Friday or Monday?

[GMUgemini]

That is part of my point. That is stupidity to do that. That would mean the "sources" were wrong (very possible), but, even worse that the the "thinking" in our AD/school is flawed. Do it now to get maximum publicity while there was some opportunity to garner some attention. Maybe a coach that was not on our radar and wasn't thinking of making a move sees it and sparks a thought...

As others have mentioned, other schools have done it the next morning. We are 48 hours after. It wreaks of Masonitis to me. Hopefully the old ways of doing things in the AD have not infected the new blood.

The job isn't going to look better because we fired him during conference tournament time. In fact, my guess is from a PR perspective, the impact will be even more if we do it after Selection Sunday and before the PIGs, otherwise the news gets crowded out with actual games.

And if we plan on interviewing anyone who will be in the tournament, we have to wait until their schools get knocked out anyway.

 

[wijg]

The job isn't going to look better because we fired him during conference tournament time. In fact, my guess is from a PR perspective, the impact will be even more if we do it after Selection Sunday and before the PIGs, otherwise the news gets crowded out with actual games.

And if we plan on interviewing anyone who will be in the tournament, we have to wait until their schools get knocked out anyway.

I didn't say anything about the job looking better, I don't think that. But the rest of your post is at least a valid argument against mine.

I disagree with your assessment of the publicity, though, the later we get into this weekend, the more media attention those games are getting. After the selections are made, all the attention will be focused on the tournament, how the selections were flawed, the frenzy and madness will have begun. It will be focused on the winners, not the losers.

I think our real opportunity was yesterday, possibly today. The firing would possibly have been discussed during televised games.

I probably suck at guessing publicity, though, so I'll give your theory credit as a possible. I can't believe a Monday announcement would be conducive to maximizing publicity. Tuesday would probably be the day for that. If they announce on Monday, I'll be happy but it will give me pause about the thinking that is going on inside of our AD still.

 

[GMUgemini]

I didn't say anything about the job looking better, I don't think that. But the rest of your post is at least a valid argument against mine.

I disagree with your assessment of the publicity, though, the later we get into this weekend, the more media attention those games are getting. After the selections are made, all the attention will be focused on the tournament, how the selections were flawed, the frenzy and madness will have begun. It will be focused on the winners, not the losers.

I think our real opportunity was yesterday, possibly today. The firing would possibly have been discussed during televised games.

I probably suck at guessing publicity, though, so I'll give your theory credit as a possible. I can't believe a Monday announcement would be conducive to maximizing publicity. Tuesday would probably be the day for that. If they announce on Monday, I'll be happy but it will give me pause about the thinking that is going on inside of our AD still.

Yeah, PR people will always tell you Tuesday or Thursday (but that's old school media, now it really doesn't matter what day of the week because of the 24/7 news cycle).

The only thing I care about is that he's gone. The sooner we can get that out of the way the better in my opinion. Hell, do it over the weekend, I don't care.

 

[wijg]

Yeah, PR people will always tell you Tuesday or Thursday (but that's old school media, now it really doesn't matter what day of the week because of the 24/7 news cycle).

The only thing I care about is that he's gone. The sooner we can get that out of the way the better in my opinion. Hell, do it over the weekend, I don't care.

Agreed, the sooner the better. I was just analyzing the theories that it is strategery on the timing.

 

[dr. gunnie]

I don't understand - why do we care about publicity? We aren't firing our coach for publicity, we are firing him to get a new coach that will help us win games. Every single college basketball coach in America will know our job is open no matter when it happens. There is no benefit to rushing this.

As Hewitt said earlier this week, he meets with Edwards every week to talk about the season among other things. They will meet again this week just like every other week and that's when Hewitt will find out his fate. I know it sucks to have to wait a couple days, but if you take the emotion out of it, it's the right way to do it... it's the classy way to do it. I'm sure Edwards meets with every coach following the end of their season - this is no different.

All the players will be back from break. It allows Hewitt to address the team - he deserves the chance to do that. As strange as it sounds, one of the main reasons these kids picked to come to George Mason was because of Hewitt. This isn't easy for those kids - they'll want to know their options and how the process will work.

It's like you just got the number of a hot girl at the bar and everyone wants to rush home and call her. Give it a couple days - let things play out.

