Paul Hewitt

2011 USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Head Coach

George Mason University head coach Paul Hewitt was named on Jan. 18, 2011, as head coach of the 2011 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team.

"It's a great honor," Hewitt said. "I completely enjoyed the last two opportunities I had to work with USA Basketball, and the experience of working with these young players is very rewarding. That is why I'm thankful for this opportunity.

"I hope we can get the best players from this age group to participate," Hewitt continued. "All the players I've worked with in my two previous USA Basketball stints considered the experience extremely rewarding."

Hewitt returns to USA basketball after helping the red, white and blue earn its place in the 2011 U19 World Championship as an assistant coach on the 2010 USA men's team that wrapped up a 5-0 record and the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in San Antonio, Texas. He also was an assistant coach on the gold-medal winning 2006 USA U18 National Team.

In addition to helping the USA earn its World Championship berth as a 2010 USA U18 assistant coach, Hewitt served as an assistant for the 2006 USA U18 National Team, which posted an undefeated, 4-0 record on its way to a gold medal in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, Hewitt was a court coach at the 1999 USA Basketball Men's National Team Trials. Overall, he has compiled a 9-0 record as a USA assistant coach.

Hewitt was introduced on May 2, 2011, as George Mason University's head men's basketball coach. The 47-year old Hewitt arrived in Fairfax following an 11-year stint as head coach at Georgia Tech.

In 11 seasons at Georgia Tech (2000-01 to 2010-11), Hewitt directed the Yellow Jackets to five NCAA Tournaments (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2010), 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 winning percentage), 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.

In 2009-10, Hewitt guided the Yellow Jackets to a 23-13 record, the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament (ACC) finals and the NCAA Tournament second round. He was honored by his peers as the recipient of the 2010 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardian of the Game Award for Education.

Following a 12-0 start and a preseason NIT Championship, the 2003-04 Yellow Jackets finished 28-10, reaching the national championship game and tying the school record for wins in a season. Hewitt was rewarded by the Black College Coaches Association as the Fritz Pollard Coach of the Year and by Sports Illustrated as No. 71 on its list of the 101 top minorities in sports.

In his first season at Georgia Tech (2000-01), Hewitt led his 17-13 squad to its first winning season since 1998 as the team collected the program's first victory in an ACC Tournament since 1996. Georgia Tech also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. For his efforts, Hewitt was named the ACC Coach of the Year, the NABC District 5 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith College Coach of the Year.

Hewitt, who spent three seasons (1997-98 to 1999-2000) as head coach at Siena College prior to Tech, owns an overall coaching slate of 243-171 (.587) through the 2009-10 season.

In three years as head coach at Siena, Hewitt was 66-27 (.710), inheriting a program that had recorded just 22 wins in the three previous seasons. Under Hewitt's guidance, Siena ranked third nationally in scoring in 1999 and 2000. The Saints captured their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season title in 2000, while reaching their third straight MAAC Tournament championship game, and Hewitt was honored as the 2000 MAAC Coach of the Year. In 1998-99, Siena was 25-6, capturing the MAAC title and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989. In his first season, Hewitt led Siena to the school's first appearance in the MAAC championship game, finishing 17-12.

During five seasons (1992-93 through 1996-97) as an assistant at Villanova University, Hewitt aided the Wildcats to a record of 103-56 (.648 winning percentage). He was promoted to associate head coach for the 1996-97 season. Hewitt helped the Wildcats record four consecutive 20-win seasons (1994-1997), three NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-97) and an NIT championship (1994). He also helped secure four recruiting classes ranked in the top 20 (1993-94 to 1996-97).

Tallying a record of 45-18 (.714 winning percentage) in two seasons (1990-91 and 1991-92) as an assistant at Fordham University, Hewitt helped the Rams secure two Patriot League regular season championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992.

Hewitt spent one season as an assistant at the University of Southern California (1989-90). His first collegiate job was in 1988-89 as an assistant coach at Long Island University's CW Post campus. The Pioneers were 19-11, capturing the East Coast Athletic Conference New York State Division Championship.

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.