Welcome New AD Marvin Lewis

[Patriot Lawdog]

The guy is getting dinged for playing on a team that reached the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME?

Seriously??????

I’ve seen some dumb shit on this board but this might take the cake.

Couldn't we view it as a positive for him that his team achieved this level in spite of the head coach at the time?

 

[tblack33]

The guy is getting dinged for playing on a team that reached the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME?

Seriously??????

I’ve seen some dumb shit on this board but this might take the cake.

Don’t get it twisted, I’m rooting for the guy, but singing the hire because he went from being an assistant to brown to managing a multimillion dollar budget at Mason and no one can point at one concrete thing he’s done. The connections to Hewitt are just laughable and borderline tone deaf from the admin.

 

[The Great PATSby]

The George Mason Yellowjackets!!!!

 

[tblack33]

We are clearly going young and inexperienced at both AD and HC, I want that. We need a fresh start with basketball minded people. He wasn’t Browns AD, and I don’t discredit people for being associated with Hewitt.

“Lewis joined Brown in 2021 and served on the Division's executive leadership team, overseeing external relations, human resources, business administration, facilities and operations. Lewis also served as sport administrator for men's basketball, women's lax, men’s/women’s soccer.”

Our AD’s community relations has been baaaaad. I like his responsibilities at Brown but don’t care too much about the results of Brown’s athletic department.

This is what I like, that we are the one poaching a young guy who many have identified as an up and coming AD -

“Lewis has established himself as one of the nation's most respected young administrators. In June 2017, he was one of 13 administrators named to the CollegeAD NextUp list, which was assembled by a panel of athletic directors. Most recently, he was named the 2018-19 College Athletic Business Management Association (CABMA) Manager of the Year and successfully completed the prestigious NCAA Pathway Program for aspiring athletics directors and conference commissioners in June 2020.”

Gotcha, guess this is just an area of disagreement, because I think it makes more sense to surround our young, inexperienced head coach with more experience to help and guide him, but that may just be me.

I’d like to see actual concrete things he’s successfully led, donation campaigns, infrastructure projects, etc in lieu of athletic success, of which Brown has clearly had none.

This feels needlessly risky to take a jump on a guy whose resume feels shorter than most. The jump from being an administrator in the Ivy to an AD at Mason is unfathomably large.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Gotcha, guess this is just an area of disagreement, because I think it makes more sense to surround our young, inexperienced head coach with more experience to help and guide him, but that may just be me.

I’d like to see actual concrete things he’s successfully led, donation campaigns, infrastructure projects, etc in lieu of athletic success, of which Brown has clearly had none.

This feels needlessly risky to take a jump on a guy whose resume feels shorter than most. The jump from being an administrator in the Ivy to an AD at Mason is unfathomably large.

Why are we ignoring the decade+ he spent in leadership positions prior to being at Brown? That includes 7 years at Georgia Tech, and stops at Georgia State and Maryland.

That’s not enough experience (in a variety of roles) to get a chance at sitting in the big chair and actually being responsible for making the big decisions?

I’m cautiously optimistic about the hire, but he deserves a chance, and I think his diverse experience at several D1 programs is a positive.

We need to learn more about his plans for Mason athletics and the changes he (desperately) needs to make within the athletic department. I’ll reserve my judgement until then.

 

[By George.]

Gotcha, guess this is just an area of disagreement, because I think it makes more sense to surround our young, inexperienced head coach with more experience to help and guide him, but that may just be me.

I’d like to see actual concrete things he’s successfully led, donation campaigns, infrastructure projects, etc in lieu of athletic success, of which Brown has clearly had none.

This feels needlessly risky to take a jump on a guy whose resume feels shorter than most. The jump from being an administrator in the Ivy to an AD at Mason is unfathomably large.

Have you looked into your own questions?

My baseline for our athletic department is incredibly low at the moment. I’m hype for a young basketball minded guy who has received a good amount of praise from people who know a lot more than me.

 

[tblack33]

Have you looked into your own questions?

Not in depth, but I’m also not the one claiming to have known about this for weeks and am celebrating the hire. If you have the answers please do share them — because absolutely nothing anyone has posted yet has anything that he has actually done other than being named to a list of up and comers, which depending on the organization could be something that you just know people on or make a timely donation to the cause for recognition.

So educate me, what has he done that makes you confident he’s going to be well placed to address our fundraising, infrastructure, and declining attendance issues?

 

[By George.]

Not in depth, but I’m also not the one claiming to have known about this for weeks and am celebrating the hire. If you have the answers please do share them — because absolutely nothing anyone has posted yet has anything that he has actually done other than being named to a list of up and comers, which depending on the organization could be something that you just know people on or make a timely donation to the cause for recognition.

