Paul Hewitt To Replace Jim Larranaga As George Mason Basketball Coach, According To Report

Paul Hewitt has agreed to become the next head coach of George Mason Patriots basketball, according to a very confident report by FOX Sports' Jeff Goodman, who's been right multiple steps along the way in the Hewitt story. GMU lost coach Jim Larranaga to the Miami Hurricanes earlier this month.

Far be it from us to chortle and guffaw at this reported coaching hire -- hee hee! -- as perhaps Hewitt simply needs a change of scenery and adjusted expectations to again find success in college basketball. Perhaps a more realistic and sane contract will help keep Mason fans on his side, because Alexander Memorial Coliseum's windswept seats last season demonstrated just about how sour a fanbase can get.

But, again -- Hewitt has been a very successful coach before, coming within a half-dozen plays of a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets national championship and is a strong recruiter with ACC experience. In all seriousness and attempted maturity, this could be an excellent coaching pickup on the relative cheap.

For more GMU, join SB Nation DC. For more Jackets, join From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Adds Josh Postorino To Staff

Brian Gregory's new staff is filling out quickly. Georgia Tech announced today that he has hired Josh Postorino to join Chad Dollar as assistants. 

Like Dollar, Postorino brings experience coaching and recruiting in the south. He was an assistant for three years at Clemson and in all three years the Tigers made the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, he was director of basketball operations at Depaul for Oliver Purnell. 

Postorino played at Dayton, Gregory's former school, from 1995-99 under Purnell and then joined the coaching staff in 2000. When Purnell was replaced by Gregory and went to Clemson, Postorino took an assistant coaching position at Marshall for four years before joining Purnell again at Clemson in 2007. 

"I'm honored and excited to join Coach Gregory's staff at Georgia Tech," said Postorino in Tech's press release. "Georgia Tech is one of the top institutions in the country academically and athletically. This is a great opportunity to come back to the South and back to the ACC, which I'm very familiar with, and I look forward to helping bring Tech back to the top."    

Chad Dollar Joins Brian Gregory's Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Staff

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brian Gregory has made his first addition to the new staff, announcing the hire of Chad Dollar from Wichita State. The new assistant is from Atlanta which will pay huge dividends in the recruiting battles. 

Dollar coached at Wichita State last year and helped lead them to an NIT Championship. The Shockers finshed second in the Missouri Valley and went 29-8 overall. His other coaching experience has been at Arkansas State, LSU, Murray State, Georgia Southern, Eastern Kentucky, and Western Carolina.

Perhaps his greatest benefit to the staff will be his knowledge of the recruiting trails in the southeast. Gregory has never coached in the south, and needed to hire someone that has. Dollar not only coached at Georgia Southern, but he also played high school basketball in Atlanta at Douglass High School.

Dollar brings a long coaching resume and strong recruiting connections in the south, both making him a great addition to the Georgia Tech staff.  

Julian Royal Staying With Georgia Tech Basketball After Brian Gregory Hire

Coach Brian Gregory has only been on the job as head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for a few days, and he already has a marquee win in the recruiting battles. Julian Royal from Milton High School previously had committed to the Yellow Jackets under Paul Hewitt, and confirmed that commitment on Thursday to Gregory. 

Royal, the leading scorer on the star-studded Milton roster, never seemed to waiver throughout the coaching change but there were some concerns in the Tech fan base that he might reopen his recruiting under a new coach. 

Getting in contact with Georgia Tech's two basketball commits, Royal and Bobby Parks, was of high priority for Gregory after he was introduced on Monday. "I think both those guys coming in are quality players, and the minute this press conference is done, I'm going to make those two phone calls. I think that's important," said Gregory in his press conference. "Julian needs to know locally here that it's a great opportunity for him, and I'm excited about coaching him."

"I want to go to Georgia Tech for the same reasons I originally signed with them - It's great academics, it's a great basketball program, they play in the ACC, I like Atlanta ... I felt the new coach was still a good coach," Royal told the AJC.    

Coach Gregory called Royal immediately after the press conference on Monday and had an in-home visit with his family on Tuesday night. 

