Hewitt, Extension, wait, what?

[A.-Siegfried]

I have no magic number for wins, but "improving standing because other people got worse" is not good enough for me.

I'm taking a Potter Stewart approach here, and if I see a team that looks like it is well coached, I'm on board.

I happen to be excited about Hewitt's recruiting the past couple years. It's not the kind of guy/style I particularly enjoy watching, but you can win with an ultra athletic-long team that really gets after it on the defensive end, and creates mismatches on the other.

Those who remember will tell you I'm the FURTHEST thing from a Hewitt guy, but if these guys look like they're being coached, I'd be okay with a one year extension to keep the ball rolling.

I like the idea but no coach is going to accept a one year extension. He's going to ask for 2-3 at least. Now, you may say "too bad, one or nothing" but most extensions aren't giving out year by year as much as we'd like them to be.

 

[GMUgemini]

I like the idea but no coach is going to accept a one year extension. He's going to ask for 2-3 at least. Now, you may say "too bad, one or nothing" but most extensions aren't giving out year by year as much as we'd like them to be.

I'd be willing to give hime 2-3 if he'd be willing to renegotiate his salary to be half what it is now

 

[gmujim92]

No matter what, we're either gonna have to extend Hewitt 2-3 years or fire him after this season. Can't have a lame duck coach out there trying to recruit.

So the message is, Hewitt had better get it done big-time or just totally suck. None of this wishy-washy mediocre stuff that will make it a tough choice.

 

[Vurbel]

No matter what, we're either gonna have to extend Hewitt 2-3 years or fire him after this season. Can't have a lame duck coach out there trying to recruit.

So the message is, Hewitt had better get it done big-time or just totally suck. None of this wishy-washy mediocre stuff that will make it a tough choice.

Actually, I think mediocre makes the choice easy. Cause if there is an extension after a mediocre, at best, four years then we are officially saying that we as a program are content with mediocrity. That's going to be hard to sell to boosters and ticket holders...at least this one.

 

[Walter]

Sometimes you keep an under performer if you aren't paying much for his services and don't really care. But we are paying top dollar for last place, no AD in their right mind is going to pay Hewitt money for Hewitt results. He is gone. Period. NCAA tourney or he gets knifed. End of story.

 

[GSII]

Well shit, we should of fired him after last year if only to place high expectations on a guy with 6 new players this year. I guess it really is a perfect storm for Hewitt. With the AD change, conf change, we might not of wanted to look like a bad employer and thus Hewy rides the wave a lil longer. Unless we go winless, I dont see Edwards firing him. At most he gives him a 2 year extension with major language change that benefits the school if we decide to fire him after his 5th year.

 

[gmujim92]

Well shit, we should of fired him after last year if only to place high expectations on a guy with 6 new players this year.

I agree. To the people who are saying Hewitt has to make at least the NIT or he's gone, I still say it would've been far more humane to just let him go after last season instead.

We were one of the worst teams in the A-10 last season with far more experience and 2 really good guards. Now we have a team with three seniors who have done very little over their first three years and we're all of a sudden going to make the NIT?

Seriously?

If Edwards is smart, he'll take a look at the big picture after this season and try to decide if he can see Hewitt making it work over the next 3-4 years with all the young guys on our roster. That should determine whether Hewitt gets a 2-3 year extension (with a buyout provision favorable to Mason).

Establishing some arbitrary number of wins or postseason success needed to keep one's job is silly when you're dealing with a team in transition. We need Edwards to take the long view.

 

[Walter]

We need Edwards to take the long view.

Exactly.

 

[JamesMason]

Sometimes you keep an under performer if you aren't paying much for his services and don't really care. But we are paying top dollar for last place, no AD in their right mind is going to pay Hewitt money for Hewitt results.

This is a good point, take away some our higher expectations than others who follow the program might have, this guy is still getting paid with more state money than Shaka. That is absurd.

 

[gmujim92]

This is a good point, take away some our higher expectations than others who follow the program might have, this guy is still getting paid with more state money than Shaka. That is absurd.

