Yow’s preference and Paul Hewitt’s departure from Georgia Tech

Given her druthers, you will see Debbie Yow attempt to find ways to prolong the announcement of Coach Lowe’s imminent departure from NC State for as long as she can. As we alluded to in this conversation, NC State would like as little time – and therefore media attention -to exist between Lowe’s ‘official’ departure and the hiring of the next coach.

The prospective coaches that comprise the current ‘list’ that serve as Yow’s ‘top tier’ will all be playing basketball at least through next weekend. So, it will be of benefit for all potential parties to create as little of attention to each other as possible.

At this point, we don’t have any reason to believe that Georgia Tech’s job opening will have an impact on ours or our potential candidate pool. That could change. We will let you know.

While you are here…we think you would enjoy reading this entry and also spending some valuable time on our vibrant message forums.

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Paul Hewitt has been let go at Georgia Tech.

According to sources, the Yellow Jackets coach – who has spent the past 11 years at the school – was informed of the decision this morning.

Hewitt finished his career with a 190-162 mark and led Georgia Tech to the national championship game back in 2004.

The Yellow Jackets were 13-18 overall this past season and 5-11 in ACC play. They lost to Virginia Tech in the first round of the league tournament.

Hewitt had an opportunity to take the St. John’s job last offseason, but turned it down to remain at Georgia Tech.

There was some thought that Hewitt would be retained since he is owed $7.2 million and the school is rebuilding Alexander Memorial Coliseum. However, athletic director Dan Radekovich decided to part ways with Hewitt – who signed a contract after getting to the national title game that included an automatic rollover.

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127 Responses to Yow’s preference and Paul Hewitt’s departure from Georgia Tech

  1. TomCat 03/12/2011 at 11:22 PM #

    I’ll go ahead and say it… Wasn’t Sean Miller here with Herb Sendek?… and on Sendek’s staff– at NC State when the relationship between Herb and our fans began getting ugly?

    Sean was here for most of the unraveling before making a less-than lateral move… and it wasn’t pretty. That time wasn’t the most flattering reflection on many.

    Isn’t there significant likelihood Miller may harbor animosity from that experience and the way his guy Sendek (who gave him the bulk of his coaching bones) — was exited? It’s a fair question and I’m surprised the thought here is that simply money would make all that forgotten. Miller most certainly knows NC State in the Clint Eastwood way… the good, the bad- and the ugly.

  2. Old MacDonald 03/12/2011 at 11:28 PM #

    TomCat: No, none of that is aproblem.

  3. turfpack 03/12/2011 at 11:47 PM #

    Well…..I don’t care that much about rumors or hearsay so….call
    me when it’s MILLER TIME!…DRINKS ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. bmamba101 03/13/2011 at 12:33 AM #

    Just don’t mess around with that coach from Harvard. Any top high school team could win in that league. We need another lucky hire such as Coach V, ‘Storming’ Norman, the Gray Fox, etc. But none of those are out there. Joe from Louisville would be a great hire. Donavan of Florida would be a long shot to suceed. The guy from Memphis would be a better hire than Tubby Smith. Both would probably lead us to trouble, but Smith more likely to cause us major problems. I don’t understand the idol worship of Yow. What has she done for Maryland in football, basketball, baseball, or soccer? She’s no Messiah. We’re going to hope she’s right, but she stands a better chance of making a poor to mediocre choice just as most AD’s would do. A contract should be at least for four years so the coach can have his first classes to be pretty experienced by then if he can perform a miracle and keep his players from being ‘two and out’ guys. Be ready to open that checkbook too!

  5. lush 03/13/2011 at 1:32 AM #

    ^ was there a point to any of that rambling?

    That post just killed more of my brain cells that huffing a nitrous balloon

  6. werncstate 03/13/2011 at 3:05 AM #

    I don’t get the Sean Miller lovefest. No doubt he will fair better than sid did but he is from the Sendek coaching tree. I would much rather pick a fruit from the coach K tree. Chris Collins would be a good hire. He talks just like K and looks a little like him. If nothing else he would create confusion on the recruiting trail. Maybe state could get some studs that aren’t that bright who thought they were committing to duke.