Brian Gregory, New Georgia Tech Basketball Coach: The Perfect Fit

Georgia Tech's new men's head basketball coach was introduced Monday by Dan Radakovich.

Could Mark Price Join Brian Gregory On Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Staff?

Brian Gregory's Georgia Tech Basketball Contract: Six Years, $6 Million According To Report

Brian Gregory’s contract to coach the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball team is a six-year, $1 million-per-year deal, according to WSB-TV’s Zach Klein. A long-term but frugal deal if accurate — the program was thought to be looking to spend in the $1.5 million-per-year range before this weekend’s deal went down.

Gregory was formally introduced Monday at a press conference on Tech’s campus.

The department had to go cheaper than many fans would’ve preferred, as they’re still on the hook for buyouts of the contracts of Paul Hewitt and former football coach Chan Gailey and are undergoing both an overhaul of their basketball arena and the construction of an indoor football practice facility.

Gregory’s last contract was a very long-term deal, extending his Dayton contract from 2009 through 2018. You can read the thoughts of rival fans on the matter of his most recent signing at a Xavier message board.

For more Georgia Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory, New Georgia Tech Basketball Coach, Officially Announced By School

Brian Gregory has been announced by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as their new basketball coach, eight hours after the Dayton Flyers confirmed the report of his new job. They’re engineers, people, not speed-typists.

In fairness, Tech does practice a more step-by-step approach to announcing new hires than most schools, preferring to wait until the deal is 100 percent solid before revealing. Athletic director Dan Radakovich:

“Brian Gregory is not only an outstanding basketball coach, but he is a tireless worker and recruiter who cares deeply about his players,” Radakovich said. “There is no question that he will succeed as basketball coach at Georgia Tech, and he will win by doing things the right way.”

Gregory is expected to be introduced at a 5 pm ET press conference, which can be streamed from the school’s athletics site or viewed on Fox 5 Atlanta.

For more Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Press Conference To Introduce Georgia Tech Basketball Coach Scheduled For 5 PM ET

Brian Gregory is expected to be introduced as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball coach at a 5 p.m. ET Monday press conference. "Expected to be" because the press release only heralds the conclusion of the coaching search, not the hiring of a particular coach. 

It'll be streamed live on the athletic department's site and likely Fox 5. Gregory is also expected to be on 790 The Zone some time after 6 p.m. ET.

Early reactions from Georgia Tech fans haven't been overwhelmingly positive, so this will be Gregory's first chance to win over a fan base that had soured on the previous coach, so it'll be interesting to see how he handles it.

Georgia Tech took an oddly long time to confirm the news, waiting hours after Gregory's previous employer, the Dayton Flyers, had already acknowledged his new position. Still, it's official now. It's official that Tech has scheduled a press conference about something related to basketball coaching.

Gregory arrives at Georgia Tech with a 172-94 career head coaching record, all of which came d ituring his time in Dayton. He secured three NIT berths, including a championship run, and a NCAA Tournament appearance. Born in Illinois, the 44-year-old played his college ball at Navy and Oakland before taking a Michigan State assistant job under Tom Izzo. He's also coached at Toledo and Northwestern.

For more on Georgia Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Georgia Tech, Dayton Basketball Fans React To Brian Gregory Hiring News

And now we seem to live in a world in which Dayton Flyers basketball coach Brian Gregory has become head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. How do the most important people involved feel about this?

Dayton fans at UDPride are split between strings of happy emoticons and “What you see as beautiful, I see as a dark stormy day.” There seems to be a sense that the Gregory era had run its course, and that though he had success and “raised the level of recruiting,” most Dayton fans are not disappointed to see him go.

Georgia Tech fans at The Hive aren’t quite so positive — though remember we’re talking about Georgia Tech fans at their Techiest, so there’s going to be a lot of arm-waving and fist-clenching and a UGA mention only 12 posts in. Many are supportive, but when the fourth post insists the team should’ve just kept Paul Hewitt, you know we’ve instantly hit Techcon 1. Things calmed down after that.

It could be that Daytoners are unfailingly polite, even on the internet, but it looks like most fans of either team would’ve preferred Gregory as the other message board’s concern. Still, there are definitely signs of excitement among Yellow Jackets fans and regret among Flyers fans.

