SB Nation DC - Paul Hewitt Hired As George Mason Basketball Coach, Vows To Continue Program's Success

George Mason Basketball Makes Safe Move In Hiring Paul Hewitt, But Is It Right Move?

2011-05-04T15:40:35Z

On Monday, George Mason University announced their new basketball coach, former Siena and Georgia Tech head man Paul Hewitt. Hewitt will be stepping into the very big shoes left by Jim Larranaga's departure for the University of Miami job. Perhaps Paul can shoot Jim a text and let him know what the accommodations are like in the ACC cellar. Whoops, looks like I couldn't last a paragraph before letting you know how I feel about this hire.

I'm not here to bash Paul Hewitt. I don't know Paul Hewitt at all. From all accounts, he's a bright , well-rounded guy. Sure, I've never seen the guy smile, but maybe he just hasn't been told the right joke yet.

But regardless of his character and personality, I just don't understand why Mason would hire Hewitt. Perhaps I am being too hard on GMU Athletic Director Tom O'Connor, but I guess I expected more from him when he chose a coach to replace Fairfax legend Jim Larranaga. This was the time for the AD to make a bold move and perhaps hire a young up-and-comer along the lines of VCU replacing Anthony Grant with Shaka Smart two years ago. He didn't.

O'Connor will say Hewitt is exactly what he wanted all along: a established, respected head coach and a leader. Everything written about Hewitt in the past week says he fits that bill. But still, this just seems like the safe move, the easy move. There's nothing exciting in this hire. Whether you were a Jim Larranaga fan or not, you have to admit the Mason basketball program did not lack for excitement or enthusiasm over the last decade-plus.

Again, I have nothing against Hewitt. I saw his Siena teams play many times at the Knickerbocker, nee Pepsi, Arena in downtown Albany when he was there. He won 71 percent of his games at the MAAC school, so you're not gonna hear me mock a 66-27 record at a mid major. But that was over a decade ago, and the MAAC is not the CAA.

His time at Georgia Tech is of course more troubling. Hewitt was a middling 190-162 at the school, just 71-104 in conference play. The Yellow jackets finished above .500 in ACC play just once during his tenure, the year Hewitt's club lost in the NCAA Championship Game. Three years ago Tech was an abysmal 2-14 in conference play. There was zero energy around the team and program. Tech games were painful to watch on television - you'd see bigger crowds at a Yahoo Serious film festival.

But enough with all the uplifting news about the new hire. Let's hear from the head man himself:

"This is probably the only place I would’ve done it this fast," Hewitt said Monday at a news conference introducing him as the ninth coach in program history. "I don’t mind saying, I was a little beat up after my last run, but that’s part of the game. This was just too good to turn down."

Hmmmmm. So, yeah, his thought process in a nutshell: "I just got fired, was going to go on vacation, but hey, you know what, Mason will be good next year (the Patriots return four starters from a 27-win NCAA tournament team), so sure, I'll take this job."

I mean, tepid enthusiasm anyone? Paul, I need to see some pep and energy out of you. How 'bout being fired up another school gave you a chance so soon after you were rather unceremoniously dumped? How 'bout some cliched coach-speak about how excited you are for Midnight Madness? Something, anything ... Bueller, Bueller ...

Listen, I hope it works out for Hewitt at Mason. I do. But anytime a former employer spends two years raising seven million dollars in order to fire an employee, and that employee just happens to be your new head basketball coach, it gives you something to ponder before the season begins.

Paul Hewitt Press Conference: New George Mason Coach Stresses Desire For 'Continuity'

2011-05-02T18:52:55Z

New George Mason basketball coach Paul Hewitt was introduced in a press conference on Monday afternoon, his first public comments since being named the Patriots' basketball coach on Saturday. Hewitt, of course, replaces Jim Larranaga, a beloved figure locally who bolted to Miami after 14 years in Fairfax.

During his remarks, Hewitt stressed the importance of maintaining as much continuity as possible, given the Patriots' success last season and all their returning players. He said he told the players that it was important to "keep the culture you guys established."

