• Quotes from Coach Hewitt's Press Conference
• GoMason Blog: Quite the First Impression
  

FAIRFAX , Va. - George Mason assistant vice president/director of athletics Tom O'Connor formally introduced Paul Hewitt as the ninth head men's basketball coach in program history on Monday at a press conference held at the Mason Inn. The 47-year old Hewitt arrives in Fairfax following an 11-year stint as head coach at Georgia Tech.

Hewitt led the Yellow Jackets for 11 seasons, guiding them to five NCAA tournament appearances including a national runner-up finish in 2004, as well as two ACC Championship title game appearances. Under Hewitt, the 2001 ACC Coach of the Year and 2004 BCA National Coach of the Year, Tech compiled a record of 190-162 (.540), including a mark of 7-5 in NCAA Tournament play. The Yellow Jackets also appeared in the NIT twice under Hewitt, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2003.

Among his notable achievements at Georgia Tech, Hewitt is regarded as a top-level recruiter, having sent 10 players to the NBA including five first-round draft selections. Under Hewitt, six Yellow Jacket players earned first- or second-team All-ACC honors, along with three ACC Rookie of the Year selections and seven all-freshman selections.

Hewitt's coaching career extends beyond the college game, as he currently serves as the head coach of the USA Basketball Under-19 Team. Serving as an assistant coach, he helped lead the USA Basketball Under-18 Team twice to gold medals, taking home first place in 2006 and 2010.

Off the court, Hewitt involved himself in the community while in Atlanta. He has conducted an annual golf outing and auction to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta. Hewitt has served on the board of directors for Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out for Children (H.E.R.O.), which organizes activities and benefits HIV-infected children, and Camp Twin Lakes, which works with children with serious illnesses and special needs.

Prior to his arrival in Atlanta, Hewitt spent three seasons as the head coach at Siena, earning his first head coaching position at the age of 32 and amassing a record of 66-27 (.710). There, he guided the Saints to two post-season appearances including a MAAC Tournament championship and NCAA berth in 1999. The prior year, the Saints were conference runners-up in Hewitt's first season at the helm, and in 2000, he led Siena to a 24-9 record, a MAAC regular-season title, and to the second round of the NIT. In 14 total seasons as a head coach, Hewitt's career record stands at 256-189 (.575).

Before beginning his head coaching career, Hewitt spent nine years as an assistant coach, concluding with five seasons at Villanova. He also served as an assistant at Fordham (1990-92), Southern California (1989-90) and C.W. Post (1988-89).

Hewitt is a 1985 graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., where he was a four-year letterwinner for the Cardinals. Hewitt and his wife, Dawnette, have three daughters, Olivia, Danielle and Kayla.