AMA w/ Marvin Lewis

[DRK331]

Since one of the topics of dicussion in this AMA is improving the fan experience and game day culture, I have posted a ton of ideas for Mason Athletics here on page 35:

Improve Mason home game experience discussion

I did it all Nickelodeon Live, Power Rangers Live, Sesame Street Live, Legends of the Hidden Temple live all the "Pat Dome", and lived to talk about it. That's parenting in the Eighties and Nineties. (Oh', my "two kids" are now thirty-six and thirty-three :eek:.) LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE...

www.masonhoops.com

I think these are good ideas that should be considered, hopefully Mason Athletics can read about them and maybe implement into the future.

 

[2011WinOverVillanova]

1 - What does he currently think of the A10 and how it has slipped from it's high water mark of 6 bids in 2014 to only getting one or two in recent years?

2 - What does He think of Wichita State's arrangement with the American Conference as a non football member in a football conference? Could AD Marvin Lewis ever see Mason aspiring to a similar arrangement or is the A10 our ceiling?

 

[mkaufman1]

so who is going to be the Masonhoops rep for this ?

 

[TweederGMU]

so who is going to be the Masonhoops rep for this ?

Only one man for the job.....Christopher James Jollay

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

1 - What does he currently think of the A10 and how it has slipped from it's high water mark of 6 bids in 2014 to only getting one or two in recent years?

I sometimes wonder if we gave Hewitt a raw deal. He was hired to build a CAA-level roster, then got thrown straight into the peak of the A-10.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Only one man for the job.....Christopher James Jollay

Where has he been?

I sometimes wonder if we gave Hewitt a raw deal. He was hired to build a CAA-level roster, then got thrown straight into the peak of the A-10.

No

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I sometimes wonder if we gave Hewitt a raw deal. He was hired to build a CAA-level roster, then got thrown straight into the peak of the A-10.

No

 

[pm57WOW]

No

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

 

[GMU79]

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

He had a lot of glitter, though. ACC, NCAA Championship game, Chris Bosh....
Honestly, I was sold. I just figured he would bring in top-level talent and out recruit everyone. Whether he could coach or not.

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

No one else has succeeded at GT either. It’s one of the more tougher jobs in the country.

 

[GMU79]

No one else has succeeded at GT either. It’s one of the more tougher jobs in the country.

Don't know his record, but seems to me Bobby Cremmins did pretty well. He sure had some great players.

 

[jessej]

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

was our current AD on his teams?

 

[psyclone]

was our current AD on his teams?

Yes.

Marvin Lewis played for Ga Tech 2001-04; lost to UConn by 9 in 2004 national title game
Paul Hewitt coached there 2000-2011

 

[pm57WOW]

was our current AD on his teams?

Yep, he sure was. Hewitt was hired April 6, 2000. So Lewis WAS a "Paul Hewitt" recruit. Scary., isn't it?

 

[psyclone]

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

Ga Tech coaches since Hewitt left are all under .500 there.

 

[pm57WOW]

He had a lot of glitter, though. ACC, NCAA Championship game, Chris Bosh....
Honestly, I was sold. I just figured he would bring in top-level talent and out recruit everyone. Whether he could coach or not.

Hewitt was the "Black Lefty Driesell" only with a "lower winning" percentage. Hewitt had a .557 career winning percentage (Siena, Georgia Tech and Mason) vs .666 for Lefty (Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, and Georgia State). However Lefty never made a Final the NCAA Championship Game , which Hewitt somehow managed to do in 2004.. . However, Lefty did make THREE Elite Eights and won the NIT in 71-72', when the NIT meant something..

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Don't know his record, but seems to me Bobby Cremmins did pretty well. He sure had some great players.

134–150 (.472) in conference play

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Hewitt is the living embodiment of the "Peter Principle" ("The Higher and Employees Reaches in a Company, the more likely they are to fail in their new position.") He only had a .542 winning pct (190-162) at Ga. Tech and was under .500 (72-104) in ACC play.

Did people forget Paul Hewitt went to a national championship game? I’m not here to defend him—but blaming him for Mason’s downturn misses the real issues.

Hewitt caught a bad beat at Mason. He was hired to build a CAA-level roster, then dropped into the peak of the A-10. Lost Hancock (future national champ + MVP) and still finished 3rd. He wasn’t Larrañaga—but most aren’t. Context matters.

Mason is now on its 4th coach since Larrañaga. We’re one of only five universities with 35k+ students and no D1 football, yet never fully committed to basketball—building a band facility before fully investing in the basketball program. Only now is real investment showing up, and even then Mason sits roughly 6th–7th in A-10 NIL.

Tony Skinn is succeeding despite those shortcomings. That should be a flashing warning sign: pony up and keep him, because most coaches won’t win here under these conditions. Hold the administration accountable.

 

[GMUgemini]

Did people forget Paul Hewitt went to a national championship game? I’m not here to defend him—but blaming him for Mason’s downturn misses the real issues.

Hewitt caught a bad beat at Mason. He was hired to build a CAA-level roster, then dropped into the peak of the A-10. Lost Hancock (future national champ + MVP) and still finished 3rd. He wasn’t Larrañaga—but most aren’t. Context matters.

Mason is now on its 4th coach since Larrañaga. We’re one of only five universities with 35k+ students and no D1 football, yet never fully committed to basketball—building a band facility before fully investing in the basketball program. Only now is real investment showing up, and even then Mason sits roughly 6th–7th in A-10 NIL.

Tony Skinn is succeeding despite those shortcomings. That should be a flashing warning sign: pony up and keep him, because most coaches won’t win here under these conditions. Hold the administration accountable.

He also blew a 15 point lead against Northeastern in the CAA semifinals, and they weren’t a 1 seed that year either (we were a 5th seed, one game over .500 in a vcu-less CAA after Blaine Taylor drank himself out of a job).

And let’s not forget being down 30-2 against vcu the year previous.

I also don’t like this excuse because vcu came in and were immediately successful, same with Davidson. I will grant a 1 year reprieve because 2014 was the best year for the A10 I think ever (6-bids that year). That was a rough year to join. But a good coach adjusts and we got worse.

 

[GMU79]

He also blew a 15 point lead against Northeastern in the CAA semifinals, and they weren’t a 1 seed that year either (we were a 5th seed, one game over .500 in a vcu-less CAA after Blaine Taylor drank himself out of a job).

And let’s not forget being down 30-2 against vcu the year previous.

I also don’t like this excuse because vcu came in and were immediately successful, same with Davidson. I will grant a 1 year reprieve because 2014 was the best year for the A10 I think ever (6-bids that year). That was a rough year to join. But a good coach adjusts and we got worse.

30-2. One of our more embarrassing moments.