For more Tech hoops, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Hired As Georgia Tech Basketball Coach, According To Dayton Flyers

Brian Gregory is the new Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head basketball coach, his former school confirmed Monday morning. No word yet from Georgia Tech, but that’s about as solid of a confirmation as you’re going to get. (Also, looks like Jeff Goodman was right.)

Dayton’s Twitter account:

It has been confirmed that Brian Gregory is taking a new coaching position at Georgia Tech. We wish BG and his family good luck.

According to the Dayton Daily News report, the program will hold a press conference Monday afternoon to introduce Gregory, who would become the 11th men’s basketball head coach in program history.

Up until the latest round of reports, Gregory’s story had been that he had not yet received an offer. Perhaps he received one very early this morning or very late last night. Either way, it looks just about certain that Gregory will be coaching the team at Philips Arena next season.

For more Georgia Tech hoops, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Agrees To Take Georgia Tech Basketball Job, According To Report

According to a report in the Dayton Daily News, Dayton coach Brian Gregory has agreed to become the head coach at Georgia Tech and will announce his decision later today in a news conference.

Gregory has been head coach of the Flyers since 2003 and has a record of 172-94 over that time. He has led the Flyers to the NCAA Tournament twice and won an NIT championship in 2010. Gregory served as an assistant coach to Tom Izzo at Michigan State from 1999-2003 before joining Dayton.

Georgia Tech reportedly interviewed Richmond coach Chris Mooney on Sunday before he signed a 10-year extension to remain with the Spiders after taking them to the sweet 16 this season.

Gregory will face a challenge of pumping life into a Georgia Tech program that has been up and down the last few seasons. With the team struggling and attendance sagging, Tech AD Dan Radakovich elected to replace Paul Hewitt who had been at the school for 11 seasons.

Tech will split next seasons home games between Philips Arena and Gwinnett Arena while the brand new McCamish Pavilion is constructed replacing Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

For more on the Yellow Jackets check out From the Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Denies Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Contract Offer, But Reports Persist

Brian Gregory, who's been rumored to be a part of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball coaching search for several days now, says he has "had conversations" with various schools about their open positions, but that he has not been offered yet.

Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman, however, is sticking with his earlier report that Gregory will take the Jackets job, though Goodman has adjusted his timeline. According to his latest, Gregory is expected to replace Paul Hewitt "within 48 hours." Goodman has hit one report and appears to have missed another so far in this story, so approach appropriately.

Of course, both Gregory and Goodman could be accurate here. There might not be an offer on the table, but one could be coming very soon. Or they could both be wrong! ORRRRR maybe Gregory has accepted an offer that has not yet been presented. Open your mind, man.

Unless Tech is holding out for Shaka Smart or Brad Stevens (the old "loser gets to coach the Yellow Jackets" match!), expect a hiring within the next five days. The program's self-imposed deadline was for a new coach to be named before the Final Four.

For more on Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Chris Mooney Signs Richmond Basketball Contract Extension

Cross a name off the potential list of coaches for Georgia Tech. According to Richmond Basketball's Twitter account, head coach Chris Mooney has signed a 10-year extension: 

The news was also posted by Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman and Doug Roberson. 

So where to now for the Jackets? According to internet rumors, the remaining names include Dayton's Brian Gregory, Tulsa's Doug Wojcik, and New Mexico's Craig Neal. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Tech Athletic Director Dan Radakovich doesn't wait another week to make a move and try to talk to VCU's Shaka Smart, or if he has a name up his sleeve that has not yet reached the internet rumor mill. 

Chris Mooney Interviewing Sunday For Georgia Tech Basketball Job, According To Report

According to John O'Connor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond head coach Chris Mooney is meeting with officials from Georgia Tech today. Mooney led the Spiders to a Sweet 16 appearance in this year's tournament. He has been rumored for a handful of openings over the past two seasons. 

A follow-up blog from O'Connor offers some news from the Richmond end:

The University of Richmond and basketball coach Chris Mooney seem close on Sunday to agreeing to a contract situation that will keep him at UR. Georgia Tech has an opening that Yellow Jackets' officials would like Mooney to fill.

