Hewitt to St. John’s? New York tabloids are abuzz (Updated!)

Paul Hewitt at work during the NCAA tournament. (AP photo)

Paul Hewitt during the NCAAs. (AP photo)

UPDATE: Georgia Tech athletics cirector Dan Radakovich granted St. John’s request to speak with Paul Hewitt at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

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.”

216 comments Add your comment

Liz

March 23rd, 2010
11:00 am

Carolina Gator Lover

March 23rd, 2010
11:00 am

Mark Bradley

March 23rd, 2010
11:00 am

You are, Liz. Kudos.

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:01 am

First?

PLEASE let it be true. (Hewitt leaving, not me being first).

Don't let the door hit you...

March 23rd, 2010
11:03 am

…on the way out Coach Blewitt.

Please, please, please….. let this be true!

Liz

March 23rd, 2010
11:04 am

Sweet. (About being first, doesn’t upset me if Hewitt stays or leaves. Go DAWGS!)

Delbert D.

March 23rd, 2010
11:05 am

Forget the $3.5 million. Let the guy go.

Ferd

March 23rd, 2010
11:06 am

Who would have thought we could go to the ACC Championship game, win an NCAA Tournament game, AND get rid of Hewitt in the same year?! Please let it be true!!

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:07 am

He is also on the short list for DePaul, although I’m sure St. Johns would be his first choice. They have said they would pay “top 10″ money, in the neighborhood of 1.7M.

Hewitt must know he has lost both the fan base and Radakovich’s confidence at Tech. Tech waiving the 3.5M says it all. Though Hewitt leaves a lot of money on the table by leaving, in the long run he makes more because he won’t have a dismissal on his resume if he goes now. That would cost him a big time job, at least for a while, as well as a lot of pride.

bill

March 23rd, 2010
11:08 am

Sounds good to me…

Matt the Brave

March 23rd, 2010
11:08 am

The expectations this year placed on Hewitt were unbelievable. I know that he had a stacked team, but it is near-impossible to go through this tournament and win it all. All you Tech dorks think that you’re upper-echelon. Well, you’re not. Make it to the tournament every year? Maybe. You do play in the hardest conference if you’re not named Duke, Wake Forest, or North Carolina.

Joe Cox's Agent

March 23rd, 2010
11:10 am

please don’t let this opportunity pass Mr. Hewitt. St Johns and GT are both needing this badly…

BUT

March 23rd, 2010
11:10 am

its never going to happen Hewitt has to sweet a deal to ever leave he will ride that rollover for the next 20 years.

rlinaug

March 23rd, 2010
11:10 am

Please stay. Hewitt’s the one guy Dennis Felton outcoached.

Dawglasville

March 23rd, 2010
11:10 am

Tech would be better off with out him. He reminds me of Jim Mora Jr. Tech could be great again in basketball. Not with Hewitt.

jamie stamper

March 23rd, 2010
11:13 am

You are up here are some real tool when it comes to understanding coaching. You guys love to wanna run people out of town. Tell me Tech nation who are you going to bring in to replace him. You know when he leaves and your program goes down we will see how much cheering you guys do then. Funny Ferd, Delbert, and Gordon.

CanHewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:13 am

This is perfect for both Tech and Hewitt. Tech gets out of that horrendous contract that made fans very unhappy and Hewitt gets a fresh start in his hometown and gets paid more. If he takes St. Johns to the tourney somehow he’ll be a hero there. Tech must waive $3.5 mil buyout. With $1.3 mil+ salary, Tech can still hire a decent coach.

acowa

March 23rd, 2010
11:14 am

Mark,

Can you go with him as a package deal?

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:14 am

It’s almost February 3rd! (RAMBLE ON knows what I mean)

Joe Cox's Agent

March 23rd, 2010
11:15 am

Matt.. don’t be a dumba$$. it was not just this one season that cost Paul Hewitt the confidence in the GT fanbase. It is his arrogance and lack of ability to coach over several seasons that has brought us to this point. You hardly ever saw a Tech team get better over a course of a season. He could not improve the play of his players one ounce from the start of the season to the end of one. Also his comments that Tech will never be a UNC or Duke doesn’t help his cause one bit. GT and it’s fans will never give in to mediocrity…

John

March 23rd, 2010
11:15 am

St johns is a perfect fit for you. U can do it!

Paul Hewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:15 am

Haha, everyone loves a tease. I’m not going anywhere. I love Atlanta and taking Tech from mediocrity to subp…..I mean, greatness. Once I get that contract extension I will be around for a long time.

juvenal

March 23rd, 2010
11:16 am

i just want to know what wimpey conf. they got those zebras Derrick knocks a guys arm off who hooked him, & he gets dinged? please, ncaa, get refs nationally! also, had to catch a plane, they did not want bringing in a bag the size of a purse, as lame as they are on title IX, at least the ladies catch some benefits…i pray everything works out to the best for everyone…

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:16 am

Jamie @11:13,

I may not understand coaching, but I do understand won loss records. He’s had 10 years. Enough is enough.

CanHewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:17 am

Hewitt’s not happy with the media and fanbase at the moment. It makes sense for him to go if they offer a very competitive salary.

PMC

March 23rd, 2010
11:18 am

Come on Mark. Leave the poor man alone for once… let’s hear about the Braves, Falcons, or Hawks.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:19 am

This is the best news I’ve read in a long time. Delta is ready when you are Blewitt. St Johns has Tourrett’e Syndrome substitutions, inbounding disasters, poor free throw shooting, and record turnover games to look forwart to. Lou Carnesseca will be rolling over in his grave somewhere watching Hewitt’s teams perform. Don’t let the door hit you in the — on the way out!!