So educate me, what has he done that makes you confident he’s going to be well placed to address our fundraising, infrastructure, and declining attendance issues?

So you’re questioning things before looking into it and criticizing things that make other people hyped? Got it.

I’m out and about right now but will get you the info you requested.

 

[Patriot8]

Excellent hire. Plenty of experience, and love that he has a basketball background. The most important job an AD has is surrounding themselves with experts in each segment of an athletics department and letting them do their jobs. Excited to see how he transforms the department.

Couldn't care less who the guy played for in college.

 

[tblack33]

So you’re questioning things before looking into it and criticizing things that make other people hyped? Got it.

I’m out and about right now but will get you the info you requested.

Again, the news dropped literally 3 hours ago, we don’t all have the luxury of knowing about this for weeks like you claim. Given his limited background it is a bit more difficult to find the answers to these questions, and for that same reason it’s fair to ask them about why the university chose this guy for arguably the third most important position within the school when it is not abundantly clear what his qualifications are.

I’ve followed Mason long enough to know to not blindly applaud everything they do, because more often than not we end up bungling these things, especially when it’s not a clear homerun from the get go.

Looking forward to seeing your insight.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Not in depth, but I’m also not the one claiming to have known about this for weeks and am celebrating the hire. If you have the answers please do share them — because absolutely nothing anyone has posted yet has anything that he has actually done other than being named to a list of up and comers, which depending on the organization could be something that you just know people on or make a timely donation to the cause for recognition.

So educate me, what has he done that makes you confident he’s going to be well placed to address our fundraising, infrastructure, and declining attendance issues?

So you’re concerned about the hire but also admittedly don’t know much about him? Got it.

Judging the guy off a press release…

 

[GMUSSTN]

It's obvious what's happening here...

Step 1: Hire Tony Skinn to quell an angry fan base
Step 2: Hire an AD with links to Paul Hewitt
Step 3: Fire Tony Skinn before the season starts
Step 4: Hire Paul Hewitt and sign him up to a lifetime contract like a Supreme Court Justice
Step 5: Win <4 A10 games until the Sun swallows the Earth

 

[Five Two]

I have to admit, I saw the name and thought we hired https://thesundevils.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/marvin-lewis/4276

 

[mkaufman1]

Should I change this to the fire Marvin Lewis thread? I kid

 

[Petey Buckets]

I like the hire very much, but I get that he's unproven and reasonable people will disagree. Mileage will vary. At the same time, dinging him for playing for Hewitt is just silly.

 

[Verdad]

To be fair, what Taylor is asking is that those who are excited explain the reasons to him why they are excited - since it implies there is a basis for the excitement. That is all he is asking - why are others excited?

I am excited - but I'm NOT telling you why!!!!

 

[EXpatriot13]

To be fair, what Taylor is asking is that those who are excited explain the reasons to him why they are excited - since it implies there is a basis for the excitement. That is all he is asking - why are others excited?

I am excited - but I'm NOT telling you why!!!!

He has internet access just like I do.

 

[Patriotsince81]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. LOL. Respect for all opinions I say!!!!

 

[By George.]

Again, the news dropped literally 3 hours ago, we don’t all have the luxury of knowing about this for weeks like you claim. Given his limited background it is a bit more difficult to find the answers to these questions, and for that same reason it’s fair to ask them about why the university chose this guy for arguably the third most important position within the school when it is not abundantly clear what his qualifications are.

I’ve followed Mason long enough to know to not blindly applaud everything they do, because more often than not we end up bungling these things, especially when it’s not a clear homerun from the get go.

Looking forward to seeing your insight.

I agree that everything that Mason does should be in question. It’s been a cluster F for awhile, including the way we lost KE and hiring a coach before an AD etc. I looked into this before a detailed presser was written so I don’t have too much to add. I don’t have specific numbers like you’re looking for. I know he had a part in bringing in a solid donor base to Brown and I liked what the presser said about his time at Maryland. I’m not telling you to be hyped, just saying why I’m hyped. People that I trust, not employed by the university, vetted him and approved. Most of my knowledge is based on talking to people who have done the research. Sorry for the sass, I’ll look into it and try and get the answers you’re looking for. Again, I fully believe, question every decision.

“Lewis was also instrumental in the University of Maryland's transition to the Big Ten Conference. Lewis chaired the Business and Travel Workgroup within the Big Ten Integration Committee, which analyzed the financial impact of the conference transition. He developed the comprehensive 12-year financial model for the Business and Finance Workgroup of the President's Commission on Big Ten Integration.”

 

[TweederGMU]

Interesting article on Brown pulling him and his co-worker from GT - who later became his wife.

https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/georgia-tech-losing-two-senior-administrators-to-brown/AOYGYAQOUVDGZM22OKEXLSBUNY/