 

[wijg]

I don't understand - why do we care about publicity? We aren't firing our coach for publicity, we are firing him to get a new coach that will help us win games. Every single college basketball coach in America will know our job is open no matter when it happens. There is no benefit to rushing this.

As Hewitt said earlier this week, he meets with Edwards every week to talk about the season among other things. They will meet again this week just like every other week and that's when Hewitt will find out his fate. I know it sucks to have to wait a couple days, but if you take the emotion out of it, it's the right way to do it... it's the classy way to do it. I'm sure Edwards meets with every coach following the end of their season - this is no different.

All the players will be back from break. It allows Hewitt to address the team - he deserves the chance to do that. As strange as it sounds, one of the main reasons these kids picked to come to George Mason was because of Hewitt. This isn't easy for those kids - they'll want to know there options and how the process will work.

It's like you just got the number of a hot girl at the bar and everyone wants to rush home and call her. Give it a couple days - let things play out.

You are mixing apples and oranges. Nowhere did I reference making a new hire quickly (your reference to the first hot girl we get the number from). That is the opposite of what I am suggesting. The firing and the hiring are two separate events. It is not to publicize that we fired Hewitt, the publicity is from the angle to advertise that there is a job opening. I want to cast a wide net. There could be candidates out there that we might want, that Edwards hasn't thought about yet, that don't even know they are interested in moving yet that might reach out if they happen to hear Mason is looking for a coach. It might occur to them while watching a game and hearing that Mason is looking for a coach that it could be their dream job. It is a long shot, but I'd hate to lose out on an opportunity that might present itself.

The publicity angle is moot, though, if Edwards already knows who his guy is. If does, he has probably been making quiet moves for a while now. But that would beg the question, if he had already identified who his guy was, he could have fired Hewitt two weeks ago without peoples concerns about looking cheap...

I call BS on it being "classy". No one would look down on Mason for having fired Hewitt the day after the tournament. Keeping him on the hook any longer than we need to could be looked at unfavorably.

The one part of your argument, though, that makes sense to me (I am extrapolating that this is part of your point) is related to the players. Not the part about Hewitt addressing them, he could have done that with a quick firing, but the part about them wanting to know their options. If Edwards already knows who his guy is, that could be part of the plan to ensure there is a smooth transition with the players the new guy wants to keep.

On a related angle, given the way our AD has been run in the past, there is always the chance that Mason will do things the old way, so until he is fired I will have the fear that someone in the Mason administrative chain will screw this up and decide to keep Hewitt. Until Edwards puts his stamp on the AD, and this really is his big opportunity, I will be optimistically skeptical (a little contradictory, huh). If he knocks this one out of the park, all concerns will be wiped away. He has not had an opportunity to prove himself yet. As I have said many times before, this is when we see if he passes the test. Let's all hope he passes.

And finally, as I noted above, analyzing the minute details of what is happening is primarily for sport. Something to provide me with some Mason basketball entertainment until an announcement (fingers crossed) is made.

 

[JamesMason]

I don't understand - why do we care about publicity? We aren't firing our coach for publicity, we are firing him to get a new coach that will help us win games. Every single college basketball coach in America will know our job is open no matter when it happens. There is no benefit to rushing this.

As Hewitt said earlier this week, he meets with Edwards every week to talk about the season among other things. They will meet again this week just like every other week and that's when Hewitt will find out his fate. I know it sucks to have to wait a couple days, but if you take the emotion out of it, it's the right way to do it... it's the classy way to do it. I'm sure Edwards meets with every coach following the end of their season - this is no different.

All the players will be back from break. It allows Hewitt to address the team - he deserves the chance to do that. As strange as it sounds, one of the main reasons these kids picked to come to George Mason was because of Hewitt. This isn't easy for those kids - they'll want to know there options and how the process will work.

It's like you just got the number of a hot girl at the bar and everyone wants to rush home and call her. Give it a couple days - let things play out.

Glad to see dormant posters who bashed most of not drinking the kool aid after the Hewitt hire are now telling us how to react at the end of the Hewitt era. Thanks, we'd be lost without you loyal bandwagoners.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Glad to see dormant posters who bashed most of not drinking the kool aid after the Hewitt hire are now telling us how to react at the end of the Hewitt era. Thanks, we'd be lost without you loyal bandwagoners.

