Syracuse, N.Y. ― Jim Boeheim addressed speculation over his coaching future in the aftermath of Syracuse’s 77-68 win at Boston College on Saturday.
In a one-on-one post-game interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Boeheim, who is 78 years old, said he’s leaning toward returning for a 48th season as the head coach at his alma mater.
“I have no other plans,’' Boeheim told ESPN. “Listen, this has been the question of the day for 15 years. This isn’t a new question. It’s just the calendar going, ‘Well, he’s 78.’ It’s just the calendar. If it wasn’t the calendar, if I was 65, no one would be saying anything. And I’m not going to retire just because it’s the calendar. Anything can happen. Anything, literally. We’ll just see what happens. I don’t say anything because I don’t know.”
Boeheim also said the decision on whether he retires after this season or returns for the 2023-24 season is entirely up to him.
“I know it’s my choice,” he said. “I can do whatever I want. I just don’t know for sure.”
Syracuse currently owns a 14-10 overall record. Last year, Syracuse suffered through a losing season for the first time in Boeheim’s tenure.
Boeheim also discussed the current state of college basketball, taking a particularly negative view of how NIL (name, image and likeness) rules have changed recruiting. He specifically said that ACC schools Pittsburgh, Miami and Wake Forest bought teams through the transfer portal, which is legal under the NCAA’s new rules allowing student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
“This is an awful place we’re in in college basketball,” Boeheim told ESPN. “Pittsburgh bought a team. OK, fine. My [big donor] talks about it, but he doesn’t give anyone any money. Nothing. Not one guy. Our guys make like $20,000. Wake Forest bought a team. Miami bought a team. ... It’s like, ‘Really, this is where we are?’ That’s really where we are, and it’s only going to get worse.”
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes denied Boeheim’s assertations in an interview with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
Early Sunday morning, Boeheim called Thamel to say he “absolutely misspoke” about Pittsburgh and Wake Forest buying teams. Miami’s NIL deals have been well-documented. Boeheim said he should not have included Pitt and Wake.
Syracuse did recently receive a commitment from Elijah Moore, a 4-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class who had been offered an NIL deal by Adam Weitsman. Moore attended Syracuse’s game against North Carolina, sitting in Weitsman’s courtside seats along with rappers Fabolous and A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
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