Jim Boeheim clarifies comments regarding his future at Syracuse
Jim Boeheim is a legend at Syracuse. He played at Syracuse and he’s coached there since 1969 as an assistant before taking over as head coach in 1976. However, at the age of 78, there are reasonable questions about how much longer he will coach there.
Previously, Boeheim has said that he will “probably” return next season and that he has “no other plans.” Now, he’s further clarified his comments regarding his future.
“Look, I explained everything,” Jim Boeheim said. “I’m always used to saying I’m going to coach because that’s what I’ve always said, and I didn’t add, but I’ve always added before, and you know this, it’s up to the university. They can call me tomorrow morning, call me in, and say, ‘You know you’ve done a great job here and we think it’s time to go.’ I get that.”
This season, Syracuse is 15-10 and 8-6 in ACC play. That’s not awful but it’s also not up to the team’s historic standard. On top of that, recent comments that Jim Boeheim made about NIL have made some people wonder if he’s capable of adapting to the modern game.
“And I don’t know why I ruffled feathers on the higher-up echelon just because I said I want to coach, you know? Maybe they want me to say, ‘Like, well, no. I’m not sure that I want to coach.’ I don’t know, but the NIL stuff was wrong,” Boeheim admitted.
“I just should have said that’s a big part of basketball. People have helped themselves with NIL and portal. I should have left it right there. Been perfect. But, I’m not always perfect. Far from it.”
Until Mike Hopkins left to become the Washington head coach, he was seen as the coach in waiting at Syracuse. However, since his decision to leave, Jim Boeheim extended his tenure.
“But when I get ready to play a game when I’ve been doing this for over 60 years as a player and a coach, and I tell my players this all the time, you have to focus on what you’re doing. You’re having a bad day. Somebody is talking about stuff, talking about you. Most of it’s not true but they’re talking about you, you focus on what you have to do. Period.”
Jim Boeheim apologized for remarks about the ACC, NIL
After accusing several teams in the ACC of misusing NIL and complaining that college basketball is in an “awful place,” Jim Boeheim issued an apology.
“I would like to clarify remarks I made in a conversation I had with a media member following our game on Saturday evening,” Boeheim said.
“I apologize to the schools I mentioned. I believe the ACC member institutions are in compliance with NCAA rules governing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). It was not my intention to imply otherwise”