Countdown to Hewitt's Next Longevity Bonus

[gmutom]

If I was Edwards and Cabrera, I'd approach Hewitt in the next few weeks and ask him to resign gracefully at the end of season. Let him make a statement or even hold a press conference explaining why he's "stepping down."

In exchange for us allowing him to retire rather than being fired, Hewitt will agree to receiving his $85,000 on March 1 but only half of his salary for next year. It saves us a lot of money, and it allows him to walk away with his chin up since it was supposedly his decision.

Sure, it will be tough to pay the stay bonus and half of his salary next year, but it sure beats the alternative of paying his entire salary after firing him.

 

[p8triotfan4life]

dream on Tom. the only way that scenario would unfold would be if TOC came out and publicly apologize for letting Coach L walk away and blame himself for the epic failure of the past 4 years.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

If I was Edwards and Cabrera, I'd approach Hewitt in the next few weeks and ask him to resign gracefully at the end of season. Let him make a statement or even hold a press conference explaining why he's "stepping down."

In exchange for us allowing him to retire rather than being fired, Hewitt will agree to receiving his $85,000 on March 1 but only half of his salary for next year. Settling saves us a lot of money, and it allows him to walk away with his chin up since it was supposedly his decision.

Sure, it will be tough to pay the stay bonus and half of his salary next year, but it sure beats the alternative of paying his entire salary after firing him.

That was my thinking to. I would love to see it.

 

[gmutom]

dream on Tom. the only way that scenario would unfold would be if TOC came out and publicly apologize for letting Coach L walk away and blame himself for the epic failure of the past 4 years.

Huh? TOC is long gone and has nothing whatsoever to do with how the current AD tries to dig us out of the mess he got us into. I get your need to vent, but there is no correlation at all to your comments and my suggestion of how we get out of this.

 

[Vurbel]

If I was Edwards and Cabrera, I'd approach Hewitt in the next few weeks and ask him to resign gracefully at the end of season. Let him make a statement or even hold a press conference explaining why he's "stepping down."

In exchange for us allowing him to retire rather than being fired, Hewitt will agree to receiving his $85,000 on March 1 but only half of his salary for next year. Settling saves us a lot of money, and it allows him to walk away with his chin up since it was supposedly his decision.

Sure, it will be tough to pay the stay bonus and half of his salary next year, but it sure beats the alternative of paying his entire salary after firing him.

Why do I really think Hewitt doesn't care about resigning gracefully? He'd rather have the money. It's not like he's going to get another coaching job. Unless Marymount or UMBC come calling.

 

[GMUSig03]

Firing Hewitt before the end of the season would have ZERO impact on our reputation. He has been terrible for 3 years, and this year he is even worse. Candidates for the next coaching job are likely to have solid ego's and aren't going to think they are going to perform as poorly as Hewitt, thus they won't be concerned he was fired 2 weeks before the end of the season. The whole argument against firing him to preserve our reputation is a complete red-herring.

 

[Pablo]

Firing Hewitt before the end of the season would have ZERO impact on our reputation. He has been terrible for 3 years, and this year he is even worse. Candidates for the next coaching job are likely to have solid ego's and aren't going to think they are going to perform as poorly as Hewitt, thus they won't be concerned he was fired 2 weeks before the end of the season. The whole argument against firing him to preserve our reputation is a complete red-herring.

So, do you believe that Coach Hewitt will be fired before March 1? If not, then why?

 

[JamesMason]

Forget the $85K, doesn't GMU owe him a years salary if he's fired before his contract maturity date?

 

[Pablo]

Forget the $85K, doesn't GMU owe him a years salary if he's fired before his contract maturity date?

Yes, he's owed the remaining base salary on his contract.

 

[wijg]

Forget the $85K, doesn't GMU owe him a years salary if he's fired before his contract maturity date?

Mason owes him that regardless of whether he is fired or not. The only thing that makes a difference is if he is fired before March 1, then Mason saves $85k.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I don't think any coaching candidates are going to be scared off by a first-year AD firing a coach midseason when it's a coach he didn't hire and the performance has been so terrible. If Hewitt was near .500, you'd have to let it play out. But we're 7-15 and heading for the bottom.

 

[Washingtonian]

I don't think any coaching candidates are going to be scared off by a first-year AD firing a coach midseason when it's a coach he didn't hire and the performance has been so terrible. If Hewitt was near .500, you'd have to let it play out. But we're 7-15 and heading for the bottom.

We would have to win out and win one game in Brooklyn to get above .500.

 

[99 Patriot]

We're talking about less than the cost of hosting the CBI Finals. Big picture, who cares? TOC is probably making more than this as a "consultant" to the university. I have a lot of trouble getting worked up over this relatively small amount in the grand scheme of things.

I think Hewitt should be let go the day after our A-10 tournament loss with a typo-filled press release that has Edwards and Cabrera thanking him for his dedication and service and wishing he'd have been able to find more success.

 

[Vurbel]

I don't think any coaching candidates are going to be scared off by a first-year AD firing a coach midseason when it's a coach he didn't hire and the performance has been so terrible. If Hewitt was near .500, you'd have to let it play out. But we're 7-15 and heading for the bottom.

11 wins last year, we'll be lucky to get double digits this year. Seems like a no brainer.

 

[JamesMason]

Mason owes him that regardless of whether he is fired or not. The only thing that makes a difference is if he is fired before March 1, then Mason saves $85k.

Yeah but they'd have a new coach they have to pay salary as well. Not sure why you guys are seeing this bonus as a make or break thing financial issue.

 

[Pablo]

11 wins last year, we'll be lucky to get double digits this year. Seems like a no brainer.

So, who actually believes that Hewitt will be fired before March 1?

 

[GSII]

85k is prob what the vcu fans bought in tickets in fairfax. (4000 tix times 25 bucks is 100k) Or an extra home game. This is not a big amount of money. Has no barring on anything.

 

[wijg]

Yeah but they'd have a new coach they have to pay salary as well. Not sure why you guys are seeing this bonus as a make or break thing financial issue.

You are missing the premise. The premise was this:
IF he is fired at the end of the season. It is not a debate over whether he should be fired, it is, IF you are going to fire him at the end of the season, should it be done now to save the $85k.

 

[wijg]

I'll be accepting $85k donations from all those who think it is not a big amount of money.

 

[gmujim92]

Since we're a state school, I think we look far, far worse if Cabrera lets Hewitt pocket $85K knowing he's a goner less than two weeks later.

The money may not seem significant in the grand scheme of things, but the message you send by knowingly pissing $85K in taxpayer funds down your left leg is not one a public institution should be making.

It's a principle thing with me. If Hewitt had done enough to merit waiting until the end of the season to consider his fate, and there was still a reasonable justification for bringing him back, then obviously you eat the $85K as one of the costs of doing business.

The fact that he is so obviously just coaching out the string makes it completely different in my book. Everybody knows what's coming. Just make the call already.