Friday, May 24th, 2013
As we countdown to the start of the college basketball season, The Juice Online will tackle a burning question about the Syracuse basketball team in “Tipoff Countdown.”
Today’s topic: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is entering his 37th season as the head coach of the Orange, and it’s become an annual ritual to speculate about the old ball coach. Is this the season that Boeheim decides to hang it up?
Jim Boeheim’s legacy is already cemented.
The Syracuse coach has notched nine Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three appearances in the national title game and the 2003 national championship.
Is this Boeheim’s final season?
One of the few questions left for Boeheim is when he’ll decide to call it quits. On the one hand, Boeheim has told reporters that he can “see the end,” but he also has been on record that he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
» Related: Is Syracuse playing a weak non-conference schedule?
That has led to plenty of speculation.
The reality is that only a handful of people know the real answer to the question, if there is an answer to it at all.
Perhaps Boeheim doesn’t even know himself. There are plenty of factors at play, and many of them are result dependent.
Here is a list of some of those factors:
THE AGE FACTOR: This is probably the most obvious one. Last season, Boeheim was the fourth oldest coach in the NCAA, trailing only Jim Calhoun (70), Charlie Coles (70) and Tevester Anderson (75). Coles and Calhoun retired in the offseason and Boeheim will turn 68 this season.
THE BOBBY KNIGHT FACTOR: Boeheim starts the season at 890 wins, good for third all time among Division I coaches, and second among active coaches. Mike Krzyzewski is at 927, and shows no signs of slowing down. But Boeheim is right on the heels of Bob Knight at 902, and will likely pass him this season. Retiring with the second all time wins isn’t a bad feat, especially knowing that Calhoun will never catch him.
» Do you think Boeheim is retiring? Leave us your thoughts below!
THE COMPETITIVE FACTOR: Boeheim is one of the most competitive coaches in the game; is there a chance he loses his fire? He’s said publicly that if he ever loses his passion for the game and his drive to win, that’s when he knows it’s time to hang it up.
THE BIG EAST FACTOR: Boeheim is the last of the original Big East coaches to still be at the same school. If Boeheim is nothing else, he is extremely loyal, and it’s hard to picture the Big East without Boeheim, or Boeheim without the Big East. Perhaps as Syracuse sings its swan song in the conference, Boeheim will do the same.
THE ACC FACTOR: Then again, the prospect of playing in a new conference and proving that Syracuse can compete with Duke and North Carolina is a tempting prospect. Boeheim may also want to ensure the smooth transition between conferences so that Mike Hopkins has the foundation to succeed after he’s gone.
THE FINAL FOUR FACTOR: Boeheim was a member of the coaching staff that went to the 1975 Final Four. He was then the head coach of the 1987, 1996 and 2003 that all went to regional championships. There’s an allure about a school going to the Final Four once a decade, and if Boeheim is able to extend that streak to five decades, perhaps that allows him to walk away.
» Related: Adam Zagoria speaks to Boeheim
THE CHAMPIONSHIP FACTOR: On the same note, let’s assume that Syracuse wins a championship this year. How many people get to say they went out on top? Not many, and maybe that would be Boeheim’s final parting gift to SU.
THE TALENT FACTOR: At this point in Boeheim’s career, he’s not likely to want to oversee a rebuilding period. Then again, no such thing is in the foreseeable future. Next season, Tyler Ennis will join the Orange. There’s talk about Isaiah Whitehead and Chris McCullough joining the season after that. Syracuse has gotten to the point where it just reloads, so this probably won’t come into play.
THE SCANDAL FACTOR: Last season was one of the Orange’s worst off the court, with allegations surrounding Bernie Fine and a Yahoo! Sports report about failed internal drug tests. Other than being criticized for his initial reaction to the news about Fine, Boeheim wasn’t affected by it. But while both stories have been dormant, neither has been fully resolved.
Those are just some of the factors to consider.
So now the question…
Do you think this is Boeheim’s final season? Voice your opinions below or Tweet us your opinions!
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Tags: Basketball, Jim Boeheim, Syracuse, Tipoff Countdown
More From: Wesley Cheng
NO!
No way will he step down at the end of this year!
As long as his health stays good, he will stay…He lives and breathes the game..He would not like the job of a tv basketball commentator second guessing other coaches..He is now a dean of the game and draws players he didn’t have a shot at ten years ago..He has built it and they are coming..Enjoy it, JB, the world, finally, is yours..
I could see him walking away if he wins one. Even if he only makes a FF. But I could also see him staying until the day he dies. The man is an institution!
No, he doesn’t want to throw Hopkins to the wolves first year in the ACC. After that though probably
I actually think so. Hunch from people I’ve talked to, things I’ve read. Maybe he won’t, but this is 1st yr I’ve felt this could be it. I hope not.
If SU won it all the next 2 years, JB would retire. If they don’t, he could be here a few years longer.
I believe, Jim Boeheim retires when he personally doesn’t think his team’s good enough to make a Final Four run.
The only thing that would cause Boeheim to retire after this year is health or family issues. Otherwise, no way.
Coach Boeheim will not retire after this year, because I think he’d like to coach opposite some of the ACC coaches for a few years particularly coach K of Duke, especially, after they coached together at the olympics. If he retires after this season, coach B will regret not doing that!
I have said all along that Jimmy will Not leave the Big East. He will retire before that happens!!
Never leave…
Coach Boeheim is in good health, great at his job, runs a premier program, and based on recent heistory, is only four seasons away (at most)from an astonishing 1,000 wins, all at the same school. He has kids who are still in local schools, so leaving the area might mot be on the family agenda for a while. Barring health issues, his competitive nature will keep him here to hit 1000, and to show the best of the ACC that we’ve got game!
I think Boeheim will stay a few more years to transition the team into the ACC. He has his health and I believe (after watching him coach the last few seasons) he still has the fire. Besides…what else would he do? Go on the Seniors golf tournament?
Sorry – you are wrong – he will leave!!
This is only a discussion because the media made it one…Boeheim likes to hint at retirement from time to time, but he has no plans on leaving after this season. He’s already made that point here: http://zagsblog.com/articles/boeheim-says-he-has-no-plans-to-retire-soon/ Just because he is realistic and says he can “see the end” doesn’t mean he is retiring.
Oh yeah…………..we’ll see. I don’t care what he says. He will leave.
someday he will..someday
He will NOT go to the ACC!!!
In all liklihood, Jim will not retire this year. With the recruiting class coming in, going to the ACC and the competitive nature that we has, why would he? I remember when I was in School back in 1985 and some of my friends would kill him for not winning. Look at him now, he is not finished…… watch out ACC.
I stnad by what I said – He Will Leave!!!
some day you will right…just not now
if not it will be the acc’s loss..
It will be SU’s loss. He would not leave if they didn’t leave the Big East!