Which is more absurd, Hewitt's salary or the fact that vcu is using student fees to pay $1MM of Shaka's annual salary and $10MM toward its new practice facility?

Basketball success aside, I'm just glad that unlike Rao, our president understands that never-ending tuition and fee increases are not sustainable.

 

[wijg]

Which is more absurd, Hewitt's salary or the fact that vcu is using student fees to pay $1MM of Shaka's annual salary and $10MM toward its new practice facility?

Basketball success aside, I'm just glad that unlike Rao, our president understands that never-ending tuition and fee increases are not sustainable.

I am not a fan of funding sports on the backs of students (especially those that the students don't care about). That being said, though, the vcu students seem to be OK with their president in regards to the fees. vcu has more demand for student seats than can come close to filling and they don't seem to be having trouble getting people to come to the school.

On our side, we are lucky to get students to show up even when we give them free food to do so.

It would seem that the market has spoken...The vcu students seem to be saying that they are getting better use of their student fees than GMU students or that GMU attracts non-basketball fans as students. Either way, not a good situation for GMU basketball.

 

[gmujim92]

I am not a fan of funding sports on the backs of students (especially those that the students don't care about). That being said, though, the vcu students seem to be OK with their president in regards to the fees. vcu has more demand for student seats than can come close to filling and they don't seem to be having trouble getting people to come to the school.

On our side, we are lucky to get students to show up even when we give them free food to do so.

It would seem that the market has spoken...The vcu students seem to be saying that they are getting better use of their student fees than GMU students or that GMU attracts non-basketball fans as students. Either way, not a good situation for GMU basketball.

Not sure if your post was serious or tongue in cheek, but vcu only gives basketball tickets to 2,000 of its 32,000 students, which means that the other 30,000 aren't exactly getting "better use" of their fees.

But it's not like they really have a say in the matter, other than to not attend vcu -- which, for many Richmond-area kids who can't afford to live away from home while pursuing higher education, isn't an option.

The fact that their president thinks it's OK to use student fees (in an era of exploding tuition) to pay a basketball coach $1.5 million a year is very telling about his priorities.

The fact that vcu couldn't raise the money for its practice facility and needed to divert $10 million in student fees -- for a facility that will serve only about 30 student-athletes -- is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Vurbel]

Not sure if your post was serious or tongue in cheek, but vcu only gives basketball tickets to 2,000 of its 32,000 students, which means that the other 30,000 aren't exactly getting "better use" of their fees.

But it's not like they really have a say in the matter, other than to not attend vcu -- which, for many Richmond-area kids who can't afford to live away from home while pursuing higher education, isn't an option.

The fact that their president thinks it's OK to use student fees (in an era of exploding tuition) to pay a basketball coach $1.5 million a year is very telling about his priorities.

The fact that vcu couldn't raise the money for its practice facility and needed to divert $10 million in student fees -- for a facility that will serve only about 30 student-athletes -- is absolutely ridiculous.

Who of us wouldn't trade slightly higher tuition for a vibrant and exciting basketball program?

 

[Raider_SPE]

Not sure if your post was serious or tongue in cheek, but vcu only gives basketball tickets to 2,000 of its 32,000 students, which means that the other 30,000 aren't exactly getting "better use" of their fees.

But it's not like they really have a say in the matter, other than to not attend vcu -- which, for many Richmond-area kids who can't afford to live away from home while pursuing higher education, isn't an option.

The fact that their president thinks it's OK to use student fees (in an era of exploding tuition) to pay a basketball coach $1.5 million a year is very telling about his priorities.

The fact that vcu couldn't raise the money for its practice facility and needed to divert $10 million in student fees -- for a facility that will serve only about 30 student-athletes -- is absolutely ridiculous.

Jim, Sounds like you have a real good handle on this since you live down there.

Has much been made about this in the local media, I cannot imagine the RTD mentioning anything negative. Maybe you should write an Op-Ed just to stir it up (kidding . . . kind-of).

