Jim Boeheim officially done at Syracuse after 47 years
Jim Boeheim’s 47-year tenure a๊s head coach of Syracuse basketball has come to an end.ಌ
The program announced that Boeheim — who spent virtually his entire adult l🔯ife at the university — is out and will be replaced by assistant Adrian Autry, a former player and current assistant coach under Boeheim.
The school’s release did not phrase 𒁏the end of Boehe𒐪im’s career as a retirement, and Boeheim, 78, was not quoted in the release.
Boeheim seemed to telegraph this news after Syracuse lost a heartbreaker, 77-74, to Wake Forest and got bounced out of the ACC Tournament earlier Wedne🌄sday.
“I gave my retirement speech last week and ♈nob🌊ody picked up on it,” Boeheim said.
“I’ve been𓆏 unbelievably fortunate to keep this job. [Outgoing Notre Dame coach] Mike Brey’s thrilled to have his job for 23 years. He’s a puppy.”
As𓆉ked if that meant he was retiring, Boeheim said that was “up to the university.” ꧑;
“There is no doubt in my mind that without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball woul🐓d not be the powerhouse program it is today,” Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement.
“Jim has invested and dedicated the majority of his life to building this program, cultivating generations of student-athletes and representing his alma mater with pride and distinction.ꦿ
“I e𝔍xtend my deep appreciation and gratitude to an alumnus who epitomizes what it means to be ‘Forever Orange😼.’ ”
Boeheim officially won 𝓡1,015 games — he had 101 wins taken away because of NCAA infractions — and the 2003 natio🦄nal championship.
His teams mad𓆉e the NCAA Tournament 35 times🃏 and five Final Fours.
Whether the count was 1,015 or 1,116, only 𝄹now-retired Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski 🐲had more wins than Boeheim at the Division I level.
Boeheim led the Orange to the 2003 nat🎐ional title — Carmelo Anthony’s lone season in Syracuse — and saw 46 of his players get taken in NBA drafts.
Among thওem: Anthony, Derrick Coleman, R🉐ony Seikaly, Dion Waiters, Billy Owens, Sherman Douglas and Pearl Washington.
Boeheim also was a USA Basketball assistant under Krzyzewski on the teams that won Olympic gold medaඣls in 2008,𝓡 2012 and 2016.
His teams won 10 Big East regular-season t🅘itles and five more conference tournament titles before Syracuse, a founding member of the Big East, left for the ACC in 2013.
“I’ve been very lucky to be able to coach my college team, to play and then be an assistant coach and then a head coach, never having to leave Syracuse,ౠ” Boeheim said in a postgame news conference Saturday, one in which he hinted at retirement, then hinted at returning. “It’s a great university.”
He played at𝓡 Syracuse and was an assistant coach before becoming head coach in 1976.
“I have spent my entire ✃career surrounded by the biggest and best names in professional and intercollegiate athletics. Few people are on the same playing field as Coach Boeheim,” Syracuse athletics director John Wildhack said.
“Jim Boeheim is synonymous with excellence, grit and determination. Jim is a rare breed of coach, building a program that is among the best in college basketball for nearly five decades. I 𒀰am incredibly grateful for what 🌄he has done for Syracuse Basketball, Syracuse Athletics and Syracuse University as a whole.”
Autry also paid homage to his mentor.
“There have been very few stronger influential forces in my life than Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim. They have both played such important roles and without either of them, I am certain I would not have this incredible opportunity before me,” the new coach said.&꧋nbsp;
“I have spent much of my time in the game of basketball learning from Jim and am so grateful to him for preparing me to carry on the winning tradition th💫at is Orange Basketball. It’s hard to imagine a worl𓄧d without him on the bench, but together with our coaches, student-athletes and fans, we will build on decades of success as a winning program.”
— With AP
