Hewitt is staying: Tech fans, how do you feel? UPDATED
Georgia Tech has now confirmed that Paul Hewitt has turned down St. John’s. Here’s the school’s official statement:
Georgia Tech head basketball coach Paul Hewitt said Thursday afternoon that he will remain at the Institute and is no longer a candidate for the head coaching position at St. John’s University.
Hewitt, 46, just completed his 10th season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets’ program, guiding Tech to a 23-13 overall record. The Jackets advance to the championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA Championship for the fifth time, where it defeated Oklahoma State in the first round before being eliminated by Ohio State.
“My family and I have developed deep ties to Georgia Tech and the city of Atlanta,” said Hewitt. “I strongly believe in what Georgia Tech can do for young people, and I am committed to returning the Tech basketball program to the level of success our fans have come to expect. We took a step in that direction this past season, and I fully intend to continue on that path.”
Hewitt, who has record of 177-144 at Georgia Tech, ranks third among active coaches in the ACC in games coached and fourth in career victories. He ranks 18th in career victories all-time. He has taken the Yellow Jackets to six post-season berths, including one NIT appearance, twice to the championship game of the ACC Tournament and the championship of the 2003 Preseason NIT.
“I think what has transpired over the last few days speaks volumes about Paul Hewitt and about Georgia Tech,” Tech director of athletics Dan Radakovich said. “Paul’s credentials as a human being, a family man, a leader and a builder of character are impeccable. All of us at Georgia Tech are committed to assist him in providing an outstanding men’s basketball program.”
If you’re a Tech fan, how do you feel? Relieved that your coach is staying? Disappointed that he’s staying?
My thoughts on what Hewitt staying would mean for him and Tech will be forthcoming, but I’d be obliged to hear yours. Thanks in advance.
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538 comments Add your comment
ramblinwreck0921
March 25th, 2010
3:23 pm
GOD dammit. I think he just stayed to make us all miserable.
Techman78
March 25th, 2010
3:24 pm
This sucks!! I think im gonna be sick. Finally thought we would get a new coach to ressurect the program, but no, the same old crap. Hewitt sucks. Its all about the money. When he blows it again next year and DRad finally fires him he wont have any school calling for his services. It wont matter though because he will just retire with his $7 million and laugh at Tech all the way to the bank. This is the worst day ive have since Tech got beat down in the Orange Bowl. I feel like im going to a funeral…
Dan
March 25th, 2010
3:24 pm
Because Hewitt did not turn St. Johns flat, as Coach K did with the Nets, this will be used against Coach Hewitt in recruiting by saying he has been looking to leave.
Since rcruiting is about the extent of Coach Hewitt’s skill set that is bad for Tech.
Hewitt staying is good news for the rest of the ACC.
Cremins - Do you Miss Me Yet
March 25th, 2010
3:24 pm
Hewitt will now need to recruit players and fans. He won’t see me in any seats next year. I choose to vote with my money and as an alumni the basketball program won’t be getting a dime.
JJ
March 25th, 2010
3:24 pm
Stick around Jesse. It’s funny how things change in college football, especially defenses. And don’t get me wrong, I am not down on coach Johnson. I am down on fickle fans.
todd
March 25th, 2010
3:25 pm
well next year will be another crap year with a missed tourney. no coach hewitt will lead this team back to the bottom of the acc. if i was rice and the other freshman, i would transfer.
GT45
March 25th, 2010
3:26 pm
Craig Neal would walk all the way to Atlanta for a shot at the coach’s job! Maybe we can bring back Cremin’s and make Neal the coach in waiting. Come on, guys. There has to be a way! Go Jackets-
The truth shall set you free...
March 25th, 2010
3:26 pm
And so it goes…every blogger seems to want him out of here. My my, no one complained when the contract was made. No one complained when we went to the final four. People forget that we play 25% of our conference games against the best programs (UNC and Duke) and play in undoubtedly the best conference in game. We will have 2 possibly 3 first round picks come June and one of the leaders in the BCA on our sidelines. Hewitt is a classy, well liked leader. We’ll be better next year and beyond because Hewitt stays.
