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Jim Boeheim to Retire as Syracuse Men's Basketball Coach in 3 Years
March 18, 2015
In the midst of a scandal that has the Syracuse men's basketball program in a state of flux, it was announced Wednesday that longtime head coach Jim Boeheim will step down from his position in three years.
The news was first released courtesy of Syracuse Basketball on Twitter:
Boeheim has been at the helm since 1976, but the 70-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer's tenure with the Orange will soon reach its conclusion.
Syracuse University chancellor Kent Syverud released a statement explaining how the decision was ultimately made:
... Coach Boeheim has also told me that he intends to retire as Head Coach in three years. His goal in making this decision and announcement now is to bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years, and enable and plan for a successful, longer-term transition in coaching leadership. Coach Boeheim's commitment to ensuring that the men’s basketball program remains strong even after his tenure is just one more example of his deep loyalty to our University.
Although the particulars regarding the announcement are unclear, Syracuse basketball took a major hit recently when the team announced Boeheim would be suspended for nine ACC games next season in addition to vacating 108 wins due to NCAA rule violations.
Despite that, Nicole Auerbach of USA Today was among those who were confused by the decision to make an announcement regarding Boeheim's future:
Although Boeheim has a plan in place, ESPN's Darren Rovell wonders if he will be given the opportunity to see it through:
There is no doubt Syracuse basketball is mired in controversy right now, but Boeheim is seemingly giving himself a few more years to redeem his own reputation as well as that of the basketball program.
Winning tends to cure many ills in sports, and now, the countdown is on for Boeheim to return Orange basketball to prominence.
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