The Udder Side!!!

March 23rd, 2010
11:19 am

Sooooo….When you Tech heads finally run off Coach Hewitt, Who are you gonna get to come and take over your program????

T3

March 23rd, 2010
11:20 am

Consider it a DONE DEAL. He’s gone.

Now, lets move on to WHO will be the new GT BBall HC.

Matt the Brave

March 23rd, 2010
11:22 am

Joe Cox’s Agent, first of all, don’t call me names, it’s uncouth. So, what you’re telling me is that his ability to get Tech to the tournament many times and get to the final four is his lack of coaching ability? And his ‘arrogance’ is what? Because he’s a head coach and treats people who ask him stupid questions with contempt? Guess what? You’re not the most important person in the world, nor ever will be. I would say that you saw Tech get much better over this season, especially after the loss to UGA and Duke. And I’m pretty sure that he knows that Duke and UNC are out of ANYONE’S league. The only team that can compete with those two in terms of money are Wake Forest and Kentucky because it’s the only sport that matters to them. Not to mention that the refs essentially give them every game, no matter how bad they are that season.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:22 am

Matt the Brave, us Tech dorks will worry about Tech. Why don’t you go back to your NASCAR blog and talk about Ricky Bobby? And did you really lump Wake Forest into the list of upper echelon teams in the ACC along with Duke and UNC? Really??

KevinM

March 23rd, 2010
11:23 am

He’s right. Tech will never be Duke or Carolina, in our lifetime. There isn’t enough time to build the legacy they have. But, Tech can be a Maryland type team and win it with guys who actually play well together.
This year’s team looked like they didn’t know who they should lead them.
They are very young, and its not an excuse, just the reality of it all.
A strong point guard is needed to lead any team. Ask Roy Williams.
But I think you gotta hold Hewitt to some of the $$ that he is obligated to pay. I woudn’t let him walk away clean. He has been getting paid very well and his contract states he needs to return some of his ‘guaranteed rollover’ should someone show interest.
This one is definitely setup for a win-win for the coach, no matter what he decides. I don’t like the sound of that. His teams did underperform in the past and he finally was able to put a winning season together.
For that, you shouldn’t be able to walk away clean with a huge raise.
If Donovan turned down a $3M/year offer, what are they going to offer Hewitt? 2-2.5? Ridiculous.

K with a K

March 23rd, 2010
11:23 am

I hope this happens before Tubby signs on at Auburn!

Reality

March 23rd, 2010
11:24 am

Guys, I am not the biggest Hewitt fan. I don’t think he is a good coach. But, he is a good recruiter. At least we have good players to make the game interesting.

I remember too well how many coachs we had that could not get any talent to Tech.

We do risk getting rid of Hewitt only to end up with someone worse.

Paul Hewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:24 am

Mark,

Why you always pickin on me? :(

I can’t handle Atlanta and the 2 sports writers in this town. How do you think I would handle NYC?

KevinM

March 23rd, 2010
11:24 am

Add to previous comments:

Hey MB, he might leave to get away from your ‘personal’ criticism you have expressed in your previous encounters with him. He might see the NY media as a kindler, gentler adversary.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:25 am

Who will be the next GT head coach? It could be Dora the Explorer and we’d still be better off..

Halberstram

March 23rd, 2010
11:26 am

Must have cut out part of that column, nothing I read at the end gave any indication of not interested.

Delbert D.

March 23rd, 2010
11:27 am

From the ajc.com news page: “Man carjacked near Georgia Tech campus”

I guess criminals in Atlanta are too stupid or doped-up to carjack cars.

RICKY BOBBY

March 23rd, 2010
11:27 am

I’M GOING FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mark > paul

March 23rd, 2010
11:28 am

our coach marks are better than your coach pauls. maybe you guys can get rid of the other coach paul and start rebuilding to try beat us again…but i doubt it.

WonderDawg

March 23rd, 2010
11:28 am

“Tech won’t stand in the way”? Tech’s probably helping him pack! What a stroke of luck. Hey, you don’t suppose St Johns wants Mike Bobo, too?

NC Braves Fan

March 23rd, 2010
11:28 am

Well, Mr. hewitt seems to have a really thick skin in dealing with the hypercritical ATL media glare, so I’m sure he’ll do just fine in little ole NY. *chuckle*

MorningJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:29 am

I seriously doubt that CPH is going to end up at St. John’s, but I’ll gladly be proven wrong. My question is: If he can’t handle mild criticism from the AJC — and it has been far less that he really deserved — how in the world would he handle the shark tank of the NY media.

Dawglasville

March 23rd, 2010
11:29 am

Oh… Tubby at Tech would suck. Hopefully Hewitt stays.

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:30 am

Reality,

What coach are you talking about? Dwayne Morrison? Whack Hyder? Cremins could recruit, Hewitt could recruit. We are in the ACC, in the city of Atlanta, and have a good track record of putting players in the NCAA.

We can and will do better than Hewitt.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:30 am

I like the Tubby Smith idea.. But Reality, while I agree with you somewhat in that Blewitt has done a good job recruiting for the most part. But if you look more closely, he’s really only had 2-3 top notch classes during his tenure with GT. His best year at Tech he was winning with kids that weren’t recruited by him. And a lot of the success he’s had since have been with instate recruits who would have likely ended up at Tech with or without him. Derek Favors and Glen Rice, Jr are perfect examples- kids that wanted to stay in ATL close to family for college.

