After 47 seasons, Boeheim’s coaching career ends awkwardly at Syracuse
Jim Boeheim enrolled at Syracuse in 1962. Played there until 1966. Started coaching there in 1969. Took over the program as head coach in 1976.
Put simply, he was Syracuse basketball.
Until now.
The Basketball Hall of Famer’s 47-year tenure as coach at Syracuse came to an awkward end Wednesday, with the university saying Orange associate head coach and former Syracuse player Adrian Autry was promoted to the job. The Orange moved quickly, making the announcement less than three hours after Syracuse lost to Wake Forest, 77-74, in the second round of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, N.C. And if Boeheim knew the announcement was coming, he didn’t let on at what was his final postgame news conference.
“It’s up to the university,” Boeheim said. “They have to make their decision, and it’s up to them.”
The university didn’t wait long before making the decision public, saying in part: “Today, as his 47th season coaching his alma mater comes to an end, so too does his storied career at Syracuse University. Associate Head Coach Adrian Autry ’94, one of Boeheim’s former players and longtime assistant, has been named the program’s next head coach.”
Autry has been on Boeheim’s staff since 2011 and held the title of associate head coach since March 2017.
“There have been very few stronger influential forces in my life than Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim,” Autry said. “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 78-year-old Boeheim’s record in his 47 seasons, officially, was 1,015-441. That reflects 101 wins stripped by the NCAA for violations between the 2004-07 and 2010-12 seasons.
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 national title — Carmelo Anthony’s lone season in Syracuse — and saw 46 of his players get taken in NBA drafts.
“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,” Boeheim said in that postgame news conference, one in which he hinted at retirement, then hinted at returning. “It’s a great university.”
TEXAS TECH: Red Raiders coach Mark Adams, who was suspended recently for racially insensitive comments made toward one of his players, resigned after Texas Tech’s 78-62 loss to West Virginia in the first round of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Hoyas fall meekly in Big East
Patrick Ewing walked off the court alone at Madison Square Garden, the site of his greatest moments as both an NBA player and Georgetown’s coach, after another blowout loss that might have been his final game leading Hoyas.
Last-place Georgetown (7-25) was eliminated by sixth-seeded Villanova (17-15), 80-48, in the first round of the Big East tournament. School officials have given no indication whether Ewing will be back for a seventh season, but he fell to 75-109 as coach of the program he led to three Final Fours and a national title as player.
“No thoughts about my future,” Ewing said. “The [last] two season’s been rough. Disappointed in the outcomes of these last two years. My future’s in the hands of our president and our AD and the board of the directors.”
Athletic Director Lee Reed declined to comment on Ewing’s status.
“My thoughts are with those kids right now,” Lee said outside of the Georgetown locker room. “It’s been a long year.”
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 97, VIRGINIA TECH 77: Terquavion Smith scored 30 points on 11-for-13 shooting and Jarkel Joiner had a double-double as the sixth-seeded Wolfpack (23-9) upended the 11th-seeded Hokies (19-14) in the first round of the ACC tournament.
GEORGE MASON 62, RICHMOND 57: Josh Oduro had a double-double and Ronald Polite put George Mason ahead with a three-pointer with 47 seconds left as the Patriots (20-12) ousted Richmond (15-18) in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament in New York.
Oduro had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Patriots, who advanced to a quarterfinal matchup with Saint Louis (20-11) on Thursday with their seventh consecutive win.
ST. JOSEPH’S 87, GEORGE WASHINGTON 76: Despite a team-high 25 points from James Bishop IV and 20 points from Rickey Lindo Jr., the Colonials (16-16) were eliminated by the Hawks (16-16) in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. HOWARD 91, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 55: Bryce Harris scored 20 points to help lift the Bison to a rout of the Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the MidEastern Athletic Conference tournament in Norfolk.
Harris added seven rebounds for Howard (20-12).
Cam Jones led South Carolina State (5-26) with 14 points. COLGATE 79, LAFAYETTE
61: Keegan Records scored 21 points, Tucker Richardson had a triple-double, and the top-seeded Raiders (26-8) won their third consecutive Patriot League tournament title with a rout of the sixth-seeded Leopards (11-23) in Hamilton, N.Y.
The three-peat is the first in the league since Holy Cross accomplished the feat (2000-03). TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI 75, NORTHWESTERN STATE 71: Jalen Jackson scored 13 of his season-high 17 points in the second half, Owen Dease came off the bench to add a career-high 16, and the Islanders (23-10) knocked off the Demons (22-11) to win their second straight Southland Conference tournament title in Lake Charles, La.
Hornets punch NCAA ticket
Jordan Olivares scored a careerhigh 26 points, Kaylin Randhawa added a season-high 20, and the Sacramento State women (25-7) earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament with a 76-63 win over Northern Arizona (21-13) in the Big Sky tournament championship game in Boise, Idaho.