"This year, it's important we maintain some sense of continuity. When you win 27 games, you don't want to change too much," he said.

Hewitt said he began the process the Tuesday before he was hired, and met with University president Alan Merten on Thursday before deciding to take the job. He said he "traded one paradise for another," referencing a planned vacation to St. Martin's over the weekend that had to get canceled, and added that this was the only job he would have considered after being fired from Georgia Tech.

Hewitt added that he will "take his time" filling out his coaching staff, and said he plans to recruit as vigorously as ever.

"We want to win and we want to win big. I don't think there's any reason why we should take a backseat to anyone." "The one thing I feel very confident we can do is, we're going to be able to recruit."

He added that he talked to Larranaga briefly and will speak with him again later.

Athletic Director Tom O'Connor said he was looking for a "good communicator" first and foremost, and that he feels he has that in Hewitt.

(Quotes via the GoMason.com live stream).

Paul Hewitt Hired As New George Mason Basketball Coach, According To Report

2011-04-30T17:32:10Z

The George Mason Patriots have made a very surprising hire in the wake of losing longtime coach Jim Larranaga to the University of Miami. Paul Hewitt, the former Georgia Tech head coach that was fired earlier this winter, has verbally accepted the job, according to FOX Sports' Jeff Goodman.

Paul Hewitt will replace Jim Larranaga at George Mason.

Hewitt, who was let go at Georgia Tech in March, interviewed for the job earlier in the week and verbally accepted the offer on Saturday, multiple industry sources told FOXSports.com.

It's a very surprising hire because Hewitt has been labeled an underachieving coach for not having a lot of success at Georgia Tech since reaching the Final Four in 2004. He is certainly an outstanding recruiter, but has had trouble translating that to results on the court. Georgia Tech also elected to fire him despite owing him a significant amount of money if they did so. Nevertheless, he did have a 190-162 record in 11 seasons at Georgia Tech, and he certainly brings a big-conference reputation to the school.

George Mason is expected to be a very good team next year, losing only Cam Long from their main rotation.

Jim Larranaga's Departure From George Mason Seems Like A Script We've Seen Before

2011-04-25T15:54:14Z

By now, the departure of Jim Larannaga from George Mason University has been dissected from every angle imaginable. Which is impressive, because the news that Coach L was leaving Fairfax for the University of Miami broke just last Thursday. By Friday evening, the winningest coach in school and conference history was being announced as the Hurricanes new head coach, ending a 14 year run at Mason that saw the program climb to unseen heights, highlighted of course by their epic Final Four run of 2006.

But what really happened? Why did Larranaga leave the school he called his dream job three years ago when turning down his alma mater Providence to stay at the Colonial Athletic Association powerhouse?

Opinions and theories abound, and there are fervent supporters of each. Did Shaka Smart's pay raise to $1.2 million a year at VCU cause Larranaga to demand the same sort of increase? Was the coach truly excited about the opportunity to coach in a power conference like the ACC and prove his mettle above the mid major level? (I'm not calling the coach *ahem* disingenuous, but let's just say I don't always buy his public persona). Did Larranaga and George Mason A.D. Tom O'Connor have a strained relationship that fueled this surprise breakup?

Well, to be honest, the answers to those questions vary greatly depending on who you ask, so I'll tell you what I think. Very simply, in my humble opinion, Jim Larranaga leaving George Mason for The U was an employee/employer relationship dissolving.

This is something that happens in everyday life to everyday people. But sometimes as sports fans, we forget "Division 1 Mens College Basketball Coach" is a job, just like "Marketing Drone Who Sits In a Cube." Larranaga probably wanted more from his job, be it money for himself, money for his assistants or quicker completion of the school's athletic facilities. His employer probably felt they offered a fair compensation package, within their organizational structure, and presented it as so. Ultimately, the employee felt it was time to take a better job elsewhere, for whatever the reasons. This isn't the first time this happened in the history of employment, nor is it the last.

