Paul Hewitt hews path from birds to bees
'85 Fisher graduate a true success for the Yellowjackets
By Mike Spier
Last Updated:8:36 PM EST 4/24/08 Section: Sports
Hewitt finally got a chance to lead a team when he went to Siena to become head coach in 1997. In the 1999-2000 season, his final at Siena, Hewitt was named the MAAC Coach of the Year after leading the Saints to a 24-9 record.
"After coaching at Siena, I got a pretty good feel for what it took to be a head Division I basketball coach," Hewitt said.
Georgia Tech thought so too.
On April 6, 2000, Hewitt was named Georgia Tech's 12th head basketball coach after posting a 66-27 mark as the head coach at Siena.
"I was more nervous than excited," he said. "The first thing I had to do was a press conference. While they're great for the media and fans, it's just like a wedding. Everyone likes going to the wedding and having the honeymoon but after that you have to be married. That's when the real work started."
In Hewitt's fourth season, Georgia Tech made a deep run through the bracket. With the likes of Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder and Will Bynum, they went all the way to the National Championship game.
"Watching the entire Georgia Tech community rally behind that team was the best part of what happened that year," Hewitt said. "To this day we all remain very close to each other."
This previous season, the Yellowjackets were plagued with injuries and lost Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittendon to the NBA draft. Georgia Tech finished with a 15-17 overall record and 7-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference
"We had a good year but I probably overscheduled because we had the second hardest schedule in the country," Hewitt said.
Hewitt is pretty confident for what is on deck for his Georgia Tech program.
"I really feel confident that in the next three to five years we're going to make another run to get back to where we were in 2004."
Despite being at so many colleges and having been away from Rochester for so long, it is still evident that St. John Fisher red is still running through Hewitt's veins.
"I think about St. John Fisher all the time and I have an awful a lot of gratitude for it because it prepared me well for my life after college."
And to prove he still has allegiance:
"Make sure to go and beat Nazareth next year."
"After coaching at Siena, I got a pretty good feel for what it took to be a head Division I basketball coach," Hewitt said.
Georgia Tech thought so too.
On April 6, 2000, Hewitt was named Georgia Tech's 12th head basketball coach after posting a 66-27 mark as the head coach at Siena.
"I was more nervous than excited," he said. "The first thing I had to do was a press conference. While they're great for the media and fans, it's just like a wedding. Everyone likes going to the wedding and having the honeymoon but after that you have to be married. That's when the real work started."
In Hewitt's fourth season, Georgia Tech made a deep run through the bracket. With the likes of Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder and Will Bynum, they went all the way to the National Championship game.
"Watching the entire Georgia Tech community rally behind that team was the best part of what happened that year," Hewitt said. "To this day we all remain very close to each other."
This previous season, the Yellowjackets were plagued with injuries and lost Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittendon to the NBA draft. Georgia Tech finished with a 15-17 overall record and 7-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference
"We had a good year but I probably overscheduled because we had the second hardest schedule in the country," Hewitt said.
Hewitt is pretty confident for what is on deck for his Georgia Tech program.
"I really feel confident that in the next three to five years we're going to make another run to get back to where we were in 2004."
Despite being at so many colleges and having been away from Rochester for so long, it is still evident that St. John Fisher red is still running through Hewitt's veins.
"I think about St. John Fisher all the time and I have an awful a lot of gratitude for it because it prepared me well for my life after college."
And to prove he still has allegiance:
"Make sure to go and beat Nazareth next year."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Tech fan
posted 4/25/08 @ 3:38 AM EST
Hewitt is the man. Really liked the quotes he gave
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