Tech grants permission: St. John’s can speak with Hewitt
Paul Hewitt: Is he headed back to New York, New York? (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich has given St. John’s permission to speak with Paul Hewitt about its coaching vacancy. The request from Red Storm athletics director Chris Monasch was received at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to Wayne Hogan, Tech’s associate AD for communications.
St. John’s fired coach Norm Roberts last week. It had targeted Hewitt, who grew up in Queens, after Hewitt led Tech to the 2004 Final Four. He chose instead to sign the now-famous perpetual rollover contract and stay at Tech.
Reports in the New York media have identified Hewitt as one of the names atop the Red Storm’s list.
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194 comments Add your comment
SMITTYSTHEMAN
March 23rd, 2010
2:36 pm
What a perfect win-win scenario this could turn out to be. Hewitt knows it’s just a matter of time at GT. If DRad is willing to pay out millions to Gailey (although not near as much Hewitt’s buyout would be), I feel confident he would pull the same trigger with the unrest that’s sure to continue with Hewitt. DRad could negotiate the $3.5 million that Hewitt would owe if he leaves and then also be out from under the ludicrous rollover and the $7.1 million buyout that Braine left Tech with. And Hewitt could start fresh back in his home state in a lowly program that he could rebuild and make even more money than he makes at Tech. Sounds like a winner to me !!
Recruit Considering Tech
March 23rd, 2010
2:36 pm
The reactions coming from the Tech fans, sure does make me re-evaluate things. Are these the people that I may be playing in front of.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:37 pm
Tool’s Gold: Clearly you have not seen the carnage on Athens sidewalks after a Saturday night: it’s almost as bad as the UGA campus after a home football game. The two Tech alum fighter pilots, Lt. Cmdrs Fryman and Condon, are not to be confused with the two UGA cropdusters who crashed their biplanes into the UGA library last year during midterms, obliterating both books and injuring two souls, the janitor and the librarian. Of course you wouldn’t remember either event, as you were probably among the passed out wretched refuse face down on the sidewalks as the UGA athlete swerved and wove his Vespa down the way.
Hey Buzz
March 23rd, 2010
2:38 pm
Where is the Dobbins runway? Huh???
Maverick and Cougar they ain’t. Try DUMB and DUMBER.
Both are now pumping jet fuel and BUSTED in the desert. A tech career for sure.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:39 pm
Fool’s Tool: One more point. The Tech and Wake fans were never in danger since Tech men were at the controls. However, this year in Sanford Cesspool, if you see a couple of F-18’s coming in low over the horizon, I’d suggest you and your fellow bullpups hunker down and kiss your painted a$$es goodbye.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:40 pm
Simply put, our transgressions are much cooler than yours.
Intelligent 5-star Recruit
March 23rd, 2010
2:43 pm
Thank goodness I can add Georgia Tech to my list of potential destinations, along with Duke, Wake, Stanford, & Vanderbilt. Now that Hewitt is gone, I might actually get recruited.
T3
March 23rd, 2010
2:47 pm
I have not been disappinted in ANY of the decisions D-Rad has made since he arrived at GT.
I dont think I’ll be disappointed with what comes next for the BBall program.
FUGA
March 23rd, 2010
2:50 pm
One name for ya dawg fans: Jim (How many points in a 3pt basket) Herrick.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:51 pm
Setting the precedent of completely waiving a multimillion dollar buyout creates complications for future contracts and terminations/defections…and we know there will always be more. As a matter of principle, Georgia Tech and its agent, Radakovich, can hardly be expected to completely ignore the buyout since it is generally accepted that the new employer (St. Johns, hopefully) would be paying for a buyout whoever they employ. As a matter of pride and propriety, Tech would not advertise publicly that they are happy to get rid of Hewitt and thereby admit the folly of the contract in the first place, even though most of us are well aware of it. Legally, Tech could do whatever it wishes with the buyout, probably, unless there are administrative guidelines concerning the negotiation of such items. Radakovich has great latitude and the confidence of the Institute, I would imagine, but not absolute carte blanche in potentially turning away money.
T3
March 23rd, 2010
2:52 pm
Take it to the Bank. Hewitt’s gone.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:53 pm
Whoever the new coach would be, he would generate more positive excitement and interest in the program. As it stands, there is more apathy and anger than anything else in regards to GTBB.
StingerSplash
March 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm
I’ve met Hewitt and he’s been affable and cordial.
But I won’t be sad to see him depart, either. This could not be working out better for Dan Radakovich. He has an unhappy fan base and a millstone of contract around his neck with Hewitt’s automatic rollover and $7M buyout. It will be interesting to see who Tech tries to contact to fill the position, should St. John’s and Coach Hewitt come to terms (and as a very smart man who knows a little something about these things once told me, if they’re asking for formal permission to speak, all that’s left to iron out a few contract details).
I don’t think D-Rad will have to beat the bushes to find a good candidate. They’ll be lining up pretty fast at his door. Maybe not them themselves, but their agents or representatives or another third party.
