The Paul Hewitt Thread

[Patriotfan49]

Hewitt cant get out of Fairfax fast enough. I'm thinking he should become a shady AAU coach.

Pretty much

 

[gmutom]

I'm thinking he should become a shady AAU coach.

He's far too ethical to be shady, so he'd just have to settle for being a regular AAU coach if there's any such thing.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I personally know a lot of VTech fans who would probably love to see Greenberg and Hewitt team up for halftime analysis of ACC games on ESPN.

 

[gmujim92]

Hewitt cant get out of Fairfax fast enough. I'm thinking he should become a shady AAU coach.

Some other school will take a chance on Hewitt if we fire him.

Between what GT is paying him and what we'd still owe him if he gets canned after this season, another school could probably get him to coach for free.

 

[gmutom]

Some other school will take a chance on Hewitt if we fire him.

I really do believe Hewitt knows basketball, he just struggles to get out of his own sometimes. He's often been referred to as "intelligent" and "cerebral," but that unfortunately leads to being stubborn and arrogant with an inability to adapt. A great example is our press and man-to-man defense. Why did it take him so long to realize he shouldn't be pressing or that he should play more zone?

Another example is his complicated motion offense. If kids aren't smart enough to figure it out by now, maybe it's time to dumb it down or try something a little easier. We've seen glimpses of the offense clicking this year, but then they regress back to jacking up shots like we saw last night.

I've only met the man twice, but he seems like a genuinely nice guy who really wants to succeed. If he is here for two more seasons, I really hope finds a way turn this around, because I'm tired of watching crappy basketball.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Not too hard to tell who he is. He's the only person who uses the term "Paul Ball" in reference to our new coach.

Or the same literary reference Inspector Clouseau.

 

[gmujim92]

Tom, I've always thought this was the most difficult part of covering sports: the fact that some of the people who coach really are genuinely nice people, and you want desperately for them to succeed, but they just can't get it done for whatever reason.

I'll draw a similar parallel to Mike London at U.Va. I'll assure you that you will not find a man with more class, integrity and basic human decency than Mike, but none of that is stopping UVa football fans from demanding his head on a silver platter. I really hope he turns it around before he gets fired.

That's what happens when you get paid a lot of money to deliver results, though. It's certainly not personal for me; Hewitt might be the nicest guy ever and his players might love playing for him, but the bottom line is he's not getting the most out of our program and it's looking like we need to find somebody who can.

 

[gmutom]

Mike London is a very good analogy, Jim. I really thought he'd do a good job at Virginia, but it hasn't worked out there at all. Who knows what direction they're going to go in? I hear Mickey Matthews from JMU is available. haha

 

[GSII]

After Princeton game the reporter on Patriot vision ask him what adjustments were made at halftime and if you go back and watch it he completely sidesteps the question because he probably did not make any adjustments. if you went to the championship game in one of the best conferences and got a big time contract
would you think that you were doing anything wrong in terms of adjustments during the game? maybe he is too respected and nobody has told him that he needs to change.

 

[Five Two]

We keep bringing up his downfall at GA Tech, but what did he do so well at Siena? Where did that guy go? Did he win with somebody else's guys and parlay that into an ACC job? If he did win with somebody else's players, am I to believe that he got them to understand this complex offense so quick, yet after 2 1/4 seasons in Fairfax our guys are unable to pick it up?

He is either unwilling to adapt or not smart enough to realize his roster isn't capable or executing his style of play. I think that is different than knowing and not knowing basketball.

He talked about how he mismanaged the roster at GA Tech. I think we can now say that is the case here too. It took him two seasons to bring in another point guard. I think we all knew after year 1 that Edwards was not the guy and that Allen isn't one.

The inability to adapt and mismanaging a roster get coaches fired....at most places.

 

[GSII]

If I were Angel I would definetly have a sit down with his entire staff and TOC to let them know I'm about to punk all their asses if shit don't change. I would order TOC to sit on the bench. Just like some schools have a priest, they will have TOC so he can see close up what the real deal is in that huddle AND perhaps see it live, that this guy either needs an associate head coach or to be fired.

Seriously, Econ majors....What are the opportunity costs of keeping Hewitt in terms of revenue and overall value to the University?