As entertaining as that would be, I do respect that the school is being so proactive with regard to getting their program to the next level. The question is how long (til Shaka leaves?) will this up front cost keep them at that next level, and then how much will it take to keep them there.

 

[Vurbel]

Not sure if your post was serious or tongue in cheek, but vcu only gives basketball tickets to 2,000 of its 32,000 students, which means that the other 30,000 aren't exactly getting "better use" of their fees.

But it's not like they really have a say in the matter, other than to not attend vcu -- which, for many Richmond-area kids who can't afford to live away from home while pursuing higher education, isn't an option.

The fact that their president thinks it's OK to use student fees (in an era of exploding tuition) to pay a basketball coach $1.5 million a year is very telling about his priorities.

The fact that vcu couldn't raise the money for its practice facility and needed to divert $10 million in student fees -- for a facility that will serve only about 30 student-athletes -- is absolutely ridiculous.

Devil's Advocate: If Shaka gets $1.5 million but brings in $3 million/year (nevermind publicity, school pride, etc.) it is a net positive.

BTW, the $3 million number is just an example. Just pick any number over 1.5 million and the concept is the same.

 

[Vurbel]

Jim, Sounds like you have a real good handle on this since you live down there.

Has much been made about this in the local media, I cannot imagine the RTD mentioning anything negative. Maybe you should write an Op-Ed just to stir it up (kidding . . . kind-of).

As entertaining as that would be, I do respect that the school is being so proactive with regard to getting their program to the next level. The question is how long (til Shaka leaves?) will this up front cost keep them at that next level, and then how much will it take to keep them there.

It is my understanding that they can't do much more on the money side of things, however the other things make up for it. His family apparently likes the community, the school support, etc.

When he turned down NC State and Illinois I figured that maybe those weren't big enough programs for him. But when he turned down UCLA it really made me think.

 

[Vurbel]

Which is more absurd, Hewitt's salary or the fact that vcu is using student fees to pay $1MM of Shaka's annual salary and $10MM toward its new practice facility?

Basketball success aside, I'm just glad that unlike Rao, our president understands that never-ending tuition and fee increases are not sustainable.

Student fees are paying for the practice facility? I thought that was all local businesses, but I could be wrong. And I thought the cost of their practice facility was $22 million. Does anybody know for sure?

 

[Raider_SPE]

Student fees are paying for the practice facility? I thought that was all local businesses, but I could be wrong. And I thought the cost of their practice facility was $22 million. Does anybody know for sure?

I recall that Lumber Liquidators made fairly large donation.

 

[gmujim92]

Student fees are paying for the practice facility? I thought that was all local businesses, but I could be wrong. And I thought the cost of their practice facility was $22 million. Does anybody know for sure?

$25 million total to build a building that will serve 2 athletic teams.

They raised $15 million, but stalled there and didn't want to wait to get started, so they're paying the remainder from student fee revenue.

 

[gmujim92]

Jim, Sounds like you have a real good handle on this since you live down there.

Has much been made about this in the local media, I cannot imagine the RTD mentioning anything negative. Maybe you should write an Op-Ed just to stir it up (kidding . . . kind-of).

As entertaining as that would be, I do respect that the school is being so proactive with regard to getting their program to the next level. The question is how long (til Shaka leaves?) will this up front cost keep them at that next level, and then how much will it take to keep them there.

I can't even post anything about it on my social media pages -- I work in local media and I'm pretty sure my bosses would be less than thrilled to see me opining about much of anything.

And no, the RTD hardly ever writes anything negative about vcu. When Paul Woody wrote a column after they lost in the NCAAs last year questioning the return on the university's investment, people went berserk because they're so unaccustomed to dealing with an objective, critical media.

Heaven forbid anyone question the sanity of building a $25 million facility for two groups of student-athletes, especially when you consider that they offer only one sport above the NCAA minimum.

I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it. Neither of my kids are even remotely interested in attending vcu, so they're not getting a dime of my money.