Gordon

March 23rd, 2010
11:31 am

I meant NBA, not NCAA. We DON’T have a good track record of putting players in the NCAA.

drew

March 23rd, 2010
11:31 am

This could be a huge win/win. Hewitt loves NY. Money shouldn’t be an issue (St. John’s offered 3 mil/year to Donovan) so PH gets a fat raise. D-Rad’s not gonna stand in his way, and Tech’s relieved of the perpetual contract. Good, fundamental, TEAM basketball returns to GT.

It might all come down to where Ms. Hewitt wants to raise the kids.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself here but, if it get’s done, who do we go after?

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:33 am

If Hewitt realizes the tenor of Tech’s fanbase he will seriously consider this opportunity, but there is nothing to suggest that he sees himself at faulty or his job in jeapordy.

WonderDawg

March 23rd, 2010
11:34 am

If Dora comes, will Backpack and Swiper be assistants?

David

March 23rd, 2010
11:34 am

how about hiring that certain College of Charleston coach that some of us remember. He seemed to do allright down on the flats.

Aero Jacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:34 am

Good riddance. Hewitt had become the bball equivalent of Chan Gailey.
How about Mark Price? He is smart, can coach, and the team FT percentage should go up.

Delbert D.

March 23rd, 2010
11:34 am

Bobby Knight is available. He was last seen schmoozing Bobby Cox at spring training.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:34 am

No to Tubby Smith. And, Hell No!

Finebaum

March 23rd, 2010
11:36 am

Matt, are you kidding?? This is more than a year long problem. Hewitt’s teams have consistently underachieved. The only thing they have been consistent with is making mistakes and setting records for turnovers. They looked confused every year because we rarely have a nucleus of kids on the court that have been there for more than 2 years. You sound like you are not even a fan. Watch the club for a couple years before you start backing the coach.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:37 am

St. Johns will offer more annual salary, but not the automatic rollover/lifetime gravy that his current contract does. IF Hewitt starts (for once) to read the writing on the wall, he’d realize he’s only got a couple of more years at best here on the Flats, unless he turns around the program.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:37 am

yeah, from the sounds of some of the morons on this blog, Tech is the equivalent of the Atlanta School of the Deaf and Blind. Tech has always gotten big time recruits, with or without hewitt. And while we’re not an ELITE team like UNC or Kansas, we’re still a top tier program in a city that will always be attractive to quality players.

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:37 am

Could it be the best early XMAS gift EVER!!!!!!!! Please oh please make it happen Mr. Monasch, it will definately be the best move you have ever made

Techwood Hard

March 23rd, 2010
11:38 am

Let him go.

Maybe Tubby Smith can come back home to Georgia.

We’ll take you since The Farm School in Athens didn’t want you badly enough to keep you, Coach Smith.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:40 am

The NY spotlight would flatter his ego, but the local media would get under his thin skin. Hewitt isn’t going anywhere, until we fire him. Then he’ll still have the chance to sign on with someone else and collect some of Tech’s money (though he won’t get the full payout if he’s working.)

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:40 am

And he thought the media in Atlanta was tough???? He was a little baby about it, what the he!! is he gonna do about the NY media?? Can’t wait to read his tweets while in tears, just as long as he isnt in GA anymore

Ben

March 23rd, 2010
11:41 am

Christmas must be coming early this year…

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:42 am

Backpack and swiper would make better assistants than the “yes men” hewitt has sitting on the bench now. I also believe Backpack might come stocked with a Map who could possibly help us draw up an inbounds play every now and then. Swiper would serve his purpose to by stealing the team’s cell phones so they could focus on basketball.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:42 am

What is all the talk about Tubby Smith? No way is he a good match for Tech. His personality and his Petrino-like penchant for changing jobs is not conducive to Tech.

Delbert D.

March 23rd, 2010
11:42 am

No, we want a coach with a good record of putting players into their sophomore year.

Mark Bradley

March 23rd, 2010
11:43 am

Swiper, no swiping!

Dale

March 23rd, 2010
11:44 am

Oh please take the job!

GT Fan

March 23rd, 2010
11:45 am

Thats been my prayer for years………..maybe just maybe the Lord is fixing to answer it. Forget the $$$$ and let him go, please.

I'm Buzzed

March 23rd, 2010
11:46 am

Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Hey Hey Hey Good Bye!!! (I am sure he will do well at St. John’s its simply time for a change).

Need a new Coach

March 23rd, 2010
11:49 am

Yahoooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liam

March 23rd, 2010
11:49 am

Make them fire you CPH. Everyone has opinions, but none of these idiots (including me) on this thread have a $7 million buyout clasue. This is business. Pi$$ on an opinion.

Henny

March 23rd, 2010
11:52 am

Take my coach … please!

Then, hire Tubby.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
11:52 am

Hey Liam, Pi$$ on you.

Liam

March 23rd, 2010
11:52 am

Mark Bradley, is your resume up to date?

Jackets2010

March 23rd, 2010
11:54 am

The problem with mediocre coaching is that we tend as fans to get on a player.
The best example of this is Reggie Ball.
Criticism of him angers me every time.
With Freigen as O coordinator, Reggie would have been far better.
Without Freigen, George Godsey wouldn’t have been half the player he was.
I say this because I want to criticize Shumpert but we should have had someone to coach him into how better to run the team.

Mark Bradley

March 23rd, 2010
11:54 am

I got no resume, Liam.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:54 am

Hewitt’s going of his own accord is too good to be true, but I’d be the first to open the exit door and wish him luck. The new coach should be younger, accomplished, and affordable. Not many out there with that third characteristic.

