought out, any chance we can make it a package deal and get rid of Wren as well?
LOL
February 25th, 2010
5:29 pm
Hey Thrillerdome, glad 73-66 is still hurting you so much.
LOSER!
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
5:31 pm
Hewitt met the media before practice today and defended the Tweets, Reid.
optimistic
February 25th, 2010
5:31 pm
i think the team needs to take the season into their own hands. if you really believe that hewitt is no good as a coach, then the 2004 team must have taken things into their own hands to get to the final four..which they did. i dont think this team has that type of chemistry but i hope they do. the raw talent is enough to get deep into the tourney. lets see what happens. at this point, he’s not going to get fired before the season is over so we should root for him…blindly…bc that’s what fans do. we should defer the discussion to kick him out until after the year is done.
February Briefing « Sitting Pugs: Sports Movies
February 25th, 2010
5:33 pm
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2010/02/25/hewitt-tweets-about-fans-critics/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_tech_sports http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/02/25/a-word-of-advice-for-techs-hewitt-coach-more-tweet... [...]
Steve T
February 25th, 2010
6:02 pm
CPH’s tweets are just another indication that he is on a downward spiral. I am a Tech grad. I have had season football tickets ssince 1990. I have had season basketball since I got enough points to qualify for them (at least a decade). Watching Tech basketball is tough. It’s painful. Why? Because I love and support them so much. It kills me to see how muddled and confused they appear most of the time.
Mark, I think you have stated the issues well. We love our players. We think they are arguably the best ever assembled on a Tech team. We believe that they are the “most talented” team in the ACC. Yet we have another losing ACC record. This is why we are getting very discouraged with CPH.
Some of the comments that CPH make show his own frustration. The fans are not his problem. Rather, his own inability to put balanced player combinations on the floor, his inability to call good timeouts, his inability to recognize when a player is melting down on the court and needs to be subbed, etc, etc.
I almost closed with a “Tweet less, coach more.” But then I realized that the more he coaches, the worse the team plays. I think we would do better if he just puts the right playes in and let them play.
kool$kat
February 25th, 2010
6:09 pm
Does anyone else see this problem? Besides the well-documented free throw and inbounding problems, there appears to be no real plan to his constant rotation of players. Not talking about last few minutes when he’s switching for offense-defense. I mean when a guy hits a couple of threes, and then gets pulled. Or makes a couple of great plays, then he’s riding the pine. Its been happening since day one. I can remember being incensed that BJ Elder was pulled from a tough game after hitting several shots in a row. Same thing with Ish Muhammed after a couple of dunks. Seem that Hewitt never wants one player to carry the team or something, I don’t know. Shumpert hit a couple of shots the other night, then was on bench. Then Mo Miller gets out of a looonnnng shooting funk, and then goes back to bench. When a player gets in a groove, you go to him, right?? Not pull him…Geez!
NYJacket
February 25th, 2010
6:15 pm
Coach Hewitt, I have been a Georgia Tech fan almost as long as you have been alive. I will be a Georgia Tech fan after you have moved on.
In my working career, I was expected to produce results for my employer.
It was real simple, produce results for my company and I stayed and eventually get promoted and be paid more money. Fail to produce results and I would be replaced.
Why is it different for coaches being paid an huge sum of money?
The basis problem is your salary is too big for Georgia Tech to show you the door.
But, having said that, you certainly have not had to produce with the pressure applied like the rest of us have had to do during our careers.
Good luck in your next gig.
GT For You And Me
February 25th, 2010
6:24 pm
Hewitt must have got my message to D-Rad. I sent it 2 weeks ago,and D-Rad thanked me for it.. The heat is on Hewitt. If he fails to make the tourney this yr. He will be gone in my opinion. Regardless of the cost…
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
6:28 pm
oh, Mark. wasting your time on tech. you ought to be in nashville tonight covering the Dogs.
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
6:29 pm
Enter your comments here
NoCoach Blewitt
February 25th, 2010
6:43 pm
Mark …… final four huh? EPOCH FAIL buddy EPOCH!!!!!!
I of course knew we had the worst coach in Division I since 2005 …. welcome aboard!!
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
6:47 pm
Epoch fail? You mean, the greatest failure of this epoch? Wow. That’s a pretty major thing.
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
6:54 pm
I think epic might be a better word in this situation.
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
6:55 pm
Mark, that guy big ray makes his blog shaded like you. thats not your alter ego is it?