Yurtle_the_turtle
March 25th, 2010
3:27 pm
Well in one week we get a crappy Healthcare Bill forced upon us (more taxes) and a crappy coach remains at GT. Can things get any worse?
Pi$$onaDAWG
March 25th, 2010
3:27 pm
Hewitt and Herrick the Biggest JOKE in Major College Basketball. One is a Coach that made it easy on Black players to pass a class and the other is a Coach that made it easy on Black players to get on TV to go to the NBA. COACH HEWITT do I need to TXT that to your TEAM or they all together being a TEAM? No they are not a TEAM they are CRAP living on the net and just showing-up
Born2Buzz
March 25th, 2010
3:29 pm
Well, 287 comments in just over 1-1/2 hours. What’s the tally Mark, 90-10 anti Hewitt.
I thought DRad was hoping he would go just so the contract from hell could go away.
I’ll say this, Hewitt was/is not a horrible coach. He is not a great coach. He is a mediocre coach, as witnessed by his overall record and his overall success in getting into and advancing in the NCAA tourney. I don’t think DRad tolerates mediocrity. If the trend continues another year or two Hewitt will be out the door now matter the buy out. I firmly believe he would have been out the door if the team hadn’t made the late season run to the dance. And let’s face it folks, in the end we did as well as every other ACC save Duke in the NCAA.
Well he is our coach, so I hope and pray that he can succeed. As much as folks like to think that next year will be a disaster with Lawal and Favors gone (probably) the cupboard is not bare. We have Rice, Mo Miller, Oliver, Udofia and Shumpert (presumably) all coming back. Plus Holsey and Daniel Miller who both red-shirted. I’ll support the program and hope for the best. If things go sour, we will all be back on here calling for CPH’s ouster…again.
Jesse Stone
March 25th, 2010
3:29 pm
JJ- when do fans lose the “fickle” label? CPH’s tenure minus the Final Four run has been abysmal.
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:29 pm
Tech prof, Dr Rice gave us 7 years of Bill Curry which somehow included 4 straight losses to Duke. Curry had one good year and Bama panicked and hired him while being investigated. He als hired our worst football coach Bill Lewis.
Neither Curry nor Lewis had the experience to produce.
Both terrible hires.
I’m not thrilled by this news but we have had plenty of mediocre coaches.
Where were all of you then?
Small Johnson
March 25th, 2010
3:30 pm
And its great to be a pencil pusher
And its great to be a slide rule holder
And its great to be a wanna bee loser
And its great to be a wanna bee contender
And its great to be a nobody program
Its just great to be a DRUNKEN TRAIN WRECK FROM GA TECH
BLHA HA HA HA AHA HA AH AHA AHA HA
FullMetalJacket
March 25th, 2010
3:30 pm
Apologize for neither your words or years, Prof! Your argument may be above the heads of some of the jock-sniffers here (though GT jock-sniffers are welcome of course), but you are right. It did need saying. And Paul Hewitt? Why, he just needs firing.
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:32 pm
Take away Ross’s NC year and what have you got?
Terrible is what.
Takeaway Bill Curry’s best year (9-2-1) and what have you got?
I’m afraid to check there but I will.
Hold on a minute.
Tech Fan
March 25th, 2010
3:32 pm
About Paul Hewitt:
(credit goes to various sources for some of these points)
1) In the last 5 years (including this year), he is 76-74. With all of the McDonalds All Americans and future NBA players, he is two games over .500 in all games, which include 8 or so each year against the likes of Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Winston Salem State.
2) In his entire 10 years, he is 26 games under .500 in regular season ACC games, and has only one season over .500 (9-7 in 2004).
3) In his entire 10 years, he has a winning record against 3 ACC schools and a losing record against the other 8.