  7. Wufpacker 03/13/2011 at 3:55 AM #

    I don’t know too much about Collins, aside from the fact that every time Duke pounded us during his playing days, he always had the most smug s#!t eating grin of any of their players. I realize that is not a good reason to exclude him and of itself, but it is a little hard to get past.

    I think Sean Miller has proven that he is NOT a coach in the mold of Sendek. And it’s not like the student always becomes the perfect clone of their mentor. Hell, Sendek’s mentor was Pitino….if he had been a bit more like Pitino we probably aren’t having this conversation right now.

    Sean Miller had the luck to land a job with the program that his brother just happened to be a part of as a player. It wasn’t his fault that the coach of said program would turn out to be unable to coach an offense (or hang a banner).

  8. eas 03/13/2011 at 7:49 AM #

    ^^
    If he had a Patino white suit he would have never left. I would love to have Patino by the way.

  9. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/13/2011 at 8:03 AM #

    My Collin’s comment was only after saying if State does not hit a grand slam with a new hire.

    Is Miller a grand slam? Maybe. Is he worth 3 million a year? Maybe. Is he a risk at that cost? For sure. Just think of a future need of a 2 or 3 year buyout at $6-9 million a few years down the road.

    The PAC 10 Championship would of cost State at least another .5 million, thank goodness AZ choked!

    Outside of the two or three coaches that would give NC State instant national recognition, I like Collins more than just about any of the other names mentioned. I see no reason to hire some guy with no ACC or regional connections. I would prefer Collins to someone like Gregg Marshall. Just a personal preference because I think Collins has a higher potential to be a great coach.

    To compare Collins to Ford or Lowe is a little extreme. Ford was much older and from UNC, Lowe had a a very poor NBA head coaching record, with no college coaching experience or degree.

    We know Collins has no love lost for UNC. I think State would be short-sighted to require the next NC State coach to hate both UNC and Duke. And hats off to Lowe for showing class and following Yow’s lead to make this a smooth transition. I agree that the shorter time without a coach the better for the program. If Lowe silently stays in place knowing he is out, he is doing what is best for State and shows a lot of heart. How many people would sit around waiting for the ax?

    For Collins, taking the NC State job would pretty much lock him out forever to be head at Duke. But the idea that he will ever be the head at Duke is a crap shoot. Would a top rated Duke take an “unproven” assistant with no head experience if NC State wouldn’t? Does Collins want to sit next to K for another 5 years?

    I’m not arguing that State should hire Collins, but I do believe he would make an interesting choice over a lot of the other 2nd tier coaches being mentioned.

    From what I have read about Yow, I’m sure she will make a well thought out choice. Only time will tell if she makes right choice.

  10. Wulfpack 03/13/2011 at 9:08 AM #

    Sean Miller is NOT Herb Sendek. Since he landed in Tucson, he has done nothing but whip Herb Sendek’s ass. The pupil is schooling the tutor — it isn’t even close. If you want a good young coach that is doing it right now with a connection to NCSU, Miller is your guy. And with Sean you get Archie as well, which is just icing on the cake. This is a no brainer if you ask me.

  11. old13 03/13/2011 at 9:22 AM #

    I think nepotism rules would prevent Archie from assisting Sean at State.

  12. old13 03/13/2011 at 9:28 AM #
  13. 61Packer 03/13/2011 at 10:48 AM #

    I can’t believe there are so many posters on here who think Chris Collins should be considered for the NCSU position IF it becomes available. Why would we want a former player and coach at one of our biggest rivals heading our basketball program? He doesn’t have head coaching experience and in my opinion isn’t even the most promising assistant on that staff (I think Wojo is).

    Having “Duke” on your resume doesn’t guarentee success, either. Just ask the folks at Missouri what they think of Quin Snyder.

    Like I said earlier, just give me a new coach who ditches this godawful brand of streetball that’s ruined our program for the past two decades. You want talent? How’s this little Leslie thingie working out these days? I want someone who’s committed to our school for 3 or 4 years, not a bunch of NBA wannabees. I don’t care about highlight dunks, just give me someone who can consistently drain a 15-footer and actually plays on BOTH ends of the court.

  14. Packfan28 03/13/2011 at 10:51 AM #

    The Duke assistant discussion has been done before. Go through the list of all K’s assistants who became head coaches, and look at the success they have had. It is not a good track record. As a matter of fact, it is just plain awful.