But Mooney, 38, recently completed his sixth season at Richmond by guiding the Spiders to the Sweet 16, and will be rewarded by UR with an offer of boosted pay and an extended contract, as Georgia Tech pursues him to replace Paul Hewitt, who was fired.

Mooney signed a new contract with UR last April. That deal runs through 2016-17.

For more Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Julian Royal Waiting To Meet New Georgia Tech Basketball Coach

Lost amongst Georgia Tech's search for a new Basketball Coach is the status of its No. 1 recruit. Milton High's Julian Royal says that he will wait and meet the new coach before deciding on his future. Royal picked Tech over Georgia and many other schools during the early signing period this past fall. Now Royal's father says they are keeping an open line of communication with Tech's Athletic Director Dan Radakovich. 

“I have to admit that Dan Radakovich has been good about calling us regularly to say things are progressing. He hasn’t shared who the frontrunner is.

Royal went on to say that they had discussed the possibility of getting a release but was told by Radakovich that it was school policy not to grant a release before the new coach is chosen and all parties have the chance to sit down and talk. 

So to this point Julian Royal is waiting for the process to play itself out before deciding on his future. His dad did ad this other small caveat to the story.

“For right now, we’re better off with waiting. At the end of the day, my son really wants to attend Georgia Tech.”

For me that pretty much seals the deal. I think it is highly unlikely that any coach that Tech would hire would come in and not have a place on this team for Julian Royal especially given the team's lack of interior talent and depth. Particularly when that recruit is local and losing him could have ramifications in the future. 

Chris Mooney Interviewing For Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Job, According To Reports

Chris Mooney, head coach of the Richmond Spiders, was set to interview with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Saturday according to the Scout and Rivals outlets covering the program. The Scout site also reports the Brian Gregory report was false, meaning everybody’s reporting something different about the Dayton Flyers coach.

For a very detailed profile of Chris Mooney, visit our Missouri Tigers community, Rock M Nation.

Mooney is among the hottest items on the market after leading Richmond to consecutive NCAA Tournament bids, including a Sweet 16 appearance this year. His name might’ve popped up in Tech coaching search reports earlier, but he was detained by all the, you know, winning his team was doing.

By turning around the Richmond program, Mooney has shown he can win in the Southeast. He wouldn’t be the instant win with old-timers that a Craig Neal-Mark Price hire would be, but of course there’s a lot more to it than just making certain fans happy.

For more Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Brian Gregory Offered Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Job, According To Report

Brian Gregory, head coach of Dayton Flyers basketball, has been offered the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets job according to Sports By Brooks [ht From The Rumble Seat]. He’s been up for a number of jobs as of late, including the recently vacated Missouri Tigers job — read a very extensive Gregory profile at Mizzou blog Rock M Nation, matter of fact.

He’s not the most widely known name Tech could offer, but he’s had success at a small school, spent more than a decade as either a Tom Izzo assistant or associate, and played at Navy, thus fulfilling the requirement that all persons tied to Georgia Tech coaching jobs have Navy affiliations.

He’s gone 172-94 in his eight seasons at Dayton, recording two March Madness bids, a NCAA Tournament win, and a NIT title. His team was eliminated from the 2011 NIT by Bobby Cremins’ Charleston Cougars, calling the team well-coached before the matchup, so there’s another thin semi-Tech-related association if you’d like one.

Based on his bio, I can’t spot any apparent Southeastern connections in his background.

For more Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Doug Wojcik Interviewed With Georgia Tech Basketball Thursday, According To Report

Doug Wojcik, despite denying that he’d been contacted by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball regarding its head coaching position, reportedly interviewed with the school on Thursday, according to Sports By Brooks. The Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy Thursday reported that Wojcik was scheduled to interview that day.

If these reports from all over are accurate, so much for the idea that Tech has managed to keep a lid on most of its coaching search. Craig Neal and Mark Price are the other interviewees that have been reported at this point, though it would not be crazy to think Dan Radakovich was sort of rooting against Butler this week in hopes of having a chance to interview Brad Stevens.

