Countdown to Hewitt's Next Longevity Bonus

[TwoFootTackle]

This is the reality some people here are ignoring. My biggest concern isn't whether Edwards or Cabrera have the vision to make the right call, it's whether they can get enough money to make the call they want to make.

A buddy of mine who works in the newspaper industry follows state politics and revenue closely. He said it's not easy for a state school like Mason to justify eating $700,000 when they are simultaneously asking for money from the state to fund other academic programs.

As Jim pointed out, much if not all of the money needed to fire our coach would have to come from private donations. And judging from some of the people here who have pulled their contributions — which they are certainly entitled to do — it sounds like we might be going in the wrong direction.

That's why I don't think it's impossible for Hewitt to still be head coach next year. We need to prepare ourselves for that.

 

[gmutom]

So what's the over/under on attendance next year if Hewitt is back?

A majority of fans are bandwagon-jumpers, so the attendance will be based on how well the team plays. As vested as the 25 of us are here on Mason Hoops, the regular fan and student couldn't care less who is manning our sidelines. They just want to watch entertaining and winning basketball.

If the team starts winning consistently — and I think we all agree that doesn't seem likely under Hewitt — we'll see attendance rise again. If Hewitt returns and sucks or we make another bad hire, the attendance will continue to dwindle like it has.

 

[Walter]

IF El Presidente and Big Balls Brad couldn't fire Hewitt because of the lack of money or the perception from Richmond, they would already know that. BBBrad would not be making the statements he is now making when asked. He would be saying, "I support Hewitt. He has a lot of young guys. I have confidence he can win next year."

 

[GSII]

If we have cash problems start cutting sports that are a drain. Mens bball is priority one and its not going anywhere but down the drain if a change isnt made in the next 28 to 40 days. No other sport can bring in the money like mens bball. I will say again, if we can fire Paul Westhead 20 years ago and eat 400k, we can fire this Paul 20 years to the day and eat 600k. Especially after the millions we made from the cuban's run into the ncaa tourney etc. Its utter bull to think we did not budget for severance.

 

[GMUSSTN]

IF El Presidente and Big Balls Brad couldn't fire Hewitt because of the lack of money or the perception from Richmond, they would already know that. BBBrad would not be making the statements he is now making when asked. He would be saying, "I support Hewitt. He has a lot of young guys. I have confidence he can win next year."

This right here. For all we know, the Patriot Center naming rights are already sold and we're going to get an announcement after Hewitt is fired that they can't wait to see us on Coach L Court at the Pepsi Lockheed FedEx Johnson & Johnson Colonial Athletic Association "Tom Yeager" Center

 

[99 Patriot]

I'm still not 100% sold Hewitt even wants to come back. Why not relax with the family for the next few years counting cash instead of trying to convince recruits he can turn them in to the next Chris Bosh. While he seems frustrated at our lack of success, it's not as though he seems hellbent on righting the ship and creating a legacy here.

If we have to cut a Max Scherzer like deal and give Hewitt $50k/year for the next 14 years so be it. Money should not be the problem.

 

[GMUSSTN]

If we have to cut a Max Scherzer like deal and give Hewitt $50k/year for the next 14 years so be it. Money should not be the problem.

How about $1/year for the next 600,000 years. Based on the output that feels fair.

 

[gmujim92]

if we can fire Paul Westhead 20 years ago and eat 400k, we can fire this Paul 20 years to the day and eat 600k.

I'd love to hear the counter-argument to this excellent point.

Adjusting for inflation, Hewitt's 750K might even be less than what we paid Westhead -- and considering that our entire campus has been transformed over the last 20 years, I'd have to think our athletic department is more capable of eating the money now than we were then.

It's a no-brainer. At this point Edwards should have his list of candidates ready and be preparing to put the full-court press on our current players and recruits to stay with the program after Hewitt and the assistants are gone.

 

[gmutom]

If we have cash problems start cutting sports that are a drain.

This I completely agree with. I've always thought we had too many sports, and this is the perfect time to start chopping them. It's not impossible to come up with the money to buy Hewitt out, but Edwards and Cabrera need to be creative. Chopping sports and increasing student fees would be a huge start.

 

[mkaufman1]

How about $1/year for the next 600,000 years. Based on the output that feels fair.

If the Mets can pay Bobby Bonilla 1 million for 25 years..

 

[Pablo]

I'd love to hear the counter-argument to this excellent point.

Adjusting for inflation, Hewitt's 750K might even be less than what we paid Westhead -- and considering that our entire campus has been transformed over the last 20 years, I'd have to think our athletic department is more capable of eating the money now than we were then.

Jim,

Are you and GS serious? Mason paid off the final year of Westhead's salary, which was significantly less than $200,000 (let alone $400,000 as GS indicated). Even adjusting for inflation, I doubt that it was higher than Hewitt's base pay.

To be clear, the school has already incurred the obligation for Hewitt's final year. The real additional cost next year will be the incremental net pay for the new coaching staff (i.e., the pay for the new head coach +/- the difference in the pay for assistants).

 

[gmujim92]

This I completely agree with. I've always thought we had too many sports, and this is the perfect time to start chopping them. It's not impossible to come up with the money to buy Hewitt out, but Edwards and Cabrera need to be creative. Chopping sports and increasing student fees would be a huge start.

Increasing student fees most likely is going to be a non-starter for any Virginia public institution, based on legislation that already has passed the House of Delegates.

