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After 47 years, the Jim Boeheim era at Syracuse University has come to an end. The head basketball coach made the retirement announcement Wednesday as his Orange lost 77-74 to Wake Forest on a buzzer-beater that kicked the squad out of the ACC tournament.
However, it seems like the nearly 50-year relationship between Boeheim and the university didn’t have the most amicable split, as he hinted it was the school’s decision to part ways.
“As I’ve said from day one when I started working here, the university hired me, and it’s their choice what they want to do. I always have the choice of retirement, but it’s their decision as to whether I coach or not. It always has been,” Boeheim said. “I’ve just been lucky to be able to coach this long.”
As he continued to speak to the media, he responded “This is up to the University” when asked if he was retiring and didn’t give a straight answer when asked if he wanted to come back.
When further pressed about the decision, he added, “You’re talking to the wrong guy.”
Taking his place will be Adrian Autry, who played point guard for the Orange in the early ’90s, before returning to the university in 2011 as an assistant and being promoted to associate head coach in 2016.
Following the announcement that Autry would now be the head coach, the Bronx native spoke on his basketball roots in Syracuse.
“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 Wednesday. “It’s a great university. The city has embraced our team. I am amazed that we’ve been able to draw the fans that we’ve been able to draw over the years.
Boeheim retires from Syracuse with a coaching record of 1,015-441, which yielded a Carmelo Anthony-led NCAA championship in 2003 and five final four appearances.
See how Twitter reacted to Jim Boeheim’s less-than-celebratory announcement below.
