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No doubt his influence in the college ranks has increased, he has been recognized in the top 100 most influential minorities in sports, he is constantly quoted, and he is using his influence to help others. We know Dean Keener took the JMU job. Did you know that Coach Hewitt was the catalyst for the new coach at St.John's (it was reported here before). This article talks about all the coaching changes and mentions that:
So who's Norm Roberts? Think Paul Hewitt or even Billy Gillespie in about 3 years.
That's because Roberts, a Queens-native who played & coached at Queens College, knows exactly the type of players he wants and where he wants them from. He also knows how to get them. While Harrington's first choice was Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, Hewitt's recommendation of Roberts opened the door for an interview. A few weeks later, it took just one dinner for Rev. Harrington to see he had his guy. A member of Bill Self's staff for the past 8 seasons - 1 at Oral Roberts, 3 at Tulsa, 3 at Illinois, and 1 at Kansas - Roberts is a workhorse coach who loves NYC hoops.
Here's another article on Norm Roberts with another CPH quote:
"People are going to be impressed with Norm Roberts," says Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. "A lot of coaches work hard, but he works hard. It's noticeable."
And here we find an entire article from NY Newsday focused on Coach Hewitt, his roots in NYC and how he got into the game. It highlights his recent trip back to speak to the graduates of Westbury, his roots also.
Hewitt, whose Georgia Tech team participated in the NCAA championship game three months ago, said nothing of his own accomplishments. Instead, he used the proclamation of Paul Hewitt Day in the Town of North Hempstead to remember the lessons of Martin "Bunky" Reid, the former high school coach for whom New Cassel Park was renamed after his death in 1993.
This, on the type of person Coach Hewitt is:
Mike Jackson, who also played for Reid and succeeded him as park supervisor, noted that Reid's role model was Paul Robeson. "He wanted us to be scholar-athletes," said Jackson, a graduate of Hofstra. He also recalled that Hewitt had made a difference during his three years as Westbury's jayvee coach.
Family tree
"When I was in the 10th grade, I ran a hole in my sneakers," Jackson told the crowd, "and coach Hewitt took me to a store and bought me another pair. He didn't have to do that. He wasn't my dad. But Mr. Reid was like a father and Mr. Hewitt was like a big brother."
There is only one word to describe this guy - class. We are blessed to have him at Georgia Tech. I hope he continues to feel the same way. I would love nothing more than to see him have one of those 20-year careers here.