Boeheim won’t Hop’ away
’Cuse coach signs extension after planned successor bolts
Syracuse didn’t need to receive an NCAA Tournament bid to join March Madness. It created its own brand of craziness Sunday. Successor-in-waiting Mike Hopkins left the Orange to take the head-coaching position at Washington on Sunday morning, and hours later Syracuse announced it had agreed to an extension with Jim Boeheim beyond the 2017-18 season that was initially supposed to be his last. In a statement, Syracuse said Hopkins’H decision made it important for Boeheim, who turns 73 in November and just finished his 41st season as the head coach, to stay on beyond next season. “Mike accepting the position ata Washington has put us in a unique position,” athletic director John Wildhack said. “The circumstances are different now than they were when he was named head-coach-in-waiting.” Adrian Autry was promoted to associate head coach, filling Hopkins position, and Gerry McNamara will remain part of the staff.
“Mike received a great opportunity and we thank him and wish him the best,” Boeheim said. “I’m happy to stay on to help the program and to continue the staff ’s devotion to success.”
The 47-year-old Hopkins had worked under Boeheim since 1996 after playing for him from 1989-93. He was officially named Boeheim’s successor in 2015, and was expected to take over the program after next season, when Boeheim was expected to retire. Instead, Hopkins will replace Lorenzo Romar, who was fired by Washington four days ago following six straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth.
A source close to Hopkins wasn’t overly surprised by the news, believing Hopkins, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, wanted to return to his West Coast roots and be closer to his family.
“Mike wanted to be a head coach,” the source said. “The opportunity presented itself. Who’s to say he was going to be really successful at Syracuse? It’s hard to come behind a guy like Jim Boeheim. I think it made a lot of sense for him personally.”
Last month, Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel wrote a column that surmised Boeheim would try to fight the reported exit plan, which, he wrote, was being forced on the coach. Boeheim denied the assertion.
Hopkins was in the mix for head-coaching positions in the past, at Oregon State, Boston College, Charlotte, USC and St. Bonaventure. He went 4-5 as an interim head coach last year when Boeheim was suspended.
“I can’t express enough thanks to Coach Boeheim for so many years of mentorship and guidance,” Hopkins said in a statement. “The timing is right for me and my family to make this move.”