And it most certainly is not the most entertaining. Here are some better ones:

I seem to remember a similar long and successful run for Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, one that no one saw ending so suddenly either. I mean, at least Larranaga didn't throw Tom O'Connor down the reactor shaft of the Death Star.
While we're on the sci-fi kick, Robocop did a damn good job maintaining Old Detroit, only to have his employer (OCP) and boss (Dick Jones) decide his services were no longer valued the way they were in the past. Larranaga/O'Connor didn't end nearly as violently as that one, riiiiight?
Perhaps a better example would be Coach L in the role of Clark Griswold, waiting on the Christmas bonus to buy his assistants a new pool. Tom O'Connor delivered him a fruitcake last Friday morning. I'm chuckling right now imaging Larranaga delivering Clark's epic monologue when he saw GMU and O'Connor's offer.
Last one, I promise: Larranaga could've grabbed his stapler and torched IniTech Milton Waddams-style on his way to the beach, but it appears he left the Fairfax campus is pretty nice condition as he high-tailed it out of town.

OK, all the nonsense above aside, the truth of the matter is this saga is over and done with. Honestly, everybody wins in the long run. Larranaga gets to head off to Miami, seemingly happy about his choice to lead the Hurricanes' basketball program out of ACC obscurity. George Mason gets to hire an up-and-coming young coach to lead a team entering next season with high expectations (rightfully so). The ending of this saga is a win-win for all involved, something you can't always say about the termination of most boss/employee relationships.

Jim Larranaga Downplays Rift With Tom O'Connor, Says Miami Basketball Began Courting Him April 11

2011-04-25T15:45:22Z

Former George Mason basketball coach and current Miami basketball head coach Jim Larranaga joined "The Sports Junkies" on 106.7 The Fan, making his first public comments locally since accepting the Miami job on Friday. Larranaga said he began talking to Miami on April 11 and did everything he could to shoot down the reports that he had a rift with George Mason athletic director Tom O'Connor.

Larranaga sort of sidestepped the O'Connor question several times, before finally answering "No" when asked whether his relationship with O'Connor was like the notoriously rocky one between Maryland's Gary Williams and former AD Debbie Yow.

"The fact of the matter is, I loved George Mason. I loved working at the University. I love the friendships my wife and I have been able to develop. I loved living close to my son and his family," Larranaga said. "... But now, I have an opportunity to do something different, and I'm excited about it. I've invited my coaching staff to join me, and I'm just looking forward. I'm not looking back."

Larranaga said he expected this to be his final coaching job, though he added that he expected George Mason would be his last job too. He also admitted that University President Alan Merten's decision to step down after 2012 was a factor in his decision to bolt to Miami. Larranaga has had a very close relationship with Merten over the years.

"He called me and informed me of his decision. At that point in time, I had never even considered anything else," Larranaga admitted." But with that being said, the Miami situation hadn't materialized either."

Larranaga also admitted that VCU's decision to keep Shaka Smart and pay him a reported $1.2 million per season changed the game for him and any other mid-major coach.

"In my mind, one of the things that does is it sends a message to all CAA school and all mid-Major schools who want to compete at a high level that there's going to be a demand on coaches that are going to accomplish those things," he said.

Finally, Larranaga encouraged his former George Mason players to stick with it for whoever becomes the program's new head coach.

"I left a great group of guys, and it's very, very hard to leave them. But they know, after winning the regular-season title this year that in all the ridiculously early preseason polls, they're in the Top 25. So the cupboard is not bare, and the run will continue."

You can listen to the entire interview here.

Jim Larranaga Press Conference Recap: Larranaga Introduced As Miami Basketball Coach

2011-04-22T23:28:49Z

The Jim Larranaga press conference was held today as the former George Mason head coach took to the podium at 7 p.m. to accept his new position at the University of Miami as well as take questions from the assembled media.

