Boeheim Era Ends On Sour Note

By KEN DAVIS

Shame on Syracuse University.

On the day college basketball turned on the ignition and pressed its foot on the accelerator to start the annual hoop celebration known as March Madness, Syracuse’s administration deflected the spotlight off the court and made headlines by announcing coach Jim Boeheim will not return as coach of the Orange.

Without a doubt, it is the prerogative of a school’s chancrellor and athletic director to change coaches. No argument there. The problem is the way Syracuse handled that decision Wednesday. After 47 years as head coach and a lifetime dedication to the university, Boeheim’s tenure came to an end in embarrassing, humiliating and disturbing  fashion.

There was a lack of humanity and decency.

Boeheim deserved better.

The move was announced  in the aftermath of Syracuse’s difficult buzzer-beater loss to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. It also came after a confusing postgame press conference that gave the impression Boeheim was in limbo and unsure of his future.

That is not the way to script the final chapter of a legendary coaching career. Whether you like or dislike Boeheim – and there are plenty of observers on both sides of that issue – the timing and methodology was wrong.

Shame on Syracuse University.

Mike Waters of Syracuse.com reported: “The university announced the men’s basketball coaching transition in a news release Wednesday night. There was no mention that Boeheim is retiring in the news release and no statement in the release was attributed to Boeheim. Instead, the university said Boeheim’s 47th season and storied career simply “comes to an end.”

Shame on Syracuse University.

The decision cannot be described as surprising. Boeheim is 78. There has been speculation about his future for many years . Questions intensified in recent weeks, as the Orange struggled through another frustrating ACC season. Syracuse hasn’t had a 20-win regular season since 2013-14.

The details of this decision are not clear. We don’t know what Boeheim knew or when he knew it. We know that the school immediately named assistant coach and former Syracuse player Adrian Autry as Boeheim’s replacement. That doesn’t suddenly happen in the hour  after following a game’s final buzzer. That doesn’t happen without conversations and discussions ahead of the announcement.

What was the rush? Would it have hurt anyone to wait a few days or maybe even a week to go public? Was it fair to Boeheim, a Hall of Fame coach who won the national championship in 2003, ranks second in all-time victories, and was a prominent staffer in USA Basketball for so long? Was it fair to the Syracuse players, who were already devastated by a last-second loss to Wake Forest? Was it fair to thousands of Syracuse fans who haen flocking to the Carrier Dome and breaking attendance records for so long?

No. No. No. No.

It WAS embarrassing to college basketball and college athletics. And it dominated reports during Wednesday’s play, especially in the ACC and the Big East, a conference that Boeheim helped to build and grow.

It has always been my contention that Hall of Fame coaches,, especially those with the unique  credentials and benefit of longevity, have the right to go out on their own terms. The late Dean Smith did that at North Carolina. Georgetown’s John Thompson walked away in mid-season of his 27th season with the Hoyas. North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Villanova’s Jay Wright stepped down soon after the end of the last two seasons. Jim Calhoun departed  Connecticut with health issues, even forcing UConn’s hand into naming Kevin Ollie as his successor with his timing.

Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski chose a different route, staging a Victory Tour last season. The only coach with more Division I wins than Boeheim, Coach K turned  his final season into a self-serving celebration that backfired when he lost to North Carolina in a national semifinal at the 2022 Final Four  It was a sickening display, in my opinion.

But those were Coach K’s terms.

Last week, Syracuse celebrated the 20th anniversary of of its only national championship. In stark contrast, Syracuse lowered the boom on Boeheim  Wednesday with no consideration for his emotions. Perhaps he stayed too long and made this outcome inevitable. It still could have been handled better.

Boeheim enrolled at Syracuse in the fall of 1962, when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States. He became a friend of teammate Dave Bing. He was an assistant coach and After the 1975-76 season he replaced Roy Danforth as head coach.

Imagine SU without Boehein. It can’t be done. Imagine the Carrier Dome without Boeheim on the sideline.It will be a strange sight. Imagine the image of Syracuse, the visibility of a city, and and an entire community in Central New York without him as a coach.

