ATLANTA — When the question was first asked, Paul Hewitt laughed it off.
No, he wasn’t scoffing at a reporter’s inquiry about the added pressure the reporter just knew the Georgia Tech head coach had to be feeling. Instead, Hewitt was putting his best, most cheerful and pleasant face forward, despite the harrowing situation currently staring straight into his eyes.
“It’s the ACC tournament,” Hewitt said, grinning. “(Pressure) is a rite of spring around here.”
It was as if his smile responded to the question by saying, “What is this so-called pressure of which you ask? It’s always around coaches.”
But certainly, the weight upon Hewitt’s shoulders ought to feel impossibly heavy these days, considering his job may well be on the line when the Yellow Jackets next take to the court.
Further pressed on the matter, he added, more straight-faced: “No, I don’t think there’s any more pressure.” He said wins in the conference tournament wouldn’t impact his future at Georgia Tech.
When 11-seed Georgia Tech (13-17, 5-11 ACC) faces 6-seed Virginia Tech (19-10, 9-7) on Thursday in the opening round of the ACC tournament, the Yellow Jackets won’t just potentially be playing for their coaches’ career, they will be playing for their own basketball lives. Lose and their season is over. Win and stay alive to compete Friday. Keeping winning and a national tournament bid could come to fruition.
They’re hopeful it could happen, too. The Yellow Jackets are riding momentum after having won their last two games of the regular season.
“We’re playing better,” Hewitt said, explaining the reemergence of his happiness. “Want to make your coaches happier, play better.”
Perhaps the Yellow Jackets’ recent success is a product of their desperation for keeping Hewitt at Georgia Tech. The players are aware of the rancor that has persisted in the fan base asking for athletic director Dan Radakovich to buyout Hewitt’s contract and to fire him. Due to the team’s lack of winning seasons — just one in four years — some of the school’s die-hards are weary, thinking Hewitt is no longer the answer.
“We’re playing for him, we’re playing for everybody; we’re playing for Georgia Tech,” sophomore guard Brian Oliver said. “That’s how we see it. We don’t look into too much other stuff.”
Freshman Daniel Miller agreed.
“We’re always playing for Coach,” he said. “We like Coach. We want to keep him around. We love Coach.”
Their comments echo those made by freshman guard Jason Morris last week, who said he and his teammates support Hewitt and didn’t wish to start over with a new coach next season. This season already had transitory elements to it, Morris said, citing the installation of a different offense in the wake of Gani Lawal’s and Derrick Favors’ early departures for the NBA.