"Jim is a man of great character who will be a first class ambassador for the University of Miami, this athletic department and the basketball program," Miami athletic director Shawn Eichorst said while introducing Larranaga at Friday's press conference and allowing the coach of George Mason for the past 14 years to head up to the stage.

"I'm very excited to be here," Larranaga began with a smile. "There's no question about that."

"I would like to begin by telling you that the last 14 years of my life have been wonderful. GMU is a great institution," Larranaga said. "The players I leave behind at George Mason are an incredible group of young men. When I told those players I was going to become the head of the U, everyone hugged me and wished me well and I would do the same for them."

During his opening remarks, Larranaga also mentioned that Florida is a hotbed for talented basketball players, noting that two of the five George Mason starters this season -- Cam Long and Mike Morrison -- came from Florida.

Though Larranaga looked back at his days with George Mason to begin the press conference, he also looked forward to his days with the Hurricanes.

"This opportunity is very important for me. I have a set of beliefs that is best described with a quote from Confucius: Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life," Larranaga said. "That's what I did! I came to Miami because it's a great opportunity. It's our opportunity now to get behind the program and do something very special."

Most surprisingly was the amount of talent Larranaga believes Miami has after the team went 21-15 last season while finishing their with a loss in the third round of the NIT Tournament.

"I'm leaving behind a preseason Top 25 team," Larranaga said. "But I wouldn't have left if I didn't feel we had that caliber of talent already at the U."

While taking questions from the media, Larranaga was asked why now? Why after 14 years at George Mason would a 61-year-old head coach take the Hurricanes job after leading the Patriots to quite a few respectable seasons.

In Larranaga's trademark style, he said "I'm crazy. I love a challenge. I love great opportunties and I love to be around great leaders."

Jim Larranaga Had Issues With George Mason's Athletic Director, According To Report

2011-04-22T21:18:47Z

Now that Jim Larranaga has officially left George Mason to take over the Miami basketball coaching job, more information is trickling out about what exactly caused him to leave the job he dutifully kept for 14 years. Part of it clearly is money, given that Larranaga is expected to earn double what he earned at George Mason. But it appears part of it might have been a conflict with his boss, athletic director Tom O'Connor.

In his press conference announcing the move, O'Connor said the two had a "terrific relationship." But a source tells Steven Goff of the Washington Post that wasn't exactly the case.

Since the Patriots' season ended, Larranaga and George Mason had been engaged in talks concerning a contract extension, university officials said. Larranaga also had conversations regarding improved contracts for his staff and enhancements to facilities at the school, and the talks between Larranaga and O'Connor at times got contentious, sources said.

The source said that "the relationship wasn't good" and "everybody knew it." Goff also notes that Larranaga was very close to outgoing president Alan G. Merten, and his decision to step down at the end of the 2012 year affected Larranaga's thinking.

Jim Larranaga's History Vs. Maryland Isn't Very Good

2011-04-22T19:21:33Z

Now that we know Jim Larranaga will indeed leave George Mason and become Miami's basketball head coach, it's time to consider the fact that he will be playing Maryland at least once every single year. A while back, we discussed how Maryland's recent history against Miami is abysmal, to the point where it defies explanation.

So for Terps fans: here's a bit of good news. The last time Jim Larranaga ever beat Maryland was when he was an assistant coach in the early 1980s at Virginia.

Since Larranaga took over the George Mason program in 1997, George Mason has played Maryland four times and lost all four of those games. Two of those games have come on neutral courts, with one coming in the NCAA Tournament. The other two came at Maryland. Of course, it's worth noting that none of those games happened after Larranaga took George Mason to the 2006 Final Four, but Terps fans need something to hang their hats on to try to get over the Miami curse, so whatever.

Here are the results for Larranaga vs. Maryland, via the Maryland media guide.

December 27, 1999: Maryland 69, George Mason 66
March 15, 2001 (NCAA Tournament first round): Maryland 83, George Mason 80.
November 25, 2003: Maryland 79, George Mason 64
December 4, 2004 (BB&T Classic): Maryland 78, George Mason 54