GT
March 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm
How can St. John’s or why would they pay him what we are paying him. Hewitt is tied into the best contract he can get and about 4 times what he is worth. Now next year and probably the next after that will be torture, it may even destroy Tech basketball but why should that bother him. If he is smart he will close his ears and sit-down like a donkey and wait for a pile of cash to get rid of him. He reminds me of one of those trophy wives that got fat on us, and now we wish we still had the old one back. The second wife has her own accountant and she is figuring out how much the old man is worth, and she ain’t leaving till she gets hers. You have got to feel sorry for Dan Radakovich having to deal with another man’s laundry and another man’s scale of achievable goals that he is stuck with and his budget having to honor.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
2:55 pm
Even if we hired Mark Price’s dog we would at least be interested in seeing whether or not he could coach his team to execute an inbounds play any less effectively than Hewitt.
Gordon
March 23rd, 2010
2:56 pm
FullMetalJacket,
I respect your opinion, but these are not normal circumstances. We can fool around with precedent, propriety, and principle, or we can end this nightmare of a contract. Schools and coaches all the time say they want to go in a new direction, and in this case it is both parties. Both Tech and Hewitt want and need a fresh start.
Jeffrey
March 23rd, 2010
2:59 pm
Take him, and take him now!
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:01 pm
GT: St Johns is on a crusade to rejuvenate their “storied” basketball program and they have already tried to pay Donovan 3+ Million a year. They view Hewitt as the NYC prodigal kid coming back with his charm, his smile, his social agenda, and his NY connections to save their program. According to their blogs, he is most of the fans second choice after Donovan, who has already turned them down, reportedly. No one doubts that Hewitt can talk a good game and exude charisma and charm initially, so I am hopeful he can land the job. If he can get more than 7.5M over five years (the approx. value of his Tech contract), and he realizes the tenor of Tech fans’ disappointment, then he would be wise to take it. It might even work out for St Johns too.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:03 pm
Gordo, I agree completely that we should waive the buyout, pay for his plane ticket, buy his house from him, and give him a nice parting gift to boot….all of which would be cheaper than firing him at a later date. My experience in dealing with contracts (not athletic contracts, obviously) just tells me that Tech will make sure they get rid of him, but still negotiate for something. St Johns would be wise to pay something also, lest they send the message to their fans that Hewitt is basically our castoff.
Paul in RDU
March 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm
Mark – I agree with you that CPH may end up with a tough decision to make. IF (and that’s a big IF) St. John’s make him an offer at an annual salary above his current one, I expect him to talk to DRad about the buyout and eventually for him to leave for NYC. I seriously doubt that “losing” his autorenewing contract will stop him – he’d get at least 4 years going in at St. John’s, be welcomed with open arms (local boy coming home) and be given a grace period of a few years.
I should ask my parish priest what he thinks – he was president of Siena when Hewitt was there.
Larry Bird's son
March 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm
Maybe there is a chance I might get recruited by Tech now. I averaged 27 points and 12 boards last season but coach Hewitt said I didn’t fit his mold of a basketball player. Then he was off to another Black Coaches Association meeting.
St. John’s given permission to talk to Paul Hewitt « the east coast bias
March 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm
[...] March 23, 2010 picodulce Leave a comment Go to comments The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports: Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich has given St. John’s permission to speak with [...]
Alex
March 23rd, 2010
3:05 pm
With our luck, Hewitt’s cab driver will commit an “unforced turnover” and miss the offramp to Hartsfield. Then Paul will run around aimlessly at the boarding gate until the clock runs out and he misses his flight. Finally, Hewitt will hold a press conference and blame the “youth” of his cab driver and gate agent for his failure to get to New York.
Calvin21
March 23rd, 2010
3:05 pm
They can have him! Let Paul Johnson coach the basketball team!
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:08 pm
If Tech appears too eager to give up Hewitt it hurts Hewitt in his next job, hurts Tech financially, hurts his future employer who must convince their fans that they hired a worthy coach. One man’s pariah is another man’s savior, but it would be awfully hard for Radakovich to keep a straight face as he announces “We’d like to thank Paul Hewitt for all he has done for our student-athletes and basketball program over the years…” after he’d basically paid St Johns to take him off our hands.
St. John
March 23rd, 2010
3:11 pm
From my perspective, I would not want a coach I did not have to pay a buyout for. By the same token, I wouldn’t object to getting a good deal on the buyout given the state of the economy and the price of housing here in NYC for Saints. You should see the dump Peter and Paul are sharing over in Queens.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 23rd, 2010
3:11 pm
Any way we can package Iman with this deal???
NoCoach Blewitt
March 23rd, 2010
3:12 pm
FMJ …. I agree about DRAD trying to maintain a straight face when he finally gets that call … Gotta be nearly impossible
St. John
March 23rd, 2010
3:12 pm
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Augustine can get us a break on Master’s tickets this year, since it appears that St. Tiger will re-emerge there.
St. John
March 23rd, 2010
3:14 pm
OF course, Bernadette is all ticked off because they won’t let her join there at Augusta National…but not as ticked off as she was when Tiger hit on her.
