Countdown to Hewitt's Next Longevity Bonus

[GMUgemini]

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.

And let's also keep in mind that we can't really interview candidates if they're teams are still playing in the NCAA tournament.

So the question is, what real benefit is there in "getting a jump on the coaching search?"

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.

When your annual household budget surpasses $900 million, I'll give you 85,000. Deal?

 

[Pablo]

In the "Countdown to the End of the Coach Hewitt Era", I stated my assumption that Mason will fire Hewitt immediately after its defeat in the A10 tourney, if not sooner. Now I'm questioning this assumption. I'm not saying that he won't be fired, but I don't think it will happen as quickly as I once believed (and certainly not before March 1).

Now, I should also state that I have no sources, so this is strictly my opinion.

 

[99 Patriot]

When Hewitt wasn't let go during the winter break before the Catawba game (which I advocated for) we pretty much committed to keeping him through the end of the season. At that point just consider the $85k part of his salary. As someone else said, for a billion dollar university to make such a move to save some budget dust would be bush league in my opinion.

I also respectfully disagree on expecting BE to gladhand up in the gold room. No offense, but for years we've talked about the need to attract big check writers and boost our fundraising. That's what I want him doing, and those check writers are in the basement. Gold room usually has better food (Brion's is usually awful), gets a coach pregame and has the same booze. I don't think the AD needs to do a lap as well. He's very visible and approachable most of the time if you really need to see him. I've done plenty of political fundraising. Give $5k you get to go to the reception with shrimp cocktail and important folks, give $2500 you get cheese and crackers and lame ducks, give nothing and you don't get in.

 

[wijg]

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

I do not and I base that solely on AC's and BE's statements of evaluating at the end of the season. I don't agree with it, like much of the handling of our AD, but that is what I believe will happen.

 

[wijg]

When your annual household budget surpasses $900 million, I'll give you 85,000. Deal?

Earlier on here, it was posted that our AD budget is about $19M/year and our basketball budget is $3M (your post from October). I think a more fair deal would be when my household income is equivalent to our basketball budget...

I know sometimes coaches salaries get slotted elsewhere, but this is $85k more that our AD could spend if it didn't pay it to Hewitt. Some interesting thoughts to put into perspective how much that 85k represents to our AD:

It is equivalent to just under 1 out of every $200 our entire AD spends

It is equivalent to just about 1 out of every $30 spent by the AD on basketball

It would be close to 3 scholarships (thought I read a number of ~$30k for an out of state scholarship).

It could be a couple more chartered flights to games.

I am guessing it would be close to a top 5 annual donation to the Patriot Club. If you discount the amount from donors by what they get in return for their donation (business, advertising, etc.), it may represent the largest single annual donation.

Can't think of something that would be more important to spend $85k on than flushing it down the Hewitt toilet? I sure hope our AD can.

The AD budget comes, primarily, from student fees. What a smack in the face of students to have to foot that bill. Similar to what gmujim noted, being a state school, it really looks bad to give the highest paid employee a bonus for failure when it could be avoided. It is a smack in the face of donors that the beg to give more, and require to donate to get decent seats to watch a crappy product.

 

[GMUgemini]

I believe the time to fire Hewitt early has passed, possibly just to avoid the embarrassment of trying to promote one of our assistants to head coach for two weeks...

I might have done that after we were 3- 6 against D1 competition after 10 games -- essentially after the Catawba game, as someone else mentioned.

But I don't think we should really blame Cabrera or Edwards for the silly contract Hewitt got under Merten and O'Connor and demand they fire Hewitt before March 1 to avoid paying him 85k. If they want to wait until the end of the season to fire him, they should be allowed to make that decision.

 

[gmutom]

More ammo that should help Edwards' decision.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/the-sad-demise-of-george-mason-basketball

 

[Pablo]

More ammo that should help Edwards' decision.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/the-sad-demise-of-george-mason-basketball

Again, it's Cabrera's decision although I fully expect Edwards to recommend after the season that Hewitt be fired. The question is what will Cabrera do?

 

[JamesMason]

Again, it's Cabrera's decision although I fully expect Edwards to recommend after the season that Hewitt be fired. The question is what will Cabrera do?

Ok you can stop reminding everyone of this technicality. If you think Edwards doesn't make the decision, unofficial or not, on the men's basketball head coach you are delusional.

 

[Pablo]

Ok you can stop reminding everyone of this technicality. If you think Edwards doesn't make the decision, unofficial or not, on the men's basketball head coach you are delusional.

Frankly, I'm not sure what makes you an expert on this subject. If I'm not mistaken, TOC recommended to Merten after Paul Westhead's 3rd season that he be fired. Merten rejected the recommendation and gave Westhead a 4th season.

And, if you believe that Edwards is calling the shot on this decision, then I will respectfully submit that you are delusional.

 

[wijg]

But I don't think we should really blame Cabrera or Edwards for the silly contract Hewitt got under Merten and O'Connor

I don't blame them for the silly contract. What I will blame them for is if they make an unsound financial decision given where we are now.

 

[mason89]

I hope this article showing the longevity bonus paid out after April 1st, is more accurate than the Washington Times article mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

http://www.richmond.com/news/virgin...f2e-af38-5e7e-8666-596dccf8dd96.html?mode=jqm

 

[Pablo]

I hope this article showing the longevity bonus paid out after April 1st, is more accurate than the Washington Times article mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

http://www.richmond.com/news/virgin...f2e-af38-5e7e-8666-596dccf8dd96.html?mode=jqm

The issue is not when it's paid, but when it's earned.

 

[GMUgemini]

I don't blame them for the silly contract. What I will blame them for is if they make an unsound financial decision given where we are now.

This is sports, it's not about found financial decisions (if it were, we wouldn't have jumped to the A10 with Hewitt as our coach, that's for sure, nor would James Madison have a $36 million athletics budget). Stop thinking of your pocketbook. This is about optics and the appearance of doing due diligence.

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

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.

They definitely should offer a buyout. If you offer him 400K-450K and tell him the old codgers on the BOV aren't willing to eat $750K (which may, unfortunately, be true) he might take the money and run. If you're Paul, do you really want to coach this mess for another year if it's only netting you $150K-$170K after taxes?

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

I hope this article showing the longevity bonus paid out after April 1st, is more accurate than the Washington Times article mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

http://www.richmond.com/news/virgin...f2e-af38-5e7e-8666-596dccf8dd96.html?mode=jqm

Interesting find. Obviously it is about when it is earned, but I've always wondered if the date in the Times article was correct...because it shouldn't be correct.

 

[Vurbel]

They definitely should offer a buyout. If you offer him 400K-450K and tell him the old codgers on the BOV aren't willing to eat $750K (which may, unfortunately, be true) he might take the money and run. If you're Paul, do you really want to coach this mess for another year if it's only netting you $150K-$170K after taxes?

I'll do it for only $100K.

 

[Pablo]

Interesting find. Obviously it is about when it is earned, but I've always wondered if the date in the Times article was correct...because it shouldn't be correct.

The Washington Times is correct. See Article II.B.2(a) - (e) in this link - http://www.nycbuckets.com/contracts/PaulHewitt-GeorgeMason.pdf.

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

The Washington Times is correct. See Article II.B.2(a) - (e) in this link - http://www.nycbuckets.com/contracts/PaulHewitt-GeorgeMason.pdf.

Good find. Absolutely f-ing mind blowing. Alan Merten should be barred from the PC.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Fascinating. If terminated, it requires Hewitt to make a reasonable effort to find another sports or media related job, and if he does, his salary obtained from such a job is supposed to offset the remaining amount Mason owes him. (See bottom of page 23)