Hewitt to St. John’s? New York tabloids are abuzz (Updated!)
Paul Hewitt during the NCAAs. (AP photo)
Lenn Robbins of the New York Post reports that St. John’s, which fired coach Norm Roberts last week, plans to pursue Paul Hewitt. This would not constitute a shock.
This wouldn’t be the first time St. John’s has targeted Hewitt. The Red Storm had an opening six years ago, but it coincided with Hewitt’s one extended NCAA tournament run. Worried that another school — or an NBA team — would steal the coach that had just led the Jackets to the title game, then-athletics director Dave Braine awarded Hewitt the perpetual rollover contract with its $7.1 million buyout. St. John’s hired Roberts instead.
Hewitt’s contract also includes a buyout on his end: Should he leave for another college job, he would be obliged to pay Tech $3.5 million. But there have been recent indications that Tech would not hold Hewitt to that figure.
Wrote Robbins:
Sources told the Post that [St. John's AD Chris] Monasch has gotten word to Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich that he’ll be seeking official permission to talk to coach Paul Hewitt as soon as possible …
“The word is it’s his job and Georgia Tech won’t stand in the way,” said a highly placed source in college basketball circles. “Both sides are ready for a change.”
After Georgia Tech lost to Ohio State in Milwaukee on Sunday, Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News asked Hewitt about the St. John’s job. Wrote Rubin:
When he was asked whether St. John’s can return to glory, the man lit up.
“Do you remember what it was like in New York when the Yankees finally won the World Series again in 1996, the way it electrified the city? St. John’s could definitely do the same thing,” said Hewitt, who grew up in Queens and Long Island. “I remember going to the building they call Carnesecca (Arena) and seeing huge crowds embrace the team. I remember going to the Garden and seeing it full. And I remember the winning. The right coach could do all that again and it would be a sight.”
This man doesn’t belong at a poker table. His words sound like “not interested,” but his face says “intrigued.”
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216 comments Add your comment
Retired BBall Coach
March 23rd, 2010
12:57 pm
You people need to get real!! GT is a good job, but the academic requirements are a
hinderance to recruiting enough good players to win consistently.
McDonald AllAmericans are bought by publicity in summer camps and big time coaches
trying to impress recruits.
Check the Final Four this year and tell me how many McDonald All-Americans are there.
Teamwork and experience are the ingredients for a winning team..and a POINT GUARD.
Check the Sweet Sixteen and tell me how many don’t have a slick point guard.
And when Hewitt went to the final four, he had two point guards
Geek
March 23rd, 2010
12:57 pm
I hear Coach K will be our next coach
wesleywhatwhat
March 23rd, 2010
12:58 pm
PLEASE let this happen.
there are literally hundreds of better basketball coaches out there and most of them will come cheaper than hewitt’s current yearly salary.
Chan Gaily
March 23rd, 2010
12:59 pm
Hey Nerds, thanks for the new house you just bought me.
Eman
March 23rd, 2010
1:02 pm
If PH leaves, what do you think would happen to his current recruiting class? They would leave with him!! He maybe an avg coach, but he is a hell of a recruiter. GT will never get the talent he brought here. Bank it!!
GT would never finish BETTER than 7 in the ACC!!! Sorry Tech fans but GT will never be a DUKE OR North Carolina!!
reebok
March 23rd, 2010
1:02 pm
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO, COACH HEWITT!!!! I’m sorry, make that “Coach” Hewitt…
reebok
March 23rd, 2010
1:04 pm
Eman – if Hewitt was anywhere near an average coach, that would be one thing. He can’t even SEE average from where he is.
On the other hand, a lot of my friends who are Georgia fans think ‘Coach’ Hewitt is doing a great job and Tech should do whatever they can to kepp him…
reebok
March 23rd, 2010
1:04 pm
‘Keep’ him. Dang.
Tech grants permission: St. John’s can speak with Hewitt | Mark Bradley
March 23rd, 2010
1:06 pm
[...] Reports in the New York media have identified Hewitt as one of the names atop the Red Storm’s list. [...]
EW
March 23rd, 2010
1:07 pm
Now ya done it MB, you ran Hewett off …hahaha
Eman
March 23rd, 2010
1:12 pm
Reebok- Do you think that Tech will ever get the same NBA talent that PH has recruited? I do not think GT will ever get the same talent again. I promise you that GT will never get the same talent again. Never!