4) He also has a losing record against mostly poor UGA teams.
5) “This seventh-seeded Tech team cannot dribble, cannot pass, cannot hit free throws, cannot exploit a massive size and talent advantage when it has one, cannot inbound the ball to save its life” – Pat Forde ESPN article that sums up our coach brillianty
6) TV commentators talking during the tourney saying things like, “This has to be one of the most talented teams in the country…they look like world beaters…this has to be the most sloppy and undisciplined basketball team we’ve seen this year…this team has to be very frustrating to watch for the Tech fans…”
7) Tech set a record for # of turnovers and missed free throws in the 57th ACC tourney, plus the announcers used the ineptness of simply getting the ball in bounds as a running joke on TV, embarrassing.
9) More national media, The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece showing how Hewitt is the WORST DEAL IN THE COUNTRY, which doesn’t even take into consideration his horrible golden roll-over. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690294088913675.html
It’s truely unfortunate that the admin have let it get to this point. They clearly are aware that blind loyalty turned to mass appathy turned to vocal majority long ago. They are telling us that we didn’t scream it enough yet. I love my Jackets, have NEVER spoke out against a coach, but this coach has to go, like 8 years ago….
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
**GO JACKETS…but…FIRE PAUL HEWITT!!!**
Small Johnson
March 25th, 2010
3:33 pm
COULD SOMEONE PLEASE PASS THE SLIDE RULE
IM STILL HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING OUT THIS WORD PROBLEM ON HOW TO BECOME A WINNER IN SPORTS
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2010
3:34 pm
I guess we’ll find out how good The Aspire Group really is huh?
Jesse Stone
March 25th, 2010
3:34 pm
Why do you need a slide rule for a word problem?
groundfog
March 25th, 2010
3:36 pm
Tthis is a travesty. Hewitt is a poor coach. Look at his acc record, his road record-that’s enough to get rid of him. John Kinkaid is an idiot.
GRRRRR
March 25th, 2010
3:36 pm
Sigh——-You know if I told my wife I was leaving I doubt she would take me back if I told the other woman no thanks. We should change the locks on the basketball dome. Maybe it’s time we Tech faithful start collecting $ to enhcourage Hewitt to reconsider. St John’s will take him still.
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:37 pm
Bill Curry is yelling at me not to do this but I’m going to channel ark Bradley for a moment.
Actual record 31-43-4 and a winning % of .423.
Pull away Curry’sbest year and we get 22-41-3 which is about .350.
That’s what happens when we play pull away best year.
And Bobby Ross?
Another minute.
GT2002
March 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
Yeah Stone, I am listening to him now and I am about to throw up. Has Kinkaid ever watched Tech play?
GT2002
March 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
I mean groundfog
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
Jackets2010,
Good points. A truer pciture would be to remove both the best season AND the worst season.
Pi$$onaDAWG
March 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
Mom told me this, “YOU DATE TRASH for the FUN FAST RIDE then You get off the TRASHY RIDE and you go with A WINNER that You can RESPECT and LOVE.” HEWITT the TRASHY RIDE is OVER LEAVE. Show the CLASS you say you have and JUST LEAVE.
Tech Bball Fan
March 25th, 2010
3:40 pm
This is the worst news possible for the future of Tech Basketball. This was probably our only shot to get out of his contract without losing $7+ million. I guess we’re in for another few years of underperforming teams. Its going to be interesting to see what the attendance at the games is like next year.
