How good was Paul Hewitt's Georgia Tech contract? Legendary, as in the legend just keeps on growing. Consider that Georgia Tech will be sending pay checks ($7.2 million to be exact) Hewitt's way while he coaches at George Mason only adds insult to injury now that the basketball team is on probation for violations that occurred under Hewitt's watch.
In case you missed it, Tech was slapped by the NCAA with four years probation and a $100,000 fine for violations committed by the football and basketball teams. The football team received no recruiting penalties but the Basketball team will have two fewer recruiting days in the 2011 summer evaluation period and will be limited to 10 official visits over the course of the next two seasons.
New Yellow Jackets coach Brian Gregory is left to pick up the pieces and inherits a Hewitt team that is already short in numbers and in talent but now must attempt to rebuild the team while also on probation. When asked about the penalties, Hewitt expressed disappointment.
"We feel like we were operating within the NCAA rules," Hewitt said. "This is a difference of opinion."
That is one costly difference of opinion but not one that will cause Hewitt anymore sleepless nights. After all he has $7.2 million reasons to sleep well coming his way courtesy of the world's greatest sports contract. Essentially because that no scholarships were lost, the school can't forfeit paying the buyout.
The latest news is just another kick in the gut to Gregory who has already watched two of his top would be returners in Iman Shumpert and Brian Oliver depart making a difficult task a near impossible one. Hewitt is gone but the dark cloud of the Tech basketball program remains and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.