It hasn’t been a secret, I’ve never really been a Jim Boeheim fan.
There have been just enough prickly interviews with the former Syracuse men’s basketball coach and his clipped answers, condescending attitude and general disdain for the media, to confirm that he was hardly a darling of the press.
I never knew how Donna Ditota, the former Bona women’s star and mass communications alum, endured covering his team over some 36 seasons for the Syracuse Media Group.
Boeheim could be irritable and irascible, testy and touchy and, occasionally, charming.
My problem with him was that St. Bonaventure went from being “our biggest rival” as he called the Bonnies for about a decade starting in the mid-1970s, to a non-conference afterthought where any loss would be decidedly punitive.
Beating the Bonnies in the ‘84-85 season was the Orange’s last-ever visit to the Reilly Center by Boeheim’s decree. When his career ended, he was 23-4 against Bona, 3-2 at the RC. Meanwhile, at the former Carrier Dome he was 14-1 versus the Bonnies — thank you Mark Schmidt in 2017 — 5-1 on neutral courts.
His excuse for ditching the alternating-season, home-and-home series was Syracuse joining the Big East which created increased schedule demands. And, in fairness, Bona joined the Atlantic 10 nee Eastern Eight, the same year, 1979, and soon thereafter stopped playing Niagara and Canisius twice each per season.
IT WAS shortly after that an epiphany in my view of Boeheim occurred.
He spoke at a New York AP Sports Editors’ dinner at Cooperstown and, after the meal, several of us sat down with him and, over drinks, he talked about all manner of college basketball including his frustration with the media as it related to recruiting. This was an era before social media, the internet and online sites specializing in that very subject. Back then, it was word-of-mouth and for a major school like Syracuse, rumors swirled constantly.
Using a fictitious analogy, Boeheim said, “It becomes known, in the paper, we’re recruiting a certain player. All of a sudden, he signs with Akron. What’s the headline? ‘Syracuse loses so-and-so to Akron.’ Well, I’m not going to embarrass the kid by saying ‘He was our No. 4 option at power forward.’ But to the public, because of what the paper wrote, we ‘lost’ him.”
It occurred to me he was absolutely right, that wasn’t a fair characterization … incomplete, at best.
IN SHORT, I’m not totally sour on Boeheim, which leads me to this question.
Could Syracuse possibly have botched his “retirement” any more than it did?
Confusion after the Orange lost to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament last week was palpable.
The school administration, two hours following the defeat, announced Boeheim was being replaced by his hand-picked assistant, Adrian Autry, leaving us to wonder whether he jumped or was pushed.
In either case, this university which houses the famed Newhouse School of Public Communications that has turned out hundreds of nationally-known writers, broadcasters and public relations people, couldn’t figure out how to handle Boeheim’s exit without embarrassing itself?
This is a coach who won 1,116 games, the second-most in NCAA history, and if the 101 vacated victories for ineligible players (totally self-inflicted) were added, he’d have 15 more than current leader Mike Krzyzewski (1202).
Of course, the Duke icon had a season-long farewell tour, ending with an emotional ceremony at Cameron Indoor Coliseum after his final game. Boeheim got a press release that didn’t even have the courtesy to quote him.
To be sure, he threatened retirement six years ago but changed his mind given a chance to coach his sons. And, considering Boeheim’s persona, administration’s reluctance to suggest it was time for new blood, is understandable.
Still, it’s a separation which required being handled with class and dignity … exactly opposite the university’s ill-considered approach.
Even last Friday’s press conference, ostensibly to introduce Autry, but which actually was Boeheim’s opportunity to speak, cleared up little.
Supposedly, he’ll fill some undetermined role with the school and administration alluded to some grand ceremony in Boeheim’s honor, though there was no mention of either a time or a place.
Clearly, Boeheim had his warts. But the acclaim, attention and honor he brought to Syracuse due to his basketball program’s success over a 47-year career can’t be quantified and deserves to be roundly celebrated.
Jim Boeheim deserved way better than the university he loves gave to him.
(Chuck Pollock, an Olean Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
