Paul Hewitt embraces opportunity at George Mason

FAIRFAX, VA. -- In his office on the bottom floor of the Patriot Center, Paul Hewitt wore a green George Mason jacket and sat at a circular table. He stared intently at his laptop, dissecting film of his team's next Colonial Athletic Association opponent.

It was a scene few could have predicted.

Eight years ago, the Westbury native was among the hottest young basketball coaches in America after leading Georgia Tech to the 2004 national championship game. When Hewitt was let go by the Yellow Jackets last March, he said he planned on taking a year off and maybe work in television.

That was until he received a call from George Mason senior associate athletic director Adam Brick last April.

"When this one came up, I was still somewhat unsure as to whether I wanted to get back into it that quick," the 48-year-old Hewitt said. "There was one night there that I was tossing and turning until about six in the morning. I'll never forget that night."

It wasn't a school in a major conference or a place where five-star recruits dreamed of going. But George Mason represented an opportunity to make a consistently good program into a great one. George Mason was a Final Four team in 2006 and Hewitt believed it wasn't a fluke.

It also didn't hurt that Hewitt inherited a talented, veteran squad that was 27-7 and had the best record in the CAA (16-2) last year.

"This was just too good to turn down," he said at the time.

George Mason is 23-8 in Hewitt's first season as coach, including a 14-4 mark in the CAA. The Patriots are seeded third in the CAA Tournament, which begins Friday in Richmond. George Mason has a bye into the quarterfinals and could play Hofstra Saturday if the Pride beats Georgia State in the first round.

George Mason freshman guard and Queens native Corey Edwards had a chance to leave after former coach Jim Larranaga left for the job at Miami (Fla.) last spring. Then he spoke with Hewitt.

"He actually came to every player's house to talk to their parents. That was really encouraging," Edwards said. "He talked about what he envisioned from the team. After that, I knew I was going to stay."

Though he's usually calm and soft-spoken, Hewitt tries to speak with a purpose at all times. According to multiple players on the Patriots, he's among the most straightforward college coaches they've dealt with.

He's also, Edwards said, "pretty smooth for an old guy."

Those characteristics are a few of the reasons why Hewitt has earned a reputation as a top recruiter. At Georgia Tech, five of his players were first-round NBA draft picks.

Hewitt is focused on his current team and what he needs to do to get back in a title hunt and a spot in the NCAA Tournament

"I'm here in a great place with some great kids and some great people," Hewitt said. "I couldn't ask for more."