CanHewitt
March 23rd, 2010
1:13 pm
GT_Fans_Suck, I wanna punch you in the face. I’m still pissed about last year. Tech went 2-14 in ACC with 2 future NBA players. I could easily get a ticket for the Duke game before tipoff this year. They announced it’s sold out but it wasn’t. Hewitt ruined this program. It was pathetic to see a half empty AMC throughout the season when the team is full of quality players. Tech did not have superstar players in 2004. But the overall talent of that team was pretty sick. Jack and Bynum both were fantastic college players. West was on that team. And 4 other players from that team are playing oversea as pros. What makes Hewitt even worse was 2005. He pretty much had the same team and couldn’t pass 2nd round.
Buzz
March 23rd, 2010
1:13 pm
Mark Bradley for President!!!!
Stinger
March 23rd, 2010
1:14 pm
Good choice. Coach K should be ready for a change of scenery.
DAWGFAN
March 23rd, 2010
1:17 pm
If your talent is sick thats why they did not play well. sick players should go to the doctor. OH Yeah 30-24. just a reminder.
Tech Fan
March 23rd, 2010
1:17 pm
Eman, all that talent got us what the last 3-4 years?….oh yeah…a loosing season in the ACC every year.
leland
March 23rd, 2010
1:19 pm
Dear Mr. MB–I was first on Mr. College Football’s blog this morning. What a feeling! Your pal, Leland
Mark Bradley
March 23rd, 2010
1:20 pm
Kudos, leland. Where’ve you been?
GT FAN
March 23rd, 2010
1:21 pm
All you guys bashing the coach are not wise. We go through a pregram chance and it could be years before we are on the map again. The recuits might leave as well, so be careful for what you wish for.
GT FAN
March 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm
program change
CoachJRB
March 23rd, 2010
1:28 pm
I can’t stand the style of basketball Tech has played over the last 10 years! I would love to see this happen and seriously consider bringing in Mark Price. I know, lack of coaching experience, but he is the opposite of Hewitt a fundamentals guy (my son – a rather good player- has worked with him so I know this first hand). As for Tubby, we can’t afford him. I think Auburn is offering big dollars…….
leland
March 23rd, 2010
1:31 pm
Dear Mr. MB–thank you, kindly. I’ve been spending a lot of time lately diagramming sentences, trying to get caught up. But I still find time daily to see what you have to say. Your pal, Leland
Jeff
March 23rd, 2010
1:35 pm
How do teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, LA Lakers, NE Patriots, Utah Jazz, perenially succeed year after year despite drafting near the bottom? Having a superstar or two helps, but I would suggest that player development is an area where they excel. If I were to look to replace Hewitt, what better place to look for individuals with player development skills than the assistant coaching staffs of front running NBA teams. You then can rely less on the one and dones because you can see talent that may not be obvious to others and have confidence that you can develop that talent over a college CAREER. How rewarding would that be for a coach! Would also be attractive to recruits ………it ain’t rocket science.
PAUL R.
March 23rd, 2010
1:36 pm
Paul H.
My daughter and I are both GT Grads. I recently took my daughter back to NYC to see where I grew up – went to school, etc. I thought it would be a great experience. It wasn’t.
Paul, YOU CAN NEVER GO HOME. St John’s will never be like you remembered it; even if you are successful.
Stay where you are wanted @GT.
Where is the fricking runway??
March 23rd, 2010
1:36 pm
Two pilots that buzzed ( get it? buzzed ) GF@HBDS are not Maverick and Cougar. Nope.
They are DUMB and DUMBER and this news has made tech a laughing stock across the world.
Where are these two morons now? Pumping jet fuel in the desert.
Those two losers should have fired ordinance at the car jacking thugs around the campous and maybe THAT would have been applauded in some corners. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAH
All I'm Saying Is...
March 23rd, 2010
1:36 pm
Ha, Ha, Ha! If PH leaves, then it will be just what Tech deserves. Favors and Gawal [sp.] will consider and likely leave and the program will drop to the level of UGA. PH will resurrect St. John’s where he will be appreciated and savored and it will take place on the biggest stage of them all, NYC. Bradley will have to go back to writing stories about sports he knows even less about (ex. baseball) as he will no longer have a coach to create stories about such as that weak post yesterday alleging GT’s 10th man is better than OSU’s 10th man, blah, blah, bogus, blah. (Man, that was so weak Bradley that you put out in the open what up to then was merely alleged that this thing with PH is now personal for you).
The proper criticism of PH is simply this: GT guard play has been abysmal all season and either PH doesn’t realize it (coach’s fault), has no suitable replacement on the bench (coach’s fault) or is unable to articulate the problem and get the players he puts out there to correct it (coach’s fault).
