Coach Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech lashed out at suggestions that his rollover contract is the only reason he has his job.
Hewitt said Tuesday it is "really cheap" to say that an expensive buyout clause of more than $7 million has kept him at Georgia Tech, where his team finished 12-19 overall (2-14 ACC) last season and a disappointing 7-9 in the ACC this season.
"Don't put the contract thing out there like I walked into somebody's office with a gun and a mask," Hewitt said.
Hewitt's six-year contract, at about $1.3 million a year, has an automatic rollover clause that becomes effective April 15. He must be told 30 days before that date if the rollover clause will not be renewed. Tuesday was the 30-day mark.
He said he had offers from other schools when he signed the contract in 2004. He said he resents criticism of the deal.
"I could have made at least a half million more going someplace else, but I felt really strong about the philosophy and mission of Georgia Tech, and I felt it was really cheap and deceitful, really, to act like I pulled one over on somebody," Hewitt said.
"We went into this with eyes wide open on both sides and if Georgia Tech doesn't want me to be their basketball coach, that's their decision...."
Last week, when asked, Athletics Director Dan Radakovich said that it's too early for him to evaluate the season or Hewitt's status. Hewitt bristled when referring to AP reports of the statement from Radakovich.
"That's another thing that was really cheap. That nonsense that happened last week," Hewitt said. "There was no statement made. It was a question asked.... To blow it into something that was almost a national story and I've got recruits calling me ‘Coach, what's going on?' I thought that was really cheap."
Radakovich also released a statement to fans last week. Hewitt said that Radakovich reached out "because he saw it mushroom into something that really was a trumped up story...."
Georgia Tech (22-12) will play Oklahoma State on Friday in its first NCAA Tournament since 2007.
Hewitt is 176-143 in 10 seasons at Tech (67-93 ACC). Former AD Dave Braine gave him the rollover contract in 2004, after the Yellow Jackets reached the Final Four.
Hewitt has only one winning ACC record, and Tech has won only one NCAA Tournament game, in 2005, since losing to Connecticut in the 2004 final.
There was much anticipation for this season with the returns of leading scorer and rebounder Gani Lawal (who passed on the NBA Draft) and senior leader D'Andre Bell (sidelined by injury all last season) and the addition of a highly rated freshman class led by Derrick Favors.
But Tech lost its last two regular-season games and was on the NCAA bubble before making a run in last week's ACC Tournament in Greensboro. The Yellow Jackets won three games before falling to Duke in Sunday's championship game.
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