  15. NCSU84 03/13/2011 at 11:23 AM #

    tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc Says, “I would prefer Collins to someone like Gregg Marshall. Just a personal preference because I think Collins has a higher potential to be a great coach”

    And then he states, “But the idea that he (Collins) will ever be the head at Duke is a crap shoot. Would a top rated Duke take an “unproven” assistant with no head experience if NC State wouldn’t?”

    If Duke will not hire him, why would we?

  16. JEOH2 03/13/2011 at 11:25 AM #

    btw, why do people always refer to SM as Herb’s pupil…I suppose just because it fits their argument that he’s not a good fit…

    seems like people seem to forget that SM’s last assistant coaching gig was under the guy who currently has the Number 1 team in the country…

  17. old13 03/13/2011 at 11:47 AM #

    ^ I believe yoou’re thinking of Archie. SM went from Herb’s assistant to HC at Xavier to HC at Arizona.

  18. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/13/2011 at 12:03 PM #

    “If Duke will not hire him, why would we?”

    I don’t know that Duke wouldn’t hire him. But the difference would be clear to anyone that has followed basketball for the last 20 years.

    Duke as had one of the best programs in the country and will be able to get just about anyone they want when K leaves. They may go the Coach Gut route and hire a long-time assistant but they may not.

    State has had one of the worst programs in the country for the last 20 years.

    Don’t get me wrong. I would love a star coach to come to State and Miller would be a solid hire for State, but hardly a name that would shock the basketball world.

  19. Rochester 03/13/2011 at 12:20 PM #

    ^^Miller was an assistant at Xavier for three years under Matta. When Matta left, Miller took over. His first year as head coach was 2004-05.

    He may not come to NC State, but I’m solidly in the camp that would love it if he did. Great track record. And you can’t downgrade him because he once worked under Sendek. That’s ridiculous. Assistant coaches don’t set the tone at most programs. Pitino didn’t run the weave and heave when Herb was an assistant for him, did he?

  20. bradleyb123 03/13/2011 at 12:23 PM #

    I’ll start by saying I don’t care WHO we get, as long as he’s a great coach. But I don’t really like the idea of bringing in one of the ex-Duke players-turned-coaches. It would just look bad to me. We went with one of our own and failed miserably. So it would look like we’re giving in and going with one of Duke’s own, hoping to succeed. It would just “feel like” we’re admitting Duke is superior to us on every level. So I don’t like it, even if that’s true.

    But if the next coach wins, I will get over that very quickly!

  21. bradleyb123 03/13/2011 at 12:30 PM #

    Last night, Sean’s team lost to an unranked opponent in the PAC-10 championship game. Now I’m not saying Sean did a bad job coaching. They hit big shots when they needed to, and so did their opponent. It was like a couple of titans going at it, and Washington prevailed.

    But I’d be lying if I didn’t say shades of Herb popped into my mind… blowing a championship game like that. I mean, he was an assistant under Herb. I really wanted him to win that championship so I wouldn’t have to think those thoughts.

    But I’d take him. Just thought it was a little uncanny.

  22. 98st8 03/13/2011 at 12:33 PM #

    1998… GT does have a plan… the plan was to fire PH before the 15th of March, when his contract automatically rolled over. To say that don’t have a plan because they fired him yesterday shows you don’t know their situation…

  23. triadwolf 03/13/2011 at 12:54 PM #

    We WILL NOT be hiring an assistant coach this time around. Get Chris Collins out of your mind, it’s not even going to be considered.

  24. JEOH2 03/13/2011 at 1:13 PM #

    old13, he was an assistant under Thad Matta…

  25. Pack1998 03/13/2011 at 1:15 PM #

    98st8 . . . no worries . . thanks for pointing out that you knew the facts of the contract situation with Hewitt.

    The knowledge of their March 15th contract sitaution does not justify they have a plan though. A plan is not just to fire a coach, it consists of firing and hiring.

    Also, I’m allowed my opinion that March 15th is a bad date for a rolling contract approval, my consultation would be to do it after the last NCAA game of the year.

    Please provde the facts for Lowe’s contract situation if you have them.

    Cheers.

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