Liam

March 23rd, 2010
11:55 am

I don’t have a $7 million buyout clasue and now I’m being pi$$ed on. Why are some people so angry?

Paul Hewitt Fan

March 23rd, 2010
11:55 am

Hewitt should go…St. Johns is a better job than GT any day of the week…..Atl fans are the worst in the world..they always turn on they teams…they never win championships….He would also be able to get out of the ACC, where the game is decided by who is on the sidelines rather than on the court….The big east plays great basketball.The ACC is an wrestling match…..The ACC is only allowed to be won by Duke or NC…..No matter what…Duke shoots 3000 more free throws a year than any one else..Thats why Favors will leave, I know him and his family, he hates the way the game gets call in the acc..Lawai would have left but he isnt ready..Also he can get away from the AJC and Mark Bradley…Hell isnt Bradley the same guy who wrote an article saying we were entering the Christian laettner era….He has convinced you guys that Hewitt has 8 or 9 NBa Players…But really he has only 1.Favors..maybe Rice jr….His best starting five was 1.shumpert(soph) 2.oliver(fresh)3.rice jr(fresh)4.Favors (fresh) 5. lawai(junior) and u blame the coach if they throw the ball out of bounds? We were young..Regardless who Tech hires as coach, On the road in the acc he will not get any calls, Singler will shoot 40 free throws and Hewitt will turn the St johns program around, because his teams always plays hard and defend…He just needs his guards to stay in school longer than they have at tech..the one year we had veteran guards he almost won the whole thing……

Ps….Mark Bradley

u convincing these idiots that this was a final 4 team will go down in history, u even said we were better than OSU even though they won their confrence and has the player of the year! u should be a lawyer..

Steak

March 23rd, 2010
11:55 am

It’s your fault Mark for sticking it to him by mentioning all the talent.

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:55 am

With any coach other Chan Gailey, Reggie Ball would have been sitting on the bench for three years.

Jerry

March 23rd, 2010
11:56 am

The Tech Nation wants to love you, Hewitt. You’ll have us at “goodbye.”

Liam

March 23rd, 2010
11:56 am

No significant experience huh… That explains it.

TROTTINGHOME

March 23rd, 2010
11:57 am

Yea lots of quality recruits go to GT…and as soon as the finish their 100 level courses they leave…if not before.

Being a top tier program in the Atlanta area ain’t exactly rocket science…or is it?

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:57 am

Heck I will personally offer up my 2007 Acura TL to ol Blewey and fam for a ride down to Hartsfield …. I will even carry their bags for them to check in

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:57 am

Mark, just as a strictly hypothetical exercise, who would think would be a good match for a head coaching position at a place like, say, Georgia Tech, if, for example, the current head coach were to leave?

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
11:58 am

even buy their tickets

Ree Roe

March 23rd, 2010
11:58 am

As long as this stops all the “Tech is the most talented team in the universe” articles I’m all for it. Your credibility on college bball took a major hit with your overstatement of Tech’s talent day in & day out in the AJC & I say this as a fan of your work Mark.

-REEturn of Roe!!!

FullMetalJacket

March 23rd, 2010
11:59 am

Heck, if Hewitt takes another job we’ll even get another flyover from the Navy for him….

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
12:01 pm

ticker tape parade ….. champagne jam

rob graner

March 23rd, 2010
12:01 pm

Let him go…..Bout time too! How many times has he lost to UGA in the last 5 years? How many average records with NBA talent on the floor? Time to move on and don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

willie

March 23rd, 2010
12:02 pm

I agree with Jackets2010 on Schumpert. That kid has serious talent but has shown zero improvement…where’s the coaching? Also, everyone gets onto the head coach, but what exactly are all of those other guys in suits on the bench doing?!? I still like Hewitt so I am OK either way, but a change seems like it would be best for everyone.

bulldog bubba

March 23rd, 2010
12:02 pm

Tubby say NO to the pencil pushers!!!!!

btgt69

March 23rd, 2010
12:03 pm

Mark what about Donovan turning dowm 3.5 mil from St John’s: is that correct,, then Hewitt would be second choice?

tekman

March 23rd, 2010
12:03 pm

WE WILL GET TUBBY SMITH!!!!

BartBuzz

March 23rd, 2010
12:05 pm

It’s time to start looking for a replacement. Maybe Bobby Cremins can help with search.

Bobby

March 23rd, 2010
12:06 pm

If Paul Hewitt leaves, maybe we can talk Bobby Cremins into coming back.

WonderDawg

March 23rd, 2010
12:07 pm

Paul Hewitt Fan, since you’re giving out “should haves”……… you should have paid attention in English class.

James

March 23rd, 2010
12:08 pm

Can he recruit enough ONE-AND-DONEs at St. John’s to win something?

Jon Heisman

March 23rd, 2010
12:08 pm

Tech nation, forget Hewitt for now. I am very concerned about our pilot who has been punished for the low flyover at the Wake game last Fall. I urge all of you to contact your congressman and Senators requesting he be re-instated flying for the Navy. Only the big wig politicians can make the Navy change its mind.

Herschel Talker

March 23rd, 2010
12:09 pm

Paul Hewitt -

Please stay. We like making fun of you. You are a clown. Even a bigger clown than RAMBLE ON!!! and Old Gold

Herschel Talker

Stinger

March 23rd, 2010
12:10 pm

What a great deal, dump both Gailey and Hewitt on NY. What a great way to get rid of these losers. No one deserves them more than NY.