Tech has just about a week left to hire a new coach, according to its own timeline goals. The Jackets have no comment about the latest Wojcik news.

For more on Georgia Tech basketball, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Doug Wojcik Denies Georgia Tech Basketball Coaching Job Interview

Doug Wojcik, Tulsa Golden Hurricanes basketball coach, was amused by reports that he was set to interview for the open Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets job. We were skeptical about the Wojcik report to begin with, and now the man himself says, “I haven’t heard anything.”

That leaves Craig Neal and/or Mark Price as the only coaches reportedly up for the Georgia Tech job. Either Dan Radakovich has his eye on a Neal/Price duo that would surely re-energize most of the veteran fanbase, or he’s doing a great job of keeping the rest of his coaching search quiet.

The goal as originally stated was to have a coach hired by the Final Four, which is now a mere week away. The out-of-nowhere, surprise coaching hire is a rare thing these days, so I’m starting to think the alumni tandem might be the move.

For more on Georgia Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Craig Neal (With Associate Mark Price) Set For Georgia Tech Basketball Interview, According To Report

Craig Neal, better known as “Noodles” during his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets playing days, will interview with the school regarding its head coaching vacancy, according to Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman. Goodman was the first to correctly report the firing of Paul Hewitt, so lend him your ear.

But wait, there’s more! According to Goodman, the package would include Mark Price as Neal’s associate head coach.

Neal is currently employed as New Mexico Lobos associate head coach. He’s also associate head coached Iowa Hawkeyes basketball to a rare period of excellence, bringing home a Big Ten title at one point. After his Tech playing career, he played in the NBA, CBA, and Europe before working as a NBA scout and assistant.

Neal and Price were teammates under Bobby Cremins in the mid-1980s, during perhaps the best extended stretch in Tech hoops history. Neal’s assists and steals totals rank among the best in program history.

For more on Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Mark Price, Kenny Anderson Express Interest In Georgia Tech Coaching Job, According To Reports

Super late on this piece of the Paul Hewitt story, but here it is in case you’ve also been slackin’: Mark Price is interested in becoming the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets next head coach, according to fellow Jackets legend Dennis Scott, and Kenny Anderson would like a role on the eventual coaching staff, according to Kenny Anderson.

While lack of Division I head coaching experience would make Price a risky hire, there’s lit’rally nobody who would get Yellow Jackets fans more excited about the future of the program than the return of perhaps its all-time best player. He has coached Duluth High School and Australia’s South Dragons, worked as an assistant under Bobby Cremins, and has consulted and/or trained with the Hawks, Celtics, and Grizzlies at various points over the past few years.

Anderson, Price’s greatest successor at the one-time Point Guard U and also perhaps the program’s best player ever, has acknowledged he wouldn’t exactly be a hot head coaching prospect, but says he just wants to be involved with the program in some way.

For more on Georgia Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Doug Wojcik To Interview For Georgia Tech Basketball Coach Job, According To Report

Doug Wojcik will interview with Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball about the head coaching spot recently vacated by Paul Hewitt, according to a report attributed to 680 The Fan’s Matt Chernoff. Wojcik is currently Tulsa Golden Hurricanes head coach, making Tulsa the center of Wednesday’s college basketball coaching rumors.

I don’t recall Chernoff breaking news all that often in the past, and his co-host, Chuck Oliver, has been wrong before about Peach State college sports. So take it for what it’s worth. Both Georgia Tech and Tulsa are declining to comment.

In six years with Tulsa, the former Navy point guard has gone 87-54, including a pair of NIT bids and a CBI title. He was also an assistant coach at Navy for a while and spent three years in the ACC as a North Carolina assistant. Oh, so he was a former Navy coach. I see where we’re going with this.

For more on Georgia Tech sports, visit From The Rumble Seat.

Paul Hewitt Fired, Says Georgia Tech Basketball Fans Should Be More 'Protective'

Paul Hewitt spoke to the Macon Telegraph’s Coley Harvey shortly after being fired as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets coach. His comments were gracious and respectful, but one note is likely to catch the ear of Tech fans.