TechProf
March 25th, 2010
3:41 pm
As I clearly indicated I am not overly concerned with win-loss records. I am more concerned with the development of STUDENT-athletes and students in general. That is what I do. Unfortunately, it is supposed to be a part of what Coach Hewitt does also. I will be the first to concede that a coach who can not win sufficiently also loses credibility as a leader of student-athletes, a representative of the university, a source of revenue (for basketball and football only), and as a moral example. Dr. Rice emphasized the development of the “total person” and most of his hires held the same ideals. Coach Curry began his career rather slowly but built a solid and winning program. He never failed to positively influence the young men who played for him, and who graduated at a higher rate than any coaches’ players since Dodd. Coach Lewis was a good man but did not possess sufficient organizational or leadership skills for the head coaching job. Coach Ross provided a good blend of athletic and academic leadership to his players. YOu ask where I was? I was at the hiring of all these men, the resignation of the first and the last, and the forced resignation of Coach Lewis, whose firing I had recommended (and whose hiring I had opposed). Paul Hewitt does not resemble any of these men in their best and worst lights. But he has been a resounding failure in upholding the Georgia Institute of Technology’s ideals, regardless of what Mr. Radakovich says.
GT expectations
March 25th, 2010
3:42 pm
Where do GA Tech fans expect this team to be in the ACC? You will not be better than Duke or UNC on a consistent basis. The next tier of ACC teams are MD and Wake. Then Clemson, FSU, and BC. That’s where GA Tech hoops competes, in the third tier. You will be between 5th and 8th every year with occasional finishes in the top 4 and deep runs in the ACC tourney if you are lucky and . You seem to be kidding yourself if you think this team will ever contend regularly for the ACC title. Don’t think any coach could come in and have GT in the top 4 on a regular basis.
tom
March 25th, 2010
3:42 pm
great news for the rest of the ACC and bad news for GT / what a waste of a once GREAT program / constantly average / may be next year we can get our wish
Johnny Weissmuller
March 25th, 2010
3:42 pm
You clowns bashing hewitt just amaze me
Realistically, WHO could you get to come here to GT and be more successful than Hewitt???
Ofcourse he could’ve done better with the talent he had, but losing Hewitt at this point would mean a MAJOR MAJOR step backwards (like 5 years to recover from STEP BACKWARDS) for the GT BBall program
And if one of you idiots toss out a name like Calipari or Donovan or Bill Self or hell Coach K then you just should hit ‘control-alt-delete’ and click ’shut down’ because you’re kidding yourself
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:42 pm
Without his one good year, Bobby Ross was 20-26 including three straight losses to Duke.
Ross was 0-15 vs ACC football before finally beating Maryland and getting untracked.
Once untracked, he bolted to the pros after poorly advising Tech safety to play another year.
What a guy.
Thanks for the loyalty Bobby.
TomB
March 25th, 2010
3:43 pm
I agree completely TECHPROF. In light of GT’s academic stature and reputation it needed to be said. Thanks.
Bunchahomers
March 25th, 2010
3:45 pm
This is not the time or place to talk about your sexual disabilities.
BWAAAAH HA HA HHAHAHA H HAHAHA HAHAH A A AHAHA
What a
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:46 pm
Tom, Cremins was run off by angry alums who wanted more.
They blamed him also for one and done players.
The ugliness was worse than Hewitt’s sos far though maybe it will be matched.
I hope not.
Had Hewitt told Favors to go elsewhere, the exact same people screaming about one and done players would turn on a dime and scream the other way.
Hoop Fan
March 25th, 2010
3:46 pm
Having read your columns re: basketball for several years,I am convinced that you don’t know whether a basketball is blown up or stuffed.
groundfog
March 25th, 2010
3:48 pm
One season with a winning record in the ACCA-One!
Jesse Stone
March 25th, 2010
3:48 pm
GT expectations- You are incorrect. The current coach has turned this into a 3rd tier team. We are on par with Maryland and Wake. Any expectations lower than that are due to the current coach/gm
Jesse Stone
March 25th, 2010
3:49 pm
Weismuller- where did anyone mention seriously those names in regards to the Tech job?
Jesse Stone
March 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
Can’t everyone here agree on one thing? If not for the ridiculous contract, Hewitt would be fired. Paul Hewitt = Mike Jarvis.