NoCoach Blewitt

March 23rd, 2010
12:11 pm

Paul Hewitt Fan —– obviously you have no idea wtf you are talking about ….. only UNC or Duke can win the ACC ….. the coach previous to Blewitt won the ACC reg season twice and the tournament one of those years and another year, so basically they won the ACC in one way or another three seasons …. and I am sure Maryland hasnt won the ACC lately

Also it is obvious you dont read MB articles because he has never attacked Phewey and in my opinion talks highly of him …. Blewitt just cant take anything that even resembles an attack on him or his program …… And FYI i dont need “convincing” as I have been on the anti-Blewitt bandwagon from the beginning back during the 2004-2005 season

Bill

March 23rd, 2010
12:11 pm

Folks, there are many good coaches out there if Hewitt leaves. If he does, the sooner the better. Just hope Oliver, Rice and Udofia stay. New coach would probably be from upper mid major who is very hungry and has had decent NCAA success. Sort of like Ga’s hire of Fox. Atlanta recruits itself, so a good coach would have a huge advantage. Hoping Paul goes because it’s truly time. Win -win for both schools.

sameold

March 23rd, 2010
12:14 pm

A change would be nice but wWith basically a lifetime contract I can’t see St. John’s offering the same type of sweet deal he has now. Unless he’s just totally fed up, my bet is he’s here until Radakovich finally cans him. Then he takes his buyout and goes back north.

Tim Tebow's Tears

March 23rd, 2010
12:16 pm

NA NA NA NAAAA NA NA NA NAAAA HEY HEY HEYYYY GOOODBYEEEEEE

Stinger

March 23rd, 2010
12:20 pm

I hear Fox is interested. He realizes he will never get any talent at UGA.

Tech Master

March 23rd, 2010
12:21 pm

The GT Ath Director is on his knees at this moment, praying that Hewitt will take another job, anywhere, to get him out of that disastrous contract with a 5 year auto rollover, and a $7 mil buyout! Maybe he can offer a mil to St. johns to take hewitt off his hands!

gtjet

March 23rd, 2010
12:21 pm

For all you idiots who think Tech fans are whining about Hewitt, stick to the facts. Go look at where they finished in team turnovers, team foul shooting, and team assists. If you like the answer then you are right and we are whiners. If not, combine it with the fact that these are team stats and not individual stats, and you have to say it falls on the coach. As for Tech fans, thinking the team is better than it is, that’s BS. Under Cremins, Tech was always relevant in the ACC. Sure we lost to Duke and Carolina, but we wouldn’t have been losing (year in and year out) to VT, FSU and Miami. Hewitt has made the program irrelevant and the product on the court is unwatchable, regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard. I challenge folks to name one of Hewitt’s teams (and when I say team, I mean the team on the court, not on the bench). His line-ups are less stable than my mother-inlaw. No continuity means no leaders. When the game was on the line, who was on the court, who was the defensive stopper, who did you want shooting, and whose hands did you want the ball in? You can’t name one of these. Time to replace the politician with a coach.

O'Brien

March 23rd, 2010
12:21 pm

The same way Hewitt’s teams would tease us with what might be, I think this is also just a tease. I dont see Hewitt going anywhere unless he is fired. And then he can take his $7 mil buyout, and go get another job.

This just reinforces that I dont know what Tech was thinking at the time they gave him the rollover contract. At that time, he had 1 great year, so there was no reason for a 5 or 6 year rollover. I would have preferred if they just gave him a higher yearly salary, or a buyout. Anything but a rollover would have been better.

If Hewiit was to leave, would the Butler coach be a good choice? Aren’t they consistently in the big dance, and they beat some major conference teams…

I hope Tech is doing all they can to let him know that he is no longer wanted…

southbendjacket

March 23rd, 2010
12:22 pm

Thank you to those who brought up the Dora reference. Very creative and funny.

To PaulHewitt Fan: If you actually think Favors is leaving because of the officiating, you have lost your mind. He’s going for the MILLIONS of dollars he will get as a lottery pick. Done. End of argument!!!!

Tom

March 23rd, 2010
12:23 pm

If you all are excited about the prospect of Coach Hewitt leaving, it might not be a very good idea to blast him. My guess is that people in New York can read. Why not go the complimentary route-he’s a good recruiter, cares about his players, nice person, etc.

UGAissolastyear

March 23rd, 2010
12:24 pm

Pls!!! I hope this is true. Pls take the job Paul!!!!

Don

March 23rd, 2010
12:25 pm

It I was Rad, not only would I waive the $3.5 million buyout, if necessary I’d offer Hewitt a million or two in severance pay to make a St. John’s offer more attractive. And if Rad somehow gets lucky enough to have somebody buy Hewitt out of a 7 year rollover contract, he should head immediately to Vegas for a gambling binge while he has a hot hand.

Jason

March 23rd, 2010
12:25 pm

Hewitt wouldn’t be able to take the cyber bullying in NYC.

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
12:25 pm

Paul Hewitt fan- want some cheese to go with that whine? Spare us the conspiracy theories even though all of us would admit the Dukies do always seem to get the calls. And as for the St Johns program being a better job than GT, how many decades ago are you referring to? I’m sure he will improve that ailing program with record turnovers, sorry free throw shooting, horrible substitutions, irrational timeouts, etc, etc. If basketball didn’t require any offense, Hewitt might not suck as bad as he does.

GT FAN

March 23rd, 2010
12:27 pm

Who do you guys want to see coach at GT. For all of you saying leave, who could GT replace him with? Also, it cost money to hire a new coach and GT does not have a lot of that laying around.