“There is no doubt in my mind that without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today,” 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 extend my deep appreciation and gratitude to an alumnus who epitomizes what it means to be ‘Forever Orange.’ ”

Those words ring rather hollow on a day like this.

Boeheim certainly had his flaws. His reputation as a whiner, pacing the sidelines and arguing with referees, will be duly noted in history books. His combative, argumentative, and condescending approach with reporters has persisted and defined him. His recent accusations that numerous programs, including final opponent Wake Forest,  bought players raised eyebrows around the college game.

Boeheim ranks second in Division I men’s coaching victories with 1,115, though the NCAA vacated 101 of those wins after an investigation into the program in 2014-15.  Twice Boeheim was found in violation of NCAA rules. Rumors of extra benefits, including cars and free meals, seem a bit absurd in light of new NIL rules that have changed the NCAA landscape.

From a personal standpoint, I’ve known Boeheim since 1981 – longer than any coach other than Ted Owens, the coach at Kansas when I attended school in Lawrence. My professional relationship began as a reporter at the Binghamton Press covering teams that included Leo Rations, Tony Bruin, Erich Santifer, Gene Waldron and Pearl Washington.

Even though I witnessed the humiliation of several reporters during Boeheim press conferences, I was never one of his targets. Whenever I needed an interview, I could call the Syracuse basketball  office and a secretary would put me through or take a message. Boeheim always called back.

One season (I don’t remember the year) when I was covering UConn for The Hartford Courant, I was critical of Boeheim’s continued use of the 2-3 zone. Of course, Boeheim was the master of that defense and it paid huge rewards. I wrote it was outdated and suggested Boeheim should abandon his defensive strategy.

I was wrong.

Syracuse defeated UConn the day that star was published. Boeheim began his press conference by saying he had read somewhere that the 2-3 was ineffective. I greeted his remarks with laughter and we shook hands. I did not take it personally.

Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to that 2oo3 NCAA title, when Boeheim’s team defeated a talented Kansas quad. It was a crushing defeat for my alma mater because Roy Williams left the Jayhawks after the loss and headed back to his alma mater, North Carolina .Williams left KU without winning a national championship, despite several opportunities.

When that championship game was played, my father-in-law was dying from a battle with pancreatic cancer. My wife grew up in the village of Chittenango, N.Y., just outside Syracuse, The entire Lenzen family, led by her father Bob, rooted for Syracuse and admired Boeheim.

I returned from that championship in New Orleans with an orange Final Four T-shirt for Bob. He proudly wore the shirt up until his passing later that year.

That spring, I wrote a note of congratulations to Boeheim .In that letter, I mentioned the joy my father-in-law experienced as a result of Syracuse’s win. And I knew Boeheim would appreciate that.

After Boeheim’s own battle with prostrate cancer, he became heavily involved with Coaches Vs. Cancer. His charity work for cancer victims and their families became legendary. No one raised more money for that cause and his annual event in Syracuse was always well received.

That summer an envelope from the Syracuse basketball office arrived at the home of my in-laws. Bob thought it as an offer to buy season tickets. Instead, it was a hand-written letter from Boeheim.

Bob,

I’m so sorry to hear what a tough battle you are having with cancer. Having lost both of my parent to cancer, I know how tough this disease can be. Every time I hear about a relative of a friend of mine (imagine me calling a writer a friend!!) it makes me do more to fight this disease. Hang in there and continue to wear the orange shirt.

Jim Boerheim

Bob was inspired by the letter. Our family was so thankful that Boeheim reached out in such a personal manner. It was certainly beyond the call of duty.

Despite all his warts, that is the way I will choose to remember Boeheim. The coach and I were not buddies who went to dinner together or played golf together. But he seemed to respect me. I respected him  and his accomplishments.

My wife had a chance to thank Boeheim for that note at a cancer benefit held by Calhoun and ‘Geno Auriemma at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. He seemed embarrassed to hear her words. He was very private about his battle against cancer and reluctant about receiving credit.

In my mind, that is the very definition of the man.  Our family treasures his letter and the impact it had on Bob.

Boeheim deserved better treatment at the end of his remarkable career. Some say it was time to move on and maybe it was. But is it too much to ask for a little decency in the big-time world of college athletics?

Shame on Syracuse. This bad taste will never go away.