Hewitt mentions speaking with a former Jackets coach, presumably either Chan Gailey or Bobby Cremins, about the challenges of coaching at the Institute:

I just wish they would be more protective of Georgia Tech. I respect Georgia Tech and all the people there and all the fans, I just wish people would realize that when these things happen (as far as firings of coaches), it’s a pattern. Anybody who’s been around Georgia Tech the last 20 years can see that." ….(He was referring to fan abandonment of the various athletic programs when firings come to a head. He cited one prominent Tech coach who spoke to him before leaving the Institute. The coach told Hewitt, “I like working here, but I can’t take this. I can’t give people what they want in their expectations.” Hewitt added, “He was very disappointed in the reaction of the fan base” as he left Tech."

“Tech’s a great place, but it should be protected by the fans and encouraged by the fans. They do that, and they’ll do well in everything.”

Hewitt has endured a lot from the school’s fanbase, though it’s up to you whether the record merited it. He’s spoken out about it before, encouraging fans to root for the team instead of criticizing.

Paul Hewitt's Firing Confirmed By Georgia Tech

In an official release, Georgia Tech confirmed the firing of head coach Paul Hewitt. The announcement came today from Yellow Jackets Athletic Director Dan Radakovich who also said that a national search for Hewitt's replacement would being immediately. 

Here is the full release from the Georgia Tech athletic department:

ATLANTA – Head men’s basketball coach Paul Hewitt has been relieved
of his duties after 11 seasons at Georgia Tech.

The announcement came today from Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich,
who said that a national search for Hewitt’s replacement would begin
immediately.

Hewitt’s team concluded the 2010-11 season Thursday night with a
59-43 loss to Virginia Tech in the opening round of the ACC Tournament
in Greensboro, N.C. The Yellow Jackets finished 13-18 overall, 5-11 in
the ACC.

“I am very appreciative of Paul Hewitt’s dedication to Georgia Tech
for the last 11 years,” Radakovich said. “Paul is an outstanding
person who has made a positive impact on so many of our
student-athletes.”

Hewitt, who took over for Bobby Cremins prior to the 2000-01 season,
produced a record of 190-162 in 11 seasons with the Yellow Jackets. His
overall career coaching record stands at 256-189 in 14 seasons.

The 12th head coach in Georgia Tech history, Hewitt led Georgia Tech to
five NCAA Tournament appearances including the Final Four in 2004. He
was the ACC Coach of the Year in 2004 and the Black Coaches Association
National Coach of the Year in 2004.

More recently, however, the Yellow Jackets have suffered three losing
seasons over the last four years.

"President (Dr. Bud) Peterson and I have been in constant communication
and we both concur that this decision is in the best interest of Georgia
Tech and our athletic program,” Radakovich said. “Today we will
begin a quest to re-engage our fan base and set about to bring new
energy and enthusiasm to Georgia Tech basketball."

Hewitt came to Georgia Tech after posting a 66-27 won-loss record in
three seasons as the head coach at Siena. Prior to Siena, Hewitt spent
five seasons (1992-97) as an assistant coach at Villanova under head
coach Steve Lappas.

Paul Hewitt Fired As Georgia Tech Basketball Coach, According To Reports

The Paul Hewitt Saga is over, according to Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman. Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich has reportedly informed Hewitt that Tech will not renew his contract, effectively firing the long tenured coach. The news comes shortly after a first round departure from the ACC tournament in which the Jackets scored just 43 points, the fewest in any game in the Hewitt era. 

The report likely comes as positive news to the majority of the fan base as Hewitt had more than his share of vocal critics. Radakovich's other major coach search and subsequent hiring was Paul Johnson three years ago.

Hewitt finishes his career at Tech with a record of 189-160 overall and 72-104 in ACC play in 11 years. Tech is renovating the basketball arena next year and will be playing home games at Philips Arena and Gwinnettt Arena, so the new coach will have a year to introduce a system and get acclimated before opening the new arena. 

Former AD Dave Braine gave Hewitt a raise and extension after the run to the national championship game in 2004. Essentially, the contract was endless, a six-year contract that automatically had an additional year added onto it on April 15 of every year. To fire him, Tech has to pay him the $7.2 million buyout over the next two years.