Just saying..

March 23rd, 2010
12:29 pm

Works for me.

Paul Johnson's Johnson

March 23rd, 2010
12:30 pm

Paul, Don’t let the door hitcha’ where the good lord splitcha’

Bring on Mark Price!

Bob

March 23rd, 2010
12:31 pm

Al fin, no mas mierda de esta negrito que no sirve nada.

SANFORD STADIUM IS A DUMP

March 23rd, 2010
12:31 pm

Please go to st. johns hewitt….please

SANFORD STADIUM IS A DUMP

March 23rd, 2010
12:32 pm

hey i was the first to post on here to hire mark price…dont steal my thunder…lol

captain Midnight.

March 23rd, 2010
12:33 pm

Let Hewett go and bring Bobby Cremens back. NOW NOW NOW

Hewitt is a Joke

March 23rd, 2010
12:35 pm

well said gtjet- the facts are indisputable. Quite the legacy Hewitt will leave at GT if he takes the St Johns job, similar to that of a steaming upper decker.

UGAissolastyear

March 23rd, 2010
12:35 pm

GTFan – anybody would be better than Hewitt. Change is good! It will rejuvenate the fan base and give us a sense of optimism. You are optimistic toward Hewitt? If so, you have no clue about basketball!

Lunatic Fringe

March 23rd, 2010
12:36 pm

I would like them to look at Lon Kruger from UNLV–has been good in college, and knows the area from his Hawks days.

Frontman

March 23rd, 2010
12:36 pm

Enough about the problems with one-and-done’s, OK? We have only had 4 one-and-dones since Coach Hewitt has been here. The problem is that we have done practically nothing with that one-and-done talent. Counting Bosh, Young, Crittendon, and Favors (assuming he’s leaving), our combined NCAA tournament record in those years is 1-2. That’s simply not enough bang for the buck in getting one-and-dones. So the problem is not that we have gotten them – it’s that we didn’t do anything with them. That’s the only reasonable argument against it for this regime (and it’s a good one). If we had been to 2 Final 8’s and one Final Four with a one-and-done, I think most fans would be all for it.

Ron Jirsa

March 23rd, 2010
12:36 pm

Tubby might be a good pick IF he doesn’t have any more sons that want to play point guard. Anyway – HELLO PEOPLE!! I’m available, and so is Jim Harrick!

Buzz

March 23rd, 2010
12:37 pm

People…. Do you REALLY think Hewitt would leave this gravy train contract he has here at Tech??? HELL NO!!! If he left he would actually have to worry about his job each year and figure out a way to coach. With his current contract he is basically UNTOUCHABLE!!!! I would help him pack!!! Maybe Tech should throw in 3.5 million for him to leave!!!

Paul Johnson's Johnson

March 23rd, 2010
12:38 pm

Mark Price and Craig Neal as assistant…..Actually I have know idea what Craig Neal is up to, but anything is better than Blewitt!!

Mark

March 23rd, 2010
12:40 pm

Tubby – Interesting and he certainly knows how to motivate a team.
My hope is that DRad gets on a plane to Albuquerque and pays a visit to Steve Alford. If he can get Nex Mexico to a Number 3 seed after getting run out of Iowa, just think what he might do with the Tech players that don’t jump to the NBA.

Mark Bradley

March 23rd, 2010
12:42 pm

Craig Neal is Alford’s No. 1 assistant at New Mexico.

[...] full potential. The only reason Tech keeps him is because of the 7 million he gets if he's fired. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Paul Hewitt to St. John's? The comments are great, only ones in favor of him staying are from Georgia fans. Last edited [...]

old dawg

March 23rd, 2010
12:43 pm

You Tech fans never cease to amaze. You have a fine man, respectful, well spoken, great recruiter and you want him gone? So what if he can’t coach? He has certainly made the Ga-Ga Tech series competitive. I guess its the calculus and those tough academic standards that is the reason he can’t get any talent in that rat hole. Or maybe they are scared away by all the robberies around the campus. Or maybe you want Darrel Labarie as coach.

PaulieOldSchool

March 23rd, 2010
12:44 pm

This would be like manna from Heaven for GT. I’d think they’d cheerfully let him go: buy the ticket, pack his bags, & have 6 Tech football players carry him to Hartsfield.

GT FAN

March 23rd, 2010
12:44 pm

UGAissolastyear – I played basketball for college and I like the GT team. I do not mind Hewitt. At some point the players have to be responsible for their actions. Hewitt might not be the best coach but I can think of a lot of coaches that are worse than he is.

BravesFan79

March 23rd, 2010
12:44 pm

Im not the biggest Hewitt supporter, personally i think he would be alot better if he let go of his pride and hired 1 good ex coach as his main assistant.

BUT… everyone talking about “Good, fundamental, TEAM basketball” think about this: Isnt that what Texas Tech had under Bob Knight? Isnt that what VT had this year? Isnt that what teams like Saint Marys have everyyear? But how FAR do those teams go in the tourney??
With Hewitt its a double edge sword, once every 5 years or so he will put together a team capable of winning it ALL on talent alone. But in the off years we suffer thru terrible confrence records.

GT IS NOW A 6TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM

March 23rd, 2010
12:45 pm

PAUL HEWITT SAYS ” FIRE ALL THOSE JELLO JOCKITCH FANS.” HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAA

Mark

March 23rd, 2010
12:46 pm

Mark Bradley – Having “Noodles” Neal back at the Flats would get my to up my season ticket package.

