Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim reiterates that he will be returning following Michigan loss

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Boeheim: I'm returning

ATLANTA — In what has become one-part comedy, two-parts redundancy, Jim Boeheim reaffirmed he was returning for his 38th season as head coach of Syracuse following Syracuse’s 61-56 loss to Michigan on Saturday night in the national semifinals.

Boeheim has been steadfast about his return for next year, going as far to repeat it on national television on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.

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Boeheim: I’m returning

Apparently this was not good enough for CBSSports.com’s Gregg Doyel, who asked Boeheim when he planned on announcing (again) whether he would be returning for the 2013-14 season.

» Related: Boeheim says he will coach in ACC

“Why would you ask that question?” Boeheim said. “I expect it from you. I know you.”

Doyel said he would ask it of a 19-year old whether he would be declaring early for the NBA draft.

“If you’re going to say something smart, at least be smart,” Boeheim said. “I’ve never indicated at any time that I’m not coming back next year – ever.”

Doyel then left the room after the initial question and Boeheim chided him for as much.

But Doyel later returned, and continued his exchange with Boeheim. His theory on Boeheim’s retirement was that Boeheim was a Big East original, and wouldn’t leave for the ACC out of loyalty.

Perhaps that would be true if the Big East remained in its original form, Boeheim said. But definitely not now in the condition its in, as the remaining members of the Big East are now forming the American Athletic Association, while the Catholic Seven will keep the original Big East name.

“I should be happy because there’s more teams that I know in the ACC,” Boeheim said. “I’ve always thought that the two best leagues in the country were the ACC and the Big East over the last 34 years.”

“There’s always a chance that somebody might think, you know, you get back into coaching, you get in the thing, you just don’t feel it. If that happens, you know, I don’t want to ever let it be said that I misled anybody. As far as I know, I’m 100% coaching next year. You know, that’s really kind of where I’m at right now.”

» Related: Syracuse loses in national semifinals to Michigan

That would seem, in all forms, about as close to a commitment that Boeheim will be returning next season.

Yet, somehow, the speculation will likely continue.

“The only reason that I would not coach next year is because I didn’t feel I could do a good job or wanted to do it,” Boeheim said. “I have no feeling at all now that that will be the case.”

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.