Born2Buzz
March 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
GTProf, thanks for your words. Very insightful.
Gold & White
March 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
I absolutely knew there was no way he’d leave for St.Johns with a 7,000,000 dollar golden parachute at Georgia Tech. Why leave to a place with a much worse contract? Just hanging around at GT for them to fire him…and he collects a whopping 7 million!!! NOBODY….and I mean NOBODY has such a generous contract in NCAA basketball. Not even Coach K!!
Jack in Raleigh
March 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
If Coach has decided to stay, the honorable thing for him to do is to take a pay cut so GT can hire some better assistants to help him. When we are 3/4 into the season and the team looks like it has never practiced how to break a press or how to inbound the ball we have got problems. The other issue is let’s be honest Ian Sch is not a point guard. It would help our offense to play Ian on the wing so he can score more. Mo Miller is the best point guard on the team. Let him run with it. This seems to be a no brainer. If Coach cannot see that we also have problems. Mo was player of the game against MD in the ACC tourn. and after that he was used sparingly. Go figure.
groundfog
March 25th, 2010
3:52 pm
Johnny-how many ACC tournaments has Hewitt won? none
How many ACC regular seasons did they finish on top? none
Bobby Cremins won 3 ACC tournments, twice finsihed atop the ACC. coach of the year 3 times. Hewitt could not hold Cremin’s jock. Bobby set the standard of Tech basketball and Hewitt has lowered it.
TechProf
March 25th, 2010
3:53 pm
I appreciate your energy and vigor, Mr. Jackets2010. I wonder if that is your class year or just a temporal reference to the present? My class year goes back quite a few decades when I took my degree at the Institute. After earning graduate degrees from another quality university I returned to Georgia Tech to teach because I love it here. I can not blame Coach Hewitt for not wanting to go. I do not see the logic of comparing Coaches Curry, Lewis, and Ross to Coach Hewitt, but as I previously said, there are other factors besides wins and losses to consider. If you do choose to compare them then please see it from my perspective, which is all I am promoting here. I would still contend that the three football coaches from several decades ago that you mentioned were far better in executing the academic portion of their leadership responsibilities than Coach Hewitt. This is evident not only in the empirical data of classroom and graduation performance rates, but also in the subjective evaluations and comments of the players who grew up and developed under their guidance. Further evidence is the success of so many of them. Bless you for being a Tech supporter and for caring passionately about the Institute, the teams, and even the staff, which includes Coach Hewitt and myself. But please see, too, that Coach Hewitt has academic responsibilities as well as athletic ones. His achievements on the court are debatable, as seen on this site. Sadly, his failure as an academic leader is indefensible.
Jackets2010
March 25th, 2010
3:53 pm
Tech prof
I hate what the NBA has done to college basketball.
The football coaches you name did not have to worry about the one and done basketball produces.
Coach K has had a few of them too as Mark has pointed out.
I recall a big problem during Gailey’s first year and a number of players having to drop out for academics reasons.
O’Leary grad rate was not good either, the AJC pointed out one time.
Hewittstinks
March 25th, 2010
3:54 pm
I am extremely disappointed in his decision to stay. Braine’s actions continue to haunt Tech. I’m still amazed St. John’s was dumb enough to actually make him an offer.
groundfog
March 25th, 2010
3:55 pm
DRAD, I’ll be happy to donate to buyout Hewitt’s contract next year after Tech sucks and fails to make even the NIT. See ya then
collegeballfan
March 25th, 2010
3:55 pm
You guys did not seriously think he would leave did you?
A lot of Tech basketball fans are like UGA football fans, you think you have a national championship program. In fact both Tech basketball and UGA football are middle of the pack programs. You both need to learn to live with it. You are what you are.
I do not like the way Hewitt coaches offense. Other than that I have no problem with Hewitt. I am looking forward to next year, 3 big guys in the 4 & 5 slots and 6 solid perimeter players. Should be another
season with 20 plus wins.