The problem with PH is not recruiting one and done players that’s the issue (though it doesn’t help), not doing stupid things like using Twitter to call out critics or fans (though it doesn’t help), not the contract (all can be gotten out from under and 7.1M is significant but a small price to pay considering the revenues at stake if the alternative gets you into the NCAA Tourney several years in a row), and not even having a sub .500 record in the ACC (if you look at the matter closely, the ACC is a two team league and always has been with Duke, NC, and a bunch of random contenders).
The real problem with PH this season is his tolerance of and inability to correct lousy guard play which primarily drives the persistent turnover issue which is almost exclusively the reason for their losses including the last one. At times, its as if he doesn’t know what to do to correct the guard play which as any coach knows is easy: you remove the player from the game when they keep making the same mistake, tell them that on the bench, and tell them they won’t start again or play much unless they correct their proclivity to mishandle the ball.
All I'm Saying Is...
March 23rd, 2010
1:40 pm
If anything, the savvy agent that PH has will get St. John’s to make him a strong offer that he will consider and ultimately reject and PH will return along with Favors and Gawal [sp.] et. al. and they will have an outstanding regular and post-season next year.
NCAAs and how many ACC teams now???
March 23rd, 2010
1:40 pm
Sec vs ACC ………….um, ah, um how many ACC teams are still at The Big Dance now and how many SEC teams??? Hmmmmmmmmmm? SEC is way down vs historic levels of attendance at The Dance and we still outshine the All Candy Candyman league.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
UGAissolastyear
March 23rd, 2010
1:43 pm
Favors and lawal ARE going pro. Nothing new there. We get what we deserve? Damn straight! A renewed sense of optimism for our basketball program! Be gon with you ‘All I’m saying’
Jackets2010
March 23rd, 2010
1:46 pm
If Hewitt did leave, what would nocoach blewitt use for his name?
Jackets2010
March 23rd, 2010
1:48 pm
I have nothing against Favors.
However he reminded me of Crittendon; too worried about the pro scouts to help much in the Dance.
What happened to the Favors of the ACC tourney?
hoopsweisshairpiece
March 23rd, 2010
1:51 pm
Not everyone in NYC is sold on Hewitt. The AAU, which runs the NYC high school basketball fortunes, likes him, so that may be why his name is in the mix.
He’d have no problems with the local media. They go after professional athletes like they’re career criminals. At the same time, they were gargling Norm Robert’s DNA until the day he was fired.
All I'm Saying Is...
March 23rd, 2010
1:53 pm
UGAissolastyear: If you read my post, then you should have realized I don’t give a rat’s butt if he stays or goes and I had some scathing criticism of my own but, assuming PH departs for arguments sake, who is your choice to replace him — and please don’t give me any of that bull about Pitino or Bill Self or even Tubby Smith for that matter taking the GT job, etc.
Jackets2010
March 23rd, 2010
1:53 pm
Productivity drop in metro Atlanta traced to Bradley Blogs. People stop working to blogs for hours. Boss comes by and they pretend to be busting it on some problem.
wesleywhatwhat
March 23rd, 2010
1:55 pm
if steve alford can make iowa a consistent winner, what can he do with the talent that wants to come to GT?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Alford
this guy seems to win wherever he goes.
i hope alford is on the short list, along with mark price and some experienced winners at mid major schools who are ready for a step up.
Jackets2010
March 23rd, 2010
1:56 pm
Well Self might get run out of Kansas.
No I’m kiding.
You’re right about that group.
Tubby has sense enough to know he isn’t a match with us even if we wanted him.
just me
March 23rd, 2010
1:57 pm
Several bloggers are referring to the group here as the Tech “fan base”…are you kidding me? You are a handful of people who may or may not ever go to a Tech game, and from some of the comments, obviously don’t have much depth of knowledge about the game. You are far from being the “fan base”; those are the people that can actually make something happen at Tech; bloggers can’t. And those who even mention the name Tubby Smith are just demonstrating a total lack of knowledge.
Jackets2010
March 23rd, 2010
1:58 pm
BTW if Self is such a genius, why didn’t he get his guards to stop shooting? I think they were 0-11 on threes.
TomB
March 23rd, 2010
2:08 pm
If St. John’s offers enough money then I think Hewitt’s gone. He’ll also take a few Tech players with him. I have been critical of Hewitt’s performance at Tech, but not the man. I hope the best for him either way.
All I'm Saying Is...
March 23rd, 2010
2:12 pm
I agree that neither Self, Smith, nor Pitino et. al. will want the job and Self ‘aint looking too bright at this point either given all the talent he had at his disposal.
