Fire Autry

[DilemaCuse]

Kadary, Buddy, Joe, Swider, Guerrier, Jesse would have been a really interesting core in 2022.

with big bad Bobby Braswell and Woody Newton

 

[DilemaCuse]

Here's what I don't get, If JB didnt think Autry was the right successor, why did he have him as Associate HC and not make some hard staff changes around 2019? Shoot, I know because bringing in an outside assistant would probably mean they wouldn't be ok with the Daddy ball that was played. JB just wanted a Yes man and was fine with AA as his #2 but preferred Gerry, thats not a great look and sort of a back stabbing move.

 

[Scooch]

Here's what I don't get, If JB didnt think Autry was the right successor, why did he have him as Associate HC and not make some hard staff changes around 2019? Shoot, I know because bringing in an outside assistant would probably mean they wouldn't be ok with the Daddy ball that was played. JB just wanted a Yes man and was fine with AA as his #2 but preferred Gerry, thats not a great look and sort of a back stabbing move.

This is why I’ve always been suspicious of the rumors that Boeheim preferred McNamara. If that was really the case then he should have promoted Gerry over Red. He didn’t. So he owns that de facto endorsement of Autry.

 

[sufan59]

I said it at the time and I’ll repeat it again now… I believe the decision makers felt they needed to follow the legend with an SU guy.

Here’s why (again, I said this in March of 2023)… if you hire outside the family and that guy fails, then you’ve burned a bunch of bridges with alums and boosters who wanted a family hire. Winning them back would be difficult.

If you hire Red then those people are placated. If he fails (and boy oh boy did he fail) then you have free rein to hire anyone from anywhere as his replacement. Yes this meant burning 3 years. But it may have preserved more relationships (read: $$$) for the long term.

Absolutely, I believe this job today is actually more attractive than what it was 3 years ago. This program has caught up a lot on off the court game from 3 years ago.

 

[CuseFan]

Here's what I don't get, If JB didnt think Autry was the right successor, why did he have him as Associate HC and not make some hard staff changes around 2019? Shoot, I know because bringing in an outside assistant would probably mean they wouldn't be ok with the Daddy ball that was played. JB just wanted a Yes man and was fine with AA as his #2 but preferred Gerry, thats not a great look and sort of a back stabbing move.

really great point. why would Red be the Associate HC and not Gerry then?

 

[Orangezoo]

Absolutely, I believe this job today is actually more attractive than what it was 3 years ago. This program has caught up a lot on off the court game from 3 years ago.

Both major revenue programs are in a state of flux with ample unknowns. That means that pitching and explaining the job and the future vision isn’t going to be that simple. Both programs have high need for as much funding as possible and that requires a balancing act of its own. Any coach can see how that is much easier to work through and have confidence in if one or both of the programs are in a great spot. Having both in flux and scrapping doesn’t help our case for hoops imho.

Not trying to be a downer but we have to have the money and support which several others have pointed out and the decision of who comes in has to be completely on board just as much as those key in the funding side are.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Here's what I don't get, If JB didnt think Autry was the right successor, why did he have him as Associate HC and not make some hard staff changes around 2019? Shoot, I know because bringing in an outside assistant would probably mean they wouldn't be ok with the Daddy ball that was played. JB just wanted a Yes man and was fine with AA as his #2 but preferred Gerry, thats not a great look and sort of a back stabbing move.

I'd guess that JB wasn't thinking that far ahead. Based on the comment he made to Pete Thamel of ESPN after the game at B.C. he may have thought he'd still be around for a few more years and had time to figure those things out.

 

[FloridaCuse]

This is why I’ve always been suspicious of the rumors that Boeheim preferred McNamara. If that was really the case then he should have promoted Gerry over Red. He didn’t. So he owns that de facto endorsement of Autry.

or didn't plan that far ahead. May have thought he had at least a few more years as HC and time to maybe get Autry another job somewhere else. Or, he just never thought about the optics of it.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Absolutely, I believe this job today is actually more attractive than what it was 3 years ago. This program has caught up a lot on off the court game from 3 years ago.

Yes, it's in a different space, but not necessarily in a better space. But, I blame that on the state of college basketball, plus the fact of being a private university stuck in a landscape competing with much larger public universities who have a lot more alumni, who happen to live geographically a lot closer to campus.

I would love to see the percentage breakdown of season ticket holders of alumni vs non-alumni at Syracuse vs. a school like North Carolina or Virginia or Louisville. Because a great majority of our STH'ers are locals who might not have the means or the desire to fund the NIL for basketball. And that is going to be 50% (or whatever number you think it is) of a successful basketball team.

And if Cuse doesn't have the local businesses to fund NIL, it's definitely on the alumni to do so.

Good players+a good game plan+in game coaching=success.

 

[FloridaCuse]

really great point. why would Red be the Associate HC and not Gerry then?

Maybe JB didn't think that mattered.

 

[Scooch]

or didn't plan that far ahead. May have thought he had at least a few more years as HC and time to maybe get Autry another job somewhere else. Or, he just never thought about the optics of it.

Who knows. JB was very clearly obsessed with being HC of SU and couldn’t contemplate a life without that.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Sht really hit the fan when we jettisoned certain players to bring in Jimmy Jr. That was the fork in the body that effectively ended JB’s tenure. We could have had a good team had we just returned the previous seasons roster intact and added Swider to replace Alan Griffin. The fact that was allowed to happen was ridiculous. They allowed JB to dig his own grave for a family party.

