Fairfax, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - George Mason has fired men's basketball coach Paul Hewitt after four seasons.
Hewitt took over in April 2011 after Jim Larranaga left for Miami and guided the Patriots to an overall record of 66-67. George Mason was just 9-22 this season, including 4-14 in the Atlantic 10.
The Patriots have struggled in their transition to the Atlantic 10 after being a power in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Hewitt's first two seasons with George Mason were in the CAA and resulted in a total of 46 victories. However, the Patriots won just 20 games the last two years with marks of 4-12 and 4-14 in the A-10.
"Mason made a significant commitment to its athletic programs, especially men's basketball, when the university moved to the Atlantic 10 Conference two years ago," said athletic director Brad Edwards in a statement Monday. "The university has high expectations for the program and thus determined a change was needed.
"Paul has always been a tremendous advocate for the sport of college basketball and we are extremely appreciative for the manner in which he has represented the university and for his service to the student-athletes and to the program."
Hewitt landed at George Mason shortly after being fired at Georgia Tech. He spent 11 years with the Yellow Jackets, the highlight of which was a surprise run in the 2004 NCAA Tournament that ended with a loss to Connecticut in the national championship game.
Prior to his time at Tech, Hewitt spent three years as the head coach at Siena. He owns a career record of 322-256.
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