As for Steve Alford, Iowa fans didn’t like him and were set to run him off before he jumped ship to New Mexico per the most recent Sports Illustrated magazine issue (which sounds reasonable to me because if you believe trading Iowa for New Mexico is a step up then I have some beach front property in Arizona to sell you) so he’s not an attractive option if considered one which he shouldn’t be as that would be his third school in the last ten years
So, I’m still waiting for who all you PH-haters would hire to replace him? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?
Seems to me you’d likely have to take a chance on someone like Fox of UGA (see Northern Iowa’s coach) unless you are able to persuade the coach at a mid-major (Butler?) or also ran member of major conference (Baylor?) to come on board.
All I'm Saying Is...
March 23rd, 2010
2:14 pm
Just to be clear: I meant hiring someone LIKE Fox of UGA (a formerly basically unknown coach at U Nevada Reno) but not literally hiring Fox of UGa
groundfog
March 23rd, 2010
2:17 pm
I want to hear some names of some candidates for tech if this happens.
Please Paul Don’t Go! « MrSEC.com
March 23rd, 2010
2:20 pm
[...] Except that St. John’s may have found Roberts’ replacement over on North Avenue in the person of Paul Hewitt, at least according to Mark Bradley. [...]
Paul Hewitt to St. John’s? « MrSEC.com
March 23rd, 2010
2:20 pm
[...] For those who struggle with nuance, let me translate…”Get me the hell out of Atlanta.” (ht – Mark Bradley) [...]
Paul in RDU
March 23rd, 2010
2:23 pm
wesleywhatwhat @1:55 – Steve Alford a consistent winner at Iowa??? Did you look at his record at Iowa? In 8 years he took 3 teams to the NCAA winning only 1 game.
And as for people wanting Mark Price, you’ve got to be high (perhaps at the thought of Hewitt leaving). Mark Price was a great player at GT but he has ZERO experience as a college head coach, ZERO experience in recruiting, ZERO experience hiring assistants. Trying to match wits in the ACC against K, Ole Roy and Gary is not an entry level position
Paul in RDU
March 23rd, 2010
2:27 pm
TomB – If Hewitt leaves he will take NO current GT players with him. Players may transfer if Hewitt leaves but you can guarantee that GT will not release them from their scholarships so that they can sit out a year at St. Johns. And it’s not that Hewitt will take any recruits with him either – most of the top ones sign before their senior season
GT_Fans_Suck
March 23rd, 2010
2:28 pm
CanHewitt, why do you think AMC was empty with all the talent we had on the floor? This didn’t happen in the middle of the season after our subpar performance – it was from the beginning. Majority of today’s Tech fans are bandwagon fans. No doubt about it. You are going to fire Hewitt and then what?????? Favors is gone, Lawal will probably go if Hewitt goes even though he’s not good enough for the NBA yet. And then we will get destroyed by UGA. And about punching me in the face…really? You must be a freshman…
In Pollack We Trust
March 23rd, 2010
2:29 pm
David Pollack just tweeted that Kelvin Sampson is waiting in the wings to take over for Paul Hewitt. He says it’s a “done deal”.
Blewitt strikes again
March 23rd, 2010
2:29 pm
To the good people of St. John’s: my condolences.
Paul Hewitt is an honorable man who ran a clean program and has been a good face for the Institute. He is an exceptional recruiter, and I wish him the absolute best if he goes. That said, I cannot take another second of his “clogged toilet” offense and preposterously poor X’s & O’s that has defined this fine program. That one magical year was clearly an aberration and his time is long overdue to begin fresh elsewhere.
Old School
March 23rd, 2010
2:30 pm
Please let it be true! I keep saying over and over and over again. Just look at the FACTS of the “Paul Hewitt Era” during his 10 years at Tech:
*one(1) winning season in ACC play in 10 years
*winning record against only three(3) of the other 11 ACC teams
*losing record against Tech
No, Tech is “not North Carolina or Duke,” —what a totally “Braineless” dumbas* comment to make– but neither has Tech been Maryland or two or three other ACC schools either under Hewitt. As far as I am concerned, Hewett pounded the final nail in his own coffin when he made the statement about not being Carolina or Duke. Great recruiting tool, Paul baby—especially when you recruit some of the same players.
Don’t let the door hit you in the butt, Mr. Hewitt.
And thanks for the 1 (2003-3004)and 1/6 (2009-2010) memorable seasons.
Again, CHECK THE FACTS and tell me Georgia Tech can not do better than that under someone else.
And as for you Mark Bradley, read Matt Winklejohn’s column on the OSR Report today. As I emailed him, I have been telling you that since your column on the day of the first FSU game.