St. John
March 23rd, 2010
3:15 pm
Alex, I’ll talk to Francis about getting together some livestock to make sure that Hewitt and all his possessions get to New York somehow or another, despite himself.
St. John
March 23rd, 2010
3:16 pm
How did get to be the patron saint of basketball anyhow? I’m a rugby man….off with their heads! and all that rot.
Mark
March 23rd, 2010
3:17 pm
I know a lot of my fellow posters are really down on the program and the prospects for the future, but I believe that there would be a large number of current big-time coaches who would like to get the contract that Hewitt has. It wouldn’t add any more costs to the athletic department budget to offer the same to someone else especially if St. John’s is willing to pay Hewitt’s part of the buyout. Might end up being a very competitive hiring process.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:18 pm
Radakovich is bouncing around his office like a superball on steroids right now in anticipation of his deliverance.
Gordon
March 23rd, 2010
3:22 pm
Mark,
There is NO way that Radakovich is going to put Tech in this position again. No automatic rollovers, at least without a performance clause. Hewitt’s contract would have been fine if he had to get into the NCAA for it to roll over. If he had done it every year, we would owe him what we do now but no one would be complaining. As it turned out, we would have only owed him 2 years at this point.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:23 pm
Jacket fan that I am, I still think that objectively the Tech job is attractive to many coaches on several counts. It would be a mistake to offer the same contract we hopefully are about to escape, however. Better to pay more annually, but no more automatic 5-year rollovers and self-destructive payouts. Tech is in the ACC, in a major city and recruiting hub, is getting even better facilities ($30M worth of renovation), a top-shelf AD, and a respectable (albeit not elite) modern history in basketball. They should be able to lure a good coach, and for financial reasons they may go after a younger coach or one from a smaller school (hopefully not Siena however, haha).
NoCoach Blewitt
March 23rd, 2010
3:23 pm
FMJ …. heck I am too … It is hard to try to remain calm and not get my hopes WAY up right now
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:24 pm
Gordon, I agree re: not repeating mistakes of the past. I think the omission of milestones and performance metrics in the previous contract was the single biggest problem with it. Bonuses make more sense than guarantees.
oldfart
March 23rd, 2010
3:26 pm
Fool’s Gold – “Since 1967 tech averages 4.5 years and gone with football coaches and that includes Bobby Dodd.”
UGA degree? Bobby Dodd retired in 1967 so how can your stat include him? He was the head coach from 1945-1967 which if I remember my math is 22 years and would greatly skew your numbers. Apt name btw.
GT is a joke
March 23rd, 2010
3:26 pm
I hope Hewitt stays because he is a terrible coach! Keep GT down Hewitt, so UGA basketball can rise under Mark Fox!
BuzzBelle
March 23rd, 2010
3:27 pm
COACH MARK PRICE!
St. Christopher
March 23rd, 2010
3:28 pm
St. John, you might want to talk to Bobby Jones up there to hook you up with Masters tickets. You can find him in that throne where God sits when Bobby is out on the links.
85' Bears
March 23rd, 2010
3:30 pm
We need Tubby Smith or Jamie Dixon. Come on alums open the checkbooks and donate!!
St. Christopher
March 23rd, 2010
3:31 pm
oldfart: Fool’s Tool should be forgiven for his poor math skills. He used to be able to count to 20, even to 21 when he was naked, until he had that little (very little) scooter accident while drunk on the sidewalks of Athens. Now he can just count to 20 even when he is naked.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:34 pm
Can anyone here please give me Mark Price’s coaching resume? I wasn’t aware he had much of one. I consider him the greatest Tech player ever, but I would need to see some coaching credentials and success before handing him the keys to the Ramblin Wreck. No way we want Tubby Smith or that he would come…we couldn’t afford him and I question his effectiveness now. D-Rad will go with a young, rising star, I think.
GA Tech Insider
March 23rd, 2010
3:35 pm
If this mess can get cleared from his desk and he can start fresh, I can assure you, “Lifetime” contracts that automatically rollover, and have huge payoffs if a coach is fired by GA Tech, will never see the light of day by DRad.
It’s not about how the team is playing as to whether the buyout would be waived; it’s all about the money, and how the current contract is structured. Regardless of whether DRad and Paul are happy or unhappy, if Paul wants to go, I can assure you, it will be made quite easy for him to head up north to take the new job.
It’s not personal, or even professional at this point, it’s all business.
T.O.
March 23rd, 2010
3:37 pm
I wonder does Russ the temporary mascot have any opinions on this subject?
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2010
3:37 pm
Craig Neal has more coaching experience and success than Price, but he has never been a head coach. Neal’s boss, Steve Alford at UNM might be a consideration, bringing a little Knight-esque discipline to bear, if he is enticed by the ACC possibilities.
Mark Fox
March 23rd, 2010
3:39 pm
I hear that Dennis Felton is available should Paul leave for NYC.
RussthePaintedMascot
March 23rd, 2010
3:39 pm
As long as they don’t try to paint my a$$ white and gold I’ll be happy with whoever they bring in.