MikeSU02
Thank you for appreciating my post, liking it and to everyone who gave me a like, thank you.
I wasn't going to respond to your post but thought better of it.
What I wrote yesterday was what I know about him as a friend, and thought people would find what little I wrote interesting. I was not defending him. I was telling people here what he was like as a younger coach and continued to develop the very real history of Syracuse Basketball under Jim Boeheim until today with things he has to deal with now.
Of course Jim does not walk on water, is not a god or saint or harbor impunity. Because I write positve things with some criticism of him does not make him a god. Those things never entered my mind. He is very much a human being like anyone here. The scandal of recent years shows that and has had a profound effect on the program and yet he still moves things forward and squeaks into the NCAA's and manages a few sweet sixteens and elite eights here and there.
In my reply to you, I would say he has made SU and himself into a program that people here love and also those who love to complain about. It's a consistent narrative of, “he really should retire,” and the week after that, when we've beaten another team badly, “finally a nice job by Boeheim but we're still on the bubble.”
When you have made something(s) consistently good it promotes discussion from the people that like what you've done and those that don't. The result is that what he's done is create so much interest in Syracuse Basketball that he and this program are discussed regularly by professional journalists, and sports writers and is interviewed by all the top sports talk show hosts making the program one that gets discussed and dissected regularly. We are a constant headline even though the players are, some think, terrible or another project. Even if you don't agree, Syracuse Basketball is very relevant and in the headlines every season.
You are usually the recipient of how much time you put into your job, how hard you work and how good you are at it and Jim is a very good example of someone who puts it all in every day. I've seen it. I never thought he was staying this long although he mentioned several times how much he enjoyed coaching Syracuse followed by a sigh and a rub of his nose and face.
I agree that today it's hard to bring in a player who is a project and coach that player up until he becomes a PLAYER. I do not think you can do that today. It's why there are over 1,100 players in the Transfer Portal. The best are going to play at this high major level. It used to be you could do that but now you better be ready because your peers are waiting and the target's on your back – so it's tireless and exhausting recruiting for everyone, every assistant and head coach, leased, owned jet or not, today it's necessary to stay involved and be competitive with the pack or if you aren't you'll realize the results in a very poor season. And in most top programs your top recruit instead of staying 3 – 4 years, as in years past, will stay one and you start recruiting someone like him/them all over again. Perhaps the Transfer Portal will alleviate some of the road work?
I know how hard Jim has worked to attain the record he has and we and Syracuse are the beneficiaries of one hell of a coach, IMO. I do still think he has earned the right to stay as long as as he can and as he said, “I'll stay if I can still win and bring in good players”. I do not think Jim is a lingerer. He'll know when to go and I can see he and JW having that final discussion.
There will be hoorays and people with tears in their eyes and some may break down and cry.
I know Juli will and the rest of his family may be down and want to hug him for a long time.
But if he can, and has his health, he'll be out on the course or putting green enjoying his golf game. And just think, for many of us, for most of our lives, Jim will have given to us the ability to watch, yell, scream, smile, boo, shout all kinds of good and bad things at him and our team.
And when you look at his record and all he has given of himself to one institution, OURS – it's not all that bad - it's GOOD! And we all got to share in it.