GIVE ME A BREAK

March 23rd, 2010
12:47 pm

Turning the ball over displays a total lack of discipline which is the responsibility of the coach. Good bye.

UGAissolastyear

March 23rd, 2010
12:48 pm

He recruits these players fool. He knows how they play, knows how they shoot free throws, knows how they turnover the ball (constantly). If he doesn’t or didn’t, then he really isn’t all that good or prepared. Good riddance to Paul and to his supporters (you)!!!

JOhn

March 23rd, 2010
12:49 pm

Paulie Walnuts — we will miss you soooooooooooooooo much, but we will understand if you do what is best for you. Please go.

Yurtle_the_turtle

March 23rd, 2010
12:51 pm

Paul Hewitt Fan…so games are won in the ACC by who is on the sidelines? Like, maybe, a coach??? So if Hewitt was a good coach, he would win some games? I’ll take that! You idiot.

GT_Fans_Suck

March 23rd, 2010
12:52 pm

You so called tech fans are some of the biggest morons on the face of the planet. I’m a 02 GT undergrad and have been a die hard tech fan. This guy took us to the national championship game in 2004. Idiots like “Nocoachblewitt” are exactly the reason why we suck as a fan base. He said in his post above that he has been on the anti-blewitt bandwagon since 2004 – the year we went to the national championship game…the year that we were supposed to finish #9 in the ACC alone. When I was in school, NOBODY went to basketball games – you could easily get a ticket for the Duke game before tipoff. Hewitt changed that. I am seriously starting to think that most GT fans are only good at one thing – being nerds. Fine, we had a disappointing season this year with a talented team, but they were a YOUNG team and young teams cause turnovers, miss freethrows, and most importantly – ARENT LEADERS. In 2004, we didn’t have the superstar talent, but we did have experience. Above all, if Hewitt did not take us to the ACC championship game and the second round of the NCAA tourney (after the terrible season that we had) I would not be posting this. But he did do those things and we lost to a very solid Ohio St team who is a legit contender for the final four if not the national championship. So again, all of you who think Hewitt should be kicked out, stab yourself with your pocket protector and snap back to reality. If we stood behind our coach/team, we may have a much better chance of winning – booing and doubting the coash during the season does not do anyone any good. I love GT but the fan base leaves much to be desired.

Careful what you wish for

March 23rd, 2010
12:53 pm

Say goodbye to recruits like Favors and Rice Jr.

SWATlantadolfan

March 23rd, 2010
12:53 pm

I’ll drive him to the Airport if needed.

UGAissolastyear

March 23rd, 2010
12:54 pm

Careful….ok, goodbye! This isn’t about players or GT – - – it is about the coach. Majority rules. Minority fools! He must for a renewed sense of optimism at GT.

BravesFan79

March 23rd, 2010
12:55 pm

it might take St Johns 5 + years, but i can see Hewitt leading them to a Final 4. Meanwhile what if we turn into another “sound” “fundamental” team like Virginia Tech/ Texas Tech
Would loosing within the first 2 rounds of the NCAA tourney EVERY year be better than having the talent once every 5 years to win it all?

Buzz

March 23rd, 2010
12:56 pm

GT FANS SUCK!!! YOUR AN idiot!!! Enough said!!!

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.

[...] 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. [...]

[...] 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.

wesleywhatwhat

March 23rd, 2010
2:35 pm

alford wouldn’t be a GREAT get but with a record of 152-106 at iowa (which is far from a basketball school) and 76-26 at new mexico, he’d be a step up from hewitt.

overall records:

alford 384-209
hewit 236-166

i’m not sold on mark price myself but i think radakovich would be silly to not sit down with him for an interview.

mark price would be a good choice imo

March 23rd, 2010
2:38 pm

first things first is to get rid of phew so we can out from underneath that albatross of a contract. the best scenerio is for st john’s to pony up a portion of the 3.5 mil buyout. what a turn around that would be eh?

personally i would look long an hard at mark price. when you compare the resume of phew 10 years ago vs the resume of mark price the only thing that phew has over mark is ’some head coaching experience’. how many years did he coach at sienna? 2-3? yet we signed an inexperienced phew as our coach. why not mark?

reasons why mark price would be a great hire…..

-he loves gt as does bobby (unlike phew)
-he played at gt (did phew even play bb ever?)
-he is a gt man
-he is a coaches son (phew stayed at the holiday inn express)
-his whole family has been involved with bb their entire lives
-he has been around the best coaching minds in the world (phew had coach raveling… lmao )
-he would come cheap and we could structure the contract to be insanely incentive laden (its a shame that phew had no incentive to win at gt)
-he is an nba all star
-he knows how to shoot field goals an free throws superbly and coaches that now.
-he wouldnt limit himself to recruiting only long tall athletic and black kids
-he would be able to recruit white blue chippers (phew couldnt recruit a white blue chipper to save his soul)
-he would be able to actually identify a good point guard prospect
-he would elevate the performance of our guard play. most would concur that the ncaa is guard driven. this is something phew could never do….. develop good guard play. this is evidenced by the pitiful numbers we have had wrt the to;ass ratio we have had for 10 years.
-he would not try to put round pegs into square holes
-he would get away from individual instruction an go more with team play.
-he has major name recognition
-his ego is no where near the size of our current coach’s ego.
-he knows more than just one offensive an one defensive strategy
-he cant be any softer than phew is now. our team’s play mimics phew to a T. unfocused, excuse laden. soft mentally. soft physically. LOW EXPECTATIONS!
-he knows what it takes to win an acc championship, to win more than one ncaa game, to play in the nba. (phew has none of that going for him)
-he would surround himself with talented assistants
-he has ever bit the reputation of being a good man that phew has an than some.
-he would help our graduation rate. it cant get any worse than it is now. we are AGAIN not in compliance with the ncaa an will probably lose more scholarships.
-he is not connected to the BCA and has no hidden agenda.
-he is not apt to want to coach anywhere else but at gt.