Radakovich's search for Paul Johnson took roughly two weeks to complete after the firing of Chan Gailey. I would expect a similar time frame for the search for a new basketball coach. 

Update - Coley Harvey of the Macon Telegraph and Mark Schlabach of ESPN confirm via Twitter:

Paul Hewitt Could Meet With Dan Radakovich Over Weekend, According To Report

Here’s some Paul Hewitt job status news of some more local substance: the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball coach is expected to meet with athletic director Dan Radakovich over the weekend, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz. They may have been able to meet even sooner if the AD weren’t scheduled to remain in Greensboro to pick bits of Jacket ouf of the ACC Tournament venue’s rafters.

There are only so many things they could be meeting about. Hewitt could be fired, or he could be informed that certain organizational decisions will no longer be his responsibility. The fanbase would be much more willing to accept the former, though the entailed buyout would put a strain on an already limited athletic department budget.

It sure would be nice for Tech fans to get to see a clean break, however. Take the hit, bite the bullet, get it over with. All that stuff.

Paul Hewitt To Be Fired Saturday, According To Vague Rumor Everyone's Citing

Paul Hewitt will be fired as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball coach Saturday, according to a tweet from a national columnist that everyone’s at least noting. If it’s good enough to be mentioned by Coley Harvey, Georgia Tech’s best beat writer, we’ll at least note it, but there’s really nothing more to it than CBS Sports’ Gregg Doyel being vague about some stuff.

Tech has four days as of this writing to notify Hewitt of any decision to buy out his contract, or it will cost even more to cut him loose.

Tensions have been higher than they are right now, I’d say. Team Fire Hewitt has been much louder — which is scary. Tech is in danger of severing all ties with its recent heritage as a great basketball school if this drags on much longer.

While plenty of fans are mortified by the team’s record-setting performance against Virginia Tech last night, it sort of seems like amazement and apathy are starting to set in. Insisting on the hiring of top-notch X’s and O’s coordinators seems like the best solution to me, but nobody really asked me.

Tubby Smith Denies Paul Hewitt Rumors, Says He Won't Be Georgia Tech Basketball Coach

Tubby Smith, Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball coach, has responded to rumors that he would replace a hypothetically bought-out Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Hewitt. To the Minnesapolis Star-Tribune’s Sid Hartman, Smith said:

Why would I be interested in that job? I’m not going anywhere. My wife likes it here, I like it here, and I’m going to finish my career here.

Smith, as you may recall, coached the Georgia Bulldogs from 1995 to 1997 before moving along to the Kentucky Wildcats. He also nabbed Ralph Sampson III from the Peach State, so he clearly still effectively works the area despite coaching in almost-Canada.

He was one of the best coaches the Dawgs ever had, despite his short time in Athens. He led Georgia to two straight 20-win seasons, the first to do so at UGA, and a Sweet 16 trip.

Five of his seven coaching stops during his career have been in the Southeast. He’s been at Minnesota since 2007.

Will Paul Hewitt Be Fired? Thrillerdome's Last Game Could Mean Clean Start For Georgia Tech

It would not be a stretch to say Paul Hewitt, the coach with perhaps the strangest contract in all of Division I sports, has worn out his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets welcome. After leading the Jackets to their highest moment ever, the 2004 National Championship Game, Hewitt's mustered four losing seasons, only one ranked finish, and two NCAA Tournament wins.

A populated and spirited Alexander Memorial Coliseum, filled with Jackets fans who showed out for Tech basketball history, made the latter* years of Hewitt's tenure** even starker. Sunday night's crowd against the Miami Hurricanes was involved and active, a decent ACC basketball crowd by any measure, but would've been a lackluster showing if it had occurred during the mid-1980s or early-1990s.

Though Tech may lose top recruit Julian Royal if Hewitt goes elsewhere, most Tech fans are unlikely to get all that worked up about recruiting implications here. Hewitt has developed a reputation as an excellent recruiter who struggles to convert stars into wins.

Hewitt will be informed by March 15 whether his contract will not be allowed to automagically renew itself.

* - Assuming.

** - Tenure, almost literally.