NYJacket
February 25th, 2010
6:57 pm
Coach Hewitt, let me get a little more specific so that even you can understand. The reason you are being paid the big bucks is to win games. It is not an annuity for getting to the final four one time.
It really is a simple concept. You don’t have to diagram it!
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
7:01 pm
epoch, epic. both similar words to apocryphal. get it Mark?
Todd - Dacula
February 25th, 2010
7:01 pm
Mark Bradley’s column “Rx for Hewitt: Coach more, Tweet less (new Tweets added)”…
Hey Mark, your Rx is to “critize less, write better columns and worry less about the coach”… you’ll probably end up writing better stuff with substance.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
7:15 pm
I have no alter ego, Coach Grantham. Or an ego, period. (That last bit is a lie.)
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
7:26 pm
a lie or apocryphal?
tech fan
February 25th, 2010
7:33 pm
The problem with the contract that Hewitt has is it only stands to benefit him. Signing a contract that automatically re-ups for a new six years after each completed season was a terrible decision by the athletic department, because if Hewitt were to be bought out, it would be an expensive endeavor.
Fire his assistants, bring in some other people who can coach, show that we mean business, and show up to games.
old Tech fan in NC
February 25th, 2010
7:35 pm
Doubtful if any coach or assistant will be fired before the season is over. Soooo, I’m still getting exited about Tech making some good music in the ACC tourney and playing like some team with a mission in the madness gig. I hope Tech get to play the heels again and three peat..
Then say so long to ???
Ezekiel
February 25th, 2010
7:48 pm
Hewitt daring the fans is similar to when Chan told the fans that if they didn’t believe in his team then they should go find someone else to cheer. This type of response from a coach is when he’s got nothing to lose and has his career packed and his wife and kids already residing in another city awaiting his arrival so they can start a new life. To talk more Tech hoops visit: http://www.bbuzzoff.com
Georgia Sucks
February 25th, 2010
7:50 pm
I’m surprised Knowshon didn’t take himself out of the fight when it got serious.
Is he back in Athens working on his Home Economics degree?
Georgia loses by 20 tonight.
NoCoach Blewitt
February 25th, 2010
7:53 pm
why can’t we get rid of this idiot without the pay off??? I believe his main goal as an administrator is to mentor student atheletes and help guide them to graduation …… and I believe anyone realizes he has FAILED miserably when it comes to this …… So wouldn’t this be proof he didn’t live up to the expectations outlined in his contract?? Just any excuse to dump this egomanical, worthless coach without reprocussions would be fantastic.
Technophobia
February 25th, 2010
7:53 pm
Not too smart of Hewitt to take on the fans, unless of course he’s trying to foster an “it’s us against the world” attitude on the team to get them to come together. That has worked for teams in the past but I’d imagine it’s a stretch in this case.
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
7:56 pm
I don’t know that many coaches have included their own fans in latter half of us-vs.-them, Technophobia.
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
8:00 pm
Mark, who will last longer in his present job? Paul Hewitt or Mark Fox?
StingerSplash
February 25th, 2010
8:01 pm
I can’t decide what’s more disturbing — that shot of Eric Hinske’s back or Hewitt’s current stance.
4 jacks
February 25th, 2010
8:02 pm
Hewitt just doesn’t get it. He is responsible for so many underachieving teams. It is not the kids or the team that fans have quit on coach, it is YOU. There is no reason to debate this matter, as it comes down to this. Does GT have the money to buy him out, or do you watch the apathy in the fan base grow? It is a tough call for DRAD, if the money is not there, but should be a no brainer if the money is there. I am sure Hewitt is a good guy, but he has made GT basketball not only irrevelant nationally, but also the ACC and now even into the fanbase. I wish he would show some real character and take a lesser buyout and resign. I know it would restore some of the respect I have lost for Hewitt over the past 5 years.
Gordon
February 25th, 2010
8:03 pm
This twitter thing made the local news. It was the last thing Hewitt needed. I’ll bet Radakovich has a headache right now as well. Really dumb move. If they lose Saturday, this could get ugly fast.
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
8:03 pm
Vandy 36-31 at the start of the 3erd over UGA
Mark Bradley
February 25th, 2010
8:03 pm
Well, Hewitt has already lasted 10 years. Is that the question?
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
8:04 pm
No, who will be fired first?
todd grantham
February 25th, 2010
8:05 pm
Man, you should be a politician. Equivical and evasive.