Boeheim Retires

The world of sports was abuzz yesterday with the news that Jim Boeheim was retiring as the head basketball coach at Syracuse University.  The news came out in a rather odd manner at that post game presser following the Orange's loss in the ACC Tournament, but, that aside, it certainly is noteworthy when a Hall of Fame coach hangs up his whistle.  

Of course, fans of schools that had to play against  Boeheim's teams over the years can think of a dozen and one reasons why they consider him a Jagoff Supreme, and we can cite his recent diatribe about Pitt and other schools "buying a team" this season as one of them.  Me, I lost a lot of respect for him early in the last decade when the decision was made to have Pitt and Syracuse leave the Big East and join the ACC.   Boeheim was very vocal at the time as to what a terrible decision this was.  That it was wrong to leave the Big East, and how awful it was that it was FOOTBALL that was driving the bus in this conference realignment.   He mellowed a bit on this over the years, but never completely, and this is where he forgot one of Life's major precepts:  Everybody Has A Boss.   If Beoheim was the principled man he claimed to be, he should have submitted his resignation to the University over what he felt was an unfair and terrible decision.  Instead, he put himself above the University that employed him.  He became the basketball version of Joe Paterno.

Oh well, that's just my opinion, and his actions in that instance there take nothing away from his ability as a coach.  He was terrific in that job, and there can be no doubt that he loved Syracuse and Syracuse University.  He is a native of the area.   He went to Syracuse as a student.  When he joined the basketball team as a Walk On in 1962, Jack Kennedy was President.  When he became the head basketball coach there, Gerald Ford was President.  Astonishingly, there have been nine different Presidents during Boeheim's tenure as Syracuse's head coach. He held the position for 47 years, which is seven years more that George Halas coached the Chicago Bears.   I'm sure that he had offers over the years to move on, either to other schools or the pros, but he chose to remain in Syracuse, so good for him.

One other point in his favor.  He chose to announce his retirement at the end of a season, rather than before his final season, so we were spared the phoney sentimental and teary Farewell Tour this past season, like the one Coach K inflicted upon us last year.