AND…

-he never disrespected the gt program like phew did a few years back by saying things that one would expect out of the mouth of dave “low expectations” braine. we are where we are as a program because it is phew’s vision of what gt can accomplish. to phew gt is a middle of the road program that had a hard time finding a coach until he was good enough to accept our offer even though he could have gotten more money elsewhere.

paul, you are such a nice guy for gracing us with your presence for all of these years. NOT!

reasons why mark price would NOT be a great hire…..

-no head coaching experience

i know i know, that is a biggie. i am sure there are other fine candidates out there who do have the right kind of experience but they cant match mark price wrt all the things he brings to the table. besides why NOT give mark a shot and see what happens. i can guarantee you that he will sign a contract for next to nothing to get the opportunity.

if he is successful ala paul johnson we can upgrade the contract without mortgaging the house. if he is NOT successful we can part ways a few years from now in no worse shape than if phew had stayed.

we will be losing gani, favors, bell, peacock and possibly schumpert . we will probably lose sheehan. we have recruited only ONE player this year. (sound familiar?) . we will be put on probation again for academic violations an possibly lose more scholarships. 2 of our starters in the front court will be red shirt freshmen. we have no other big men. we are NOT poised to have a great year next year imo.

imo even a mark price with NO head coaching experience is a huge upgrade over what we have now.

TomB

March 23rd, 2010
2:52 pm

Obviously that is what I meant Paul in RDU. Some of the players will transfer and Tech will allow them. Geez.

Hewitt is twittery awesomeness

March 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm

Shhhhh!

The Johnnies are reading this blog and the negative comments are causing the members of their boards to raise doubts on this.

Repeat after me…

Hewitt is GREAT! I’d hate to lose him. Let’s add another year to the perpetual rollover!

Hewitt is GREAT! I’d hate to lose him. Let’s add another year to the perpetual rollover!

Everybody!

TomB

March 23rd, 2010
2:59 pm

Hewitt is GREAT! I’d hate to lose him. Let’s add another year to the perpetual rollover! How’s that!

Buzzzed

March 23rd, 2010
3:03 pm

Hewitt is GREAT! I’d hate to lose him. Let’s add another year to the perpetual rollover!

Buzzzed

March 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm

Mark Price as head coach, Bobby Cremins as assistant head coach?Or whatever CPJ’esk hire DRad comes up with.

Charles Williams

March 23rd, 2010
3:08 pm

Let me get this straight now. A team goes from 12-19 to 23-13 without a point guard. Personally I think the arm-chair coaches who continue to villify Paul Hewitt need to open their eyes. If you really thought adding Derrick Favors was going to elicit more of an 11 game turnaround then maybe your expectations are out of whack. Tech plays outstanding defense. Not good defense, but outstanding defense. Yes, their offense is scary to look at sometimes but give Shump and Favors another year. Next year will be a better indicator of whether this team is underachieving or not. 12-19 to 23-13…..Just think about that

GTsupporter

March 23rd, 2010
3:27 pm

Perhaps seek a coach that’s an assistant coach from a strong Division 1 school. I’m sure their some young assistant coaches waiting to take GT to the next level. GT could sacrifice and steal a coach from another big school….Whoever comes to GT has to bring wins and a winning mentality.
No more being content with top notch talent with mediocre seasons!

uberVU - social comments

March 23rd, 2010
4:58 pm

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by ajc: St. John’s basketball interested in Tech’s Hewitt? That’s the word in NY. http://bit.ly/bRAQu3…

Reality World

March 23rd, 2010
5:37 pm

For getting this young team without a point guard to the second round of the NCAAs, Hewitt should be wearing a cape with a big S instead of a suit—that coaching job may be one of the best in the country! Hewitt deserves a fat raise and a huge bonus, or he will not be happy and may decide to take one of these big money jobs being offered. Tech better bump his salary up to $3 mil at least, to keep him happy.

Carl s.

March 23rd, 2010
10:08 pm

I am for keeping Hewitt. He is a class guy. Look at Calipari. His Memphis team in 2008/2009 had to erase the entire season. This is the kind of coach that the blow hards on this blog want.

The ACC is very tough and you all think that there is a Paul Johnson type out there who will play Cornell basketball. Dream on. Look at every team in the ACC. Only Duke and NC are consistent.

Tech is a very hard school to recruit for.

I am afraid that he will leave and he will turn around St. Johns and he will have the last laugh and I hope that he does.

Carl s.

March 23rd, 2010
10:13 pm

One more point. I suspect that most of the people positing to this article are white guys. Many of them want Mark P to come back and ressurect the GT glory years. jThat would be the kiss of death. But the wish will not die. And it shows their true colors.

Fred

March 23rd, 2010
10:15 pm

Hewitt is bad, but what about the Assistants. Other ACC teams have Assistants that have a track record and are credited with improving their team. The Assistants could be replaced with test dummies and we would not notice.

[...] For those who struggle with nuance, let me translate…”Get me the hell out of Atlanta.” (ht – Mark Bradley) [...]

[...] it’s Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt, who met with St. John’s athletic director Wayne Hogan late Tuesday to discuss his [...]