In fact, if the bill passes the Senate in its current form, we're gonna have to either increase donations or cut student fees to get under the 70 percent threshold. Right now we're at 84 percent.

At least we have the luxury of being able to cut sports if that's the route our leadership decides to go. We are well above the minimum number required by the NCAA for Division I membership.

 

[gmujim92]

Jim,

Are you and GS serious? Mason paid off the final year of Westhead's salary, which was significantly less than $200,000 (let alone $400,000 as GS indicated). Even adjusting for inflation, I doubt that it was higher than Hewitt's base pay.

No way Westhead came to Mason for "significantly less than $200,000," even in early 1990s dollars.

Given your ability to pull up numbers, Pablo, I'm trying hard not to doubt you. But I'll believe that one when I see it.

 

[dr. gunnie]

I know I'm splitting hairs here, but we are on the hook for Hewitt's salary next year if he is here or not, so I don't really look at it as eating his salary... if you fire him the only additional amount you are spending is the amount you are paying the next coach, and I don't see us paying much more than $400K for our next guy. So to me, we are not eating Hewitt's 700K - that money is already spent. We are only losing out on what we plan to spend for the next guy.

Heck, you could even structure his deal to be low for the first year with a nice hefty bump in year two to help offset the cost.

 

[Pablo]

No way Westhead came to Mason for "significantly less than $200,000," even in early 1990s dollars.

Given your ability to pull up numbers, Pablo, I'm trying hard not to doubt you. But I'll believe that one when I see it.

Jim,

Would you be surprised to learn that Larranaga's base pay for the 2005-06 season was under $200,000 - see http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2006-05-17-george-mason-future_x.htm.

Of course, I could be mistaken because I'm old. But, I believe that Westhead's base pay was about $125,000 a year here.

 

[99 Patriot]

My kids aren't old enough to know this answer, but would we normally be seeing ads or promotions for Hewitt's summer basketball camp at this time of year? I feel like the Cubans camp was promoted during the season for kids to sign up for the summer sessions. Is it wishful thinking to think that not seeing these advertised is a positive sign?

 

[KAOriginal]

I know I'm splitting hairs here, but we are on the hook for Hewitt's salary next year if he is here or not, so I don't really look at it as eating his salary... if you fire him the only additional amount you are spending is the amount you are paying the next coach, and I don't see us paying much more than $400K for our next guy. So to me, we are not eating Hewitt's 700K - that money is already spent. We are only losing out on what we plan to spend for the next guy.

Heck, you could even structure his deal to be low for the first year with a nice hefty bump in year two to help offset the cost.

As I said somewhere else, and as you point out, it's selling to whoever holds the purse strings, that you're only stuck next year with the additional cost of the new coach. The money on Hewitt is already spent no matter what.

Then the idea of lower ticket sales, possibility of lower assistants salaries, and the reduced budget line going forward in year 2 (as I doubt Mason will spend alot of money on a name)...you make the situation far more palatable.

 

[GMUgemini]

Increasing student fees most likely is going to be a non-starter for any Virginia public institution, based on legislation that already has passed the House of Delegates.

In fact, if the bill passes the Senate in its current form, we're gonna have to either increase donations or cut student fees to get under the 70 percent threshold. Right now we're at 84 percent.

At least we have the luxury of being able to cut sports if that's the route our leadership decides to go. We are well above the minimum number required by the NCAA for Division I membership.

It's pretty sad that we've got one of the lowest student fees in the state and yet our subsidy is still over 80% (that is horribly worded, but I don't know how to make that sound prettier -- I guess an ugly sentence for an ugly reality is fitting).

 

[gmujim92]

It's pretty sad that we've got one of the lowest student fees in the state and yet our subsidy is still over 80% (that is horribly worded, but I don't know how to make that sound prettier -- I guess an ugly sentence for an ugly reality is fitting).

Besides Hewitt, crappy athletics fundraising will be the lasting legacies of Merten and TOC.

I think it's safe to say that most of us need to seriously step up our game when it comes to donations.

 

[psyclone]

This is the reality some people here are ignoring. My biggest concern isn't whether Edwards or Cabrera have the vision to make the right call, it's whether they can get enough money to make the call they want to make.

A buddy of mine who works in the newspaper industry follows state politics and revenue closely. He said it's not easy for a state school like Mason to justify eating $700,000 when they are simultaneously asking for money from the state to fund other academic programs.

As Jim pointed out, much if not all of the money needed to fire our coach would have to come from private donations. And judging from some of the people here who have pulled their contributions — which they are certainly entitled to do — it sounds like we might be going in the wrong direction.

One question that I have is how long a perspective the university is taking while addressing the current budget crunch, which I believe goes through 2016. The university has recently offered a "buyout" to tenure line teaching faculty 60 yrs and older that have been full-time at Mason for 10 yrs or more. Those accepting the buyout would have to agree to retire this year or next in exchange for receiving a fixed amount spread over 2 years in their retirement accounts. I believe there is a limited number of buyouts available--not every person that wants to opt for the deal will be approved to get one.

While this buyout doesn't apply to athletic dept coaches, it does demonstrate that the university is looking for ways to save money down the road, while spending more money in the short term. That might bode well for the position of cutting loose the highest paid state employee, replacing him with someone who will cost less in the long run although having to cover that person (and new assistants) next year.

Two cautionary points--Hewitt's buyout is a whole lot more than any 1 faculty member would get (probably more like 7 or 8 faculty) and the university is limiting the number of faculty that will get these. That tells me that there is limited money available to come up with buyouts even if spread over 2 years.