No one could’ve predicted the sudden dose of cathartic college coaching changes that have taken place in Washington over the last few weeks.
But even fewer might have foreseen George Mason, George Washington and Maryland going 3-for-3 in making near perfect hires.
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Does it mean D.C. hoops is poised for a renaissance? Not even close. But in each case, the Patriots, Colonials and Terrapins ended up with just the kind of coach that their program needed to embark on its next chapter.
Moving to George Mason was an offer Paul Hewitt couldn’t refuse. With a $7.2 million buyout from Georgia Tech in his back pocket, the chance to take over a successful veteran team left behind by Jim Larranaga was a no-brainer.
But in Hewitt, the ambitious Patriots also got what they wanted, a brand name recruiter who will send players to the NBA, not just lead Cinderella runs in the NCAA tournament.
Maryland might not have been ready to admit it, but the idea that Sean Miller would snap up a move back east was an insult to Arizona. Instead, the Terrapins landed Mark Turgeon, whose resume isn’t as flashy but whose pedigree — four straight 24-win seasons and NCAA tournaments, two Big 12 coach of the year awards — is just as impressive.
And before bashing Turgeon’s ability to recruit, remember that Gary Williams didn’t exactly leave him a treasure trove of a roster.
Meanwhile, Bowie’s own Mike Lonergan may be the least heralded but most compelling figure among the new trio. Oddly enough, he’s also the only guy who at least came to mind for all three jobs.
Lonergan thought the George Mason vacancy boosted his odds of returning to Washington from Vermont, and he said he got messages from friends about Maryland, where he was an assistant for one season, just as he was finalizing his deal in Foggy Bottom.
But outside of being local, his experience doesn’t nearly stack up to Turgeon’s or Hewitt’s. Instead, he simply becomes a through-and-through D.C. guy taking over a D.C. team, which immediately makes the Colonials more relevant than they’ve been in the four years since they were last in the NCAAs.
