A New Form of Paradise

November 30, 2011   ·   4 Comments

After 11 seasons at Georgia Tech, Paul Hewitt thought he was done coaching college basketball for a while. Then he found his paradise at Mason.

by Cody Norman

Through chaos and uncertainty, true champions arise.

Paul Hewitt coached 11 seasons at Georgia Tech, compiling a 190-162 record and finishing 17th in all-time career victories. But, after several ineffective and chaotic seasons, he was dismissed from the program, mentally and physically drained, and uncertainty set in.

Hewitt needed a break. He and his wife planned a vacation to St. Maarten, a small paradise in the Caribbean, as they began adjusting to life without basketball. He knew almost immediately that he couldn’t leave the game that he had come to love, but thought he may be set to view the game in a different light.

Maybe he could get an opportunity in the NBA. Or maybe, just maybe, he could make the move to radio or television and talk about basketball without actually living it.

Nobody would have believed he would return to the bench so soon.

“College coaching was third on the list,” Hewitt said, “if it was even on the list. I was taking a year off.”

Then Mason called. After a brief courtship, paradise took a different form.

“I traded one paradise for another,” Hewitt said. “This is one of the best jobs in the league.”

Just months after his dismissal from Georgia Tech, there he was, sitting in front of an excited crowd to be introduced as the ninth men’s coach in Patriots history.

Even though his coaching resume speaks for itself, it was Hewitt’s personality that drew athletic director Tom O’Connor to Hewitt.

“He’s a tremendous human being,” O’Connor said. “I know he’s a great X and O guy, but he has the whole package.”

Away from the court, Hewitt became deeply involved with the Atlanta community. He conducts an annual golf outing and auction to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta. He also serves on the board of directors for Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out for Children (H.E.R.O.), which organizes activities and benefits HIV-infected children and Camp Twin Lakes, which works with children with serious illnesses and special needs.

“When you have an opportunity to give back, I think you should,” Hewitt said. “You owe it to yourself, as well as the profession, to be as active as possible.”

Because of his personality and direction, Hewitt made a name for himself as a natural recruiter. He attracted some of the top players – players like Chris Bosh, Jarrett Jack and Thaddeus Young – to Georgia Tech over his 11 seasons.

He maintains a relationship with each of those players, refusing to let go of that family bond even in the toughest of times.

“When you sign them and they come to play for you, you’re signing them for life,” Hewitt said. “There are going to be some times that test that togetherness. But when tough times are around, that’s when you’ve got to be there.”

Coming from the ACC, one of the premier conferences in college basketball, he believes that the lines of disparity between conferences has nearly vanished. While he likely will not get the same one-and-done players he courted at Georgia Tech, Hewitt will now have the opportunity to develop his young players.

“One thing I’ve always emphasized is player development,” Hewitt said. “I want to make sure these guys are prepared for life after college basketball, whatever that may be, because there is something after basketball for them.”

Regardless, Hewitt won’t lower his expectations. He will go after the best players and aim for the highest rung as Mason and the CAA increase their notoriety throughout the nation.

During his time at Sienna College, Hewitt legitimized the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and led his group into the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2000. After moving to Georgia Tech, Hewitt guided the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA Championship in 2004, something no other coach in Mason history can boast.

Upon coming to Fairfax, he inherited a team with experienced veterans. He was handed a roster that returned three starters from last year’s 27-win team, won the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title and reached the NCAA tournament before losing to top-seed Ohio State.

“I studied the roster before coming here. I talked to a lot of people in the league,” Hewitt said. “Jim [Larranaga] left a great team.”

Unlike Larranaga, Hewitt brings an offensive philosophy that allows for an up-tempo, fast-paced style of play. He encourages his team to push the ball up the floor, giving them the first seven seconds of the shot clock to run in transition.

“I have found that most players would prefer to play in that system,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt’s style will play right into the strengths of his team, allowing seniors Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison to use their size, strength and athleticism to get out in space.

And even through all of the chaos and uncertainty this offseason, Mason landed a true champion in Paul Hewitt.

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