 

[gmubrian]

I was half joking earlier, but seriously, what data point do you think is currently telling AC that there is a problem?

Do you think there is someone on staff telling him? Do you think he reads the boards? Do you think, being the basketball expert that he is known to be, that he has picked it up on his own from the three games he has been to this year, all three of which were wins? Do you think the increase in season ticket sales tells him that?

This is not meant to be a knock on you guys or AC, but I would be really surprised if he has any idea that there is an issue. Unless someone close to him is paying attention and pointing it out to him, I don't know where he would be getting it from.

I guess since he is into twitter and some if you guys are too, maybe all you twits have communicated with each other that way. Then again, does he actually read others tweets, or is it just about letting everyone else know what he thinks and not really a dialog like so many on twitter...

 

[GSII]

It's a fact that AC knows what is going on with the product on the floor and Hewitts mis-steps at old job. You don't employ someone who was fired to run a program that could generate millions in value to your school without an eagle eye.

 

[gmubrian]

Well then, consider me surprised. I am skeptical, but happy if it is true as it would mean he is keeping his ear to the ground with regards to basketball.

 

[Five Two]

Do you think the increase in season ticket sales tells him that?

Was there an increase?

When $$$ starts to dry up, then he'll know there is a problem.

 

[GMUSSTN]

Was there an increase?

When $$$ starts to dry up, then he'll know there is a problem.

Will the $$$ dry up though? What percentage of our donors are hard-line, basketball donors? I know losing the $50 I give to keep my seats isn't something they'll miss.

I also gotta wonder if Merten had anything to do with poor fan support and donor base. He's the one who spent all our Final Four money outside the athletic department, and it's my theory he's the one who nixed the raise for Coach L. You spend years as University President and constantly try and funnel cash away from the basketball program and this is what you'll get.

 

[GMUgemini]

Will the $$$ dry up though? What percentage of our donors are hard-line, basketball donors? I know losing the $50 I give to keep my seats isn't something they'll miss.

I also gotta wonder if Merten had anything to do with poor fan support and donor base. He's the one who spent all our Final Four money outside the athletic department, and it's my theory he's the one who nixed the raise for Coach L. You spend years as University President and constantly try and funnel cash away from the basketball program and this is what you'll get.

We spent more money on Patriot Center renovations than we got in NCAA tournament outlays. And let's not pretend like we were flush in cash from donation money -- over 80% of our athletic budget is still subsidized by student fees. I think we averaged about $1 million a year.

The money spent on academic facilities is a completely different budget.

Our biggest problem is we have too many sports and not enough revenue.

 

[gmubrian]

Was there an increase?

When $$$ starts to dry up, then he'll know there is a problem.

I don't have hard numbers on season ticket sales, but based on several conversations and the look of what was available at the re-seating event, there was an increase in SEASON ticket holder sales. I don't know that it has translated into increased total ticket sales or attendance, but it is my understanding that we did increase season ticket sales this year. Presumably the A10 move and associated promotional activities can be credited for that.

On the $$$, I don't think it has started to dry up yet, so that was my point about how I would be surprised if AC new there was an issue yet. There are not obvious outward signs yet to anyone but the most avid Mason basketball fan.

 

[Washingtonian]

I don't have hard numbers on season ticket sales, but based on several conversations and the look of what was available at the re-seating event, there was an increase in SEASON ticket holder sales. I don't know that it has translated into increased total ticket sales or attendance, but it is my understanding that we did increase season ticket sales this year. Presumably the A10 move and associated promotional activities can be credited for that.

On the $$$, I don't think it has started to dry up yet, so that was my point about how I would be surprised if AC new there was an issue yet. There are not obvious outward signs yet to anyone but the most avid Mason basketball fan.

Define season ticket, since there were mini-plans as well as a 10 game A-10 plan offered this year.

3 and 6 game plans have existed for as long as I have supported the program which goes back to the mid 90's, but rarely advertised.

 

[gmubrian]

Define season ticket, since there were mini-plans as well as a 10 game A-10 plan offered this year.

3 and 6 game plans have existed for as long as I have supported the program which goes back to the mid 90's, but rarely advertised.

My conversations did not get that specific about the definition of season tickets. It was my assumption that it was full season, and the re-seating event would seem to back that up, but I don't have any additional information for you on that.