We did not jettison Guerrier for Jimmie tho. Guerrier hit the portal because he wanted to shoot threes and audition for the NBA. Our mistake was not bringing in another more athletic power forward to go along with Jimmie. Or better yet no Jimmie at all.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Who knows. JB was very clearly obsessed with being HC of SU and couldn’t contemplate a life without that.

plus he thought he could stay in the job as long as he wanted to. That he, and he alone, called the shots. That's basically what he said in the Pete Thamel interview after the B.C. game that January [Edit: February].

 

[OrangeXtreme]

This is why I’ve always been suspicious of the rumors that Boeheim preferred McNamara. If that was really the case then he should have promoted Gerry over Red. He didn’t. So he owns that de facto endorsement of Autry.

The old "JB prefered GMac" rumor is so old it's grown hair by now.

Nobody has ever provided a video or a link to a story that backs it up.

I think it's just message board BS.

“My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw JB holding hands with GMac at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.”

 

[FloridaCuse]

The old "JB prefered GMac" rumor is so old it's grown hair by now.

Nobody has ever provided a video or a link to a story that backs it up.

I think it's just message board BS.

“My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw JB holding hands with GMac at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.”

Got it. But I think some people on here have indicated that they either heard it directly from him or know people who did. To me it was clear from his interview with Michael Kay on YES in 2013. That's what I took away from that interview the first time I saw it. When asked if was in a foxhole and could only have on other person in there with him to help him get out, he replied Gerry McNamara. When asked by Michael Kay why, JB responded something like "because he's the toughest person I know". And he wouldn't want him to be the one to succeed him in the job?

 

[DilemaCuse]

really great point. why would Red be the Associate HC and not Gerry then?

And if you didnt think he could succeed, why did you have him on staff all these years?

JB obviously had reservations about his ability yet kept him around. JB was totally checked out at the end and the results showed.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

plus he thought he could stay in the job as long as he wanted to. That he, and he alone, called the shots. That's basically what he said in the Pete Thamel interview after the B.C. game that January.

Yes, except for when Hop was HC in waiting, I don't think JAB ever had a plan to leave. Especially, when he had a chance to coach his sons, and then after that, he wanted to go out a winner.

In retrospect, he should have retired in 2021 after losing to Houston in the Sweet Sixteen. That would have been a good exit. Instead he stayed to coach Jimmy.

 

[DilemaCuse]

I'd guess that JB wasn't thinking that far ahead. Based on the comment he made to Pete Thamel of ESPN after the game at B.C. he may have thought he'd still be around for a few more years and had time to figure those things out.

That interview was Feb of 23, he had to have known the walls were closing in and time was running out, he was 78 for gods sake!

 

[IthacaMatt]

"We know the Autry hiring was dictated by JB"


We were told here that JB lobbied for Gerry... not Autry.

Yes, JB wanted Gerry and didn't get him.
But JB, as I understand it, relented and agreed to Autry with Gerry getting the Associate Head Coach promotion.
It certainly never went to a search.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Yes, except for when Hop was HC in waiting, I don't think JAB ever had a plan to leave. Especially, when he had a chance to coach his sons, and then after that, he wanted to go out a winner.

In retrospect, he should have retired in 2021 after losing to Houston in the Sweet Sixteen. That would have been a good exit. Instead he stayed to coach Jimmy.

Yes, agree. Good point. I forgot about Hop. Who he screwed by not retiring. I presume when Buddy developed into being a potential D1 player Hop knew it was over for him there, at least at any time soon.

 

[FloridaCuse]

That interview was Feb of 23, he had to have known the walls were closing in and time was running out, he was 78 for gods sake!

You're right it was Februay 4, 2023. I joined this site the next day. I had thought it took a few days to do so. I'm not sure he knew his time was running out. He sounded VERY arrogant about it in that interview if I recall.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Yes, agree. Good point. I forgot about Hop. Who he screwed by not retiring. I presume when Buddy developed into being a potential D1 player Hop knew it was over for him there, at least at any time soon.

Yes, I don't think JAB ever expected that his kids would be good enough to play at Syracuse. Buddy was. Jimmy, arguably, would have been OK as reserve. But, without the pandemic, Jimmy never would have played at Cuse.

 

[RF2044]

The old "JB prefered GMac" rumor is so old it's grown hair by now.

Nobody has ever provided a video or a link to a story that backs it up.

I think it's just message board BS.

“My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw JB holding hands with GMac at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.”

It's not a "rumor," but it is misrepresented on here often.

Fact: JB approached ADJW about setting up a new HCIW arrangement, with GMac as the successor. JW politely declined that arrangement. Don't know that it went any further than that, but it was floated by JB.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Yes, I don't think JAB ever expected that his kids would be good enough to play at Syracuse. Buddy was. Jimmy, arguably, would have been OK as reserve. But, without the pandemic, Jimmy never would have played at Cuse.

My recollection is that it was when Buddy was a junior at JD, maybe the summer before when he played in the AAU circuit, that people started to notice how he had improved and I think it was other coaches, maybe Roy Williams, who told JB that Buddy is capable of D1. Vague recollection it was at the Peach Jam (tournament?) in Atlanta. I think JB got agreement from his assistant coaches that Buddy was capable of playing here before it became final.

 

[23Zone]

really great point. why would Red be the Associate HC and not Gerry then?

Seniority and avoiding certain undesireble optics of promoting Gerry over Red...

And perhaps the most ironic thing of everything is that JB would be a great coach in this new era because you don't actually have to go out and recruit anymore... it's all NIL money and portal action. And his kids are no longer on the team playing for him as a massive conflict of interest.

With the talent on this team, JB would have had a lot more success...no doubt in my mind. He probably feels sick to the core watching the monstrosity product that we have morphed into