I would just like to go on record now that I hate the hire of our next coach - whoever it is. Now when we don't win the national championship I can go around telling everyone how smart I am because I didn't agree with the hire. Keep drinking the look aid! I told you! I'm so smart!

 

[GSII]

Wjig, why your sickness to seeing Big Balls Brad show his Balls? You are splitting hairs here. Comparing how Liberty fired their coach vs how we will is comparing apples to oranges. How will coaches in the whole world not know there's a great coaching job available in the worlds most fertile recruiting area, which happens to be in our backyard? Maybe some of their rotary phones will be broken, or their lines will be busy???

 

[KAOriginal]

We don't need specific publicity. Those assistants that want jobs will certainly have this gig on their radar when its announced. Some current coaches, will have to tickled a little bit more because unless they are the Cuban, they are contently running their program.

We have a recognizable name still, and despite sucking..we are in the A10.

We aren't McNeese St. Or some other lower tier backwater program for goodness sakes.

 

[wijg]

We aren't McNeese St. Or some other lower tier backwater program for goodness sakes.

But we are Fordham's biyatch...

 

[wijg]

Wjig, why your sickness to seeing Big Balls Brad show his Balls? You are splitting hairs here. Comparing how Liberty fired their coach vs how we will is comparing apples to oranges. How will coaches in the whole world not know there's a great coaching job available in the worlds most fertile recruiting area, which happens to be in our backyard? Maybe some of their rotary phones will be broken, or their lines will be busy???

Yes, I am splitting hairs. I, basically, said that with my caveat when I started down this path. It is purely for entertainment purposes. Additionally I am dying to have hope for Mason basketball again. I had lost hope for other parts of the school long ago, I lost hope for Mason basketball about 10 games into the season last year, during Hewitt's 3rd year.

So, to put it your way, yes, I am looking for any sign of Edwards balls. That will give me the hope that I got a little spark of when he was first hired. TOC never seemed have any. While he ran a classy operation, in retrospect, I have come to believe more and more that he used being classy as an excuse for not achieving.

It is not like I am calling for any action by the fan base to stop donating or cancel their tickets or do a letter campaign. For my own sanity, I have to assume it is going to happen, otherwise, there is very little hope for Mason basketball, possibly ever, for many reasons. While we wait for the announcement, I am just entertaining myself by over analyzing every little piece of information about when it is going to happen.

Trust me, when the hire is made, I will likely be one of the biggest supporters of it (assuming it is not a complete bonehead choice). As with Hewitt, I will support the hire as much or more than anyone if and until it is clear it needs to be undone.

So back to the publicity thing. If Edwards does not already have his guy, yes, I think publicity could help. It is marketing 101 (I assume they cover it in that class). The beauty of marketing/publicity is that people don't often know what you want until something sparks that thought. So, if he doesn't have the list already narrowed down, I would think publicity about our vacancy would only help things.

To over analyze things even further, I could interpret the lack of movement on the firing as a possible sign that he already knows who his guy is. No need to get publicity. Waiting for the players to get back to ensure a smooth transition would then make sense.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

WJIG is on to something. I would bet that Edwards has been looking and evaluating for quite a while now and has probably had discussions with those on his short list. In that scenario - no need for official announcements or overly advertised searches if it has been ongoing for 2-3 months.

 

[wijg]

We aren't McNeese St. Or some other lower tier backwater program for goodness sakes.

Your comparison sparked me to take a look. You chose bad timing to make such statement, because, unfortunately, it is a good comparison. We are on the same page of the RPI as McNeese St. They are 279, we are 222. Fordham is 240, and, as noted before, we have been their biyatch the last 2 years.

Yeah, we have a larger budget, and being in the A10 provides a higher ceiling, but our results have not been head and shoulders above theirs over the last 4 years...

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc

 

[gmujim92]

I would just like to go on record now that I hate the hire of our next coach - whoever it is. Now when we don't win the national championship I can go around telling everyone how smart I am because I didn't agree with the hire. Keep drinking the look aid! I told you! I'm so smart!

If a national title is the standard by which our new coach will be judged, we should all prepare to be disappointed. I'd like him to begin with a winning conference record and then get us back to the NCAA tournament.