A New Era of Syracuse Basketball is Here
47 years. Five Final Four spots. A national title in 2002-03. Hall of Fame. All of those Big East regular season and tournament championships. 30,000+ against the biggest of rivals. National relevance. A basketball phenomenon built from the ground up.
Jim Boeheim, ya done well.
Earlier last month, the 78-year-old retired or got fired or retired before being fired or resigned before getting fired or both sides just decided this was it. Confused? Join the club. But don’t waste your time speculating or guessing. We have arrived at this point. Athletic Director John Wildhack and Boeheim consistently mentioned “the plan in place” at the press conference moving Syracuse basketball into the next era. We had probably even less clarity of the situation after the presser. Onward.
His name is on the court for a reason. Jim Boeheim made Syracuse basketball. Love him or hate him or meet in the middle, he is a legend, no doubt about that. His 2-3 Zone has been used by many others, including his buddy Coach K. He has had global success and impact with Team USA. He, along with so many amazing coaching personalities and players formed arguably the best basketball conference ever, the Big East. You read the first paragraph. You know the history of it all.
But what about the future?
The future is here in the name of Adrian “Red” Autry. A former point guard under Boeheim who played under the white roof the exact way an SU guard should. Versatile and tempo-setting with a great dribble and passing ability to go along with a scoring touch. A five-tool point man. The man can also coach. He’s great with the media and he’s a nice guy. That smile doesn’t hurt one bit.
Was Autry named rather quickly? Were you expecting a full coaching search to last months as we wait for Rick Pitino or Matt Langel or whoever else to be available for interviews? Again, don’t speculate or guess for two reasons. One, Autry was always the guy. Two, Name, Image and Likeness and the Transfer Portal have thrown college basketball and sports for the ultimate loop. Who will be on the roster year to year? Autry being named head coach right away allows him to go to the current Orange roster and add to his existing relationships with the players, just in a new title only, head coach. 
Some wanted Gerry McNamara. And we know why. G-Mac is arguably the most beloved player in school history. But, again, Autry was the guy all along. People tell me his style and communication skills are off the charts. G-Mac has that also, but could you imagine the PR nightmare if Syracuse stays mediocre or drops even more with McNamara as head coach? Would you be forced to fire him? No one wants to decide that.
At the end of the day, Autry deserves a chance just like everyone else. As this article is being written, Autry has landed CNY native and Notre Dame transfer JJ Starling. Pretty good start. Also, his mention of doing whatever it takes to win a game sounds like a guy who could mix things up a little, come out of certain habits more and see how it goes. The 2-3 Zone is an amazing defense when it works, but when you give up 61 3-pointers in four games, maybe trying something new makes sense. After all, Michael Jordan missed free throws, too.
So here we are. An end of an era for Syracuse basketball and the start of another. The crowds will come and the bars will be packed on Game Day. Syracuse basketball will live on.
But it never would have started living without Jim Boeheim. It started with the recruitment of Louis and Bouie and into Pearl and eventually Carmelo and the rest and the success speaks for itself. 47 years is beyond a great ride. It’s an unthinkable ride of loyalty and commitment and will to win that we will never see around these parts again. Congrats, Jim Boeheim, and thank you for all the memories.
And with that, the Syracuse Orange basketball program is very much “Red.”
As in Adrian “Red” Autry. It’s his time now. It’s his opportunity.
Just give him a chance.
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