The frustration I have is with leadership aka the athletic director

[elimunelson]

I wouldn’t blame the AD, I truly don’t think it’s his decision.

The board of trustees must be very cozy with the Boeheim industrial complex at this point for JW to have zero input on the hire/fire aspect of this.

I think the issue is Jim probably knows more BOT than not and it helps alot when you want to move in another direction.

 

[007]

I think most people here (yes, I'm including myself), have a superficial understanding of the multifaceted factors, including both political and financial pressure, that comes with firing a nearly 50 year career HOFHC, with only 1 losing season, his name on the court, and a lifetime of off the court philanthropy and "equity." This process is compounded by the fact that SU is a private university. I'm fairly certain that the AD does not have unilateral decision making power in this situation.

I understand the frustration. I understand that there has been a 9-year lack of success compared to the standards JB set. I'm not even debating whether it's time for JB to step down. I think it's easy to throw stones at JW. I also think that a lot of that frustration is misguided.

 

[richmondcuse03]

I think most people here (yes, I'm including myself), have a superficial understanding of the multifaceted factors, including both political and financial pressure, that comes with firing a nearly 50 year career HOFHC, with only 1 losing season, his name on the court, and a lifetime of off the court philanthropy and "equity." This process is compounded by the fact that SU is a private university. I'm fairly certain that the AD does not have unilateral decision making power in this situation.

I understand the frustration. I understand that there has been a 9-year lack of success compared to the standards JB set. I'm not even debating whether it's time for JB to step down. I think it's easy to throw stones at JW. I also think that a lot of that frustration is misguided.

Agree with that.

 

[Tango32]

My biggest fear is he "retires" and takes on some sort of executive / director role in the bball department, and doesn't truely go away and let fresh air into program. Red / Gmac taking over and Jim still in the building will change nothing.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

My biggest fear is he "retires" and takes on some sort of executive / director role in the bball department, and doesn't truely go away and let fresh air into program. Red / Gmac taking over and Jim still in the building will change nothing.

Been saying this for years

 

[elimunelson]

Been saying this for years

that'll be the crankiest way this ends. With him moving "upstairs" and still having an opinion that matters with the powerbrokers in the 315.

How about this, go work at CBS?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

that'll be the crankiest way this ends. With him moving "upstairs" and still having an opinion that matters with the powerbrokers in the 315.

How about this, go work at CBS?

Yeah, his sterling personality translates really well to television.

How about he just retires and enjoys his last few years with his family?

 

[hoopsupstate]

I like Wildhack but I’m starting to lose faith in him. Yesterday’s announcement about playing a rival at a neutral site in football was just plain dumb. I don’t care how much money you’re likely to make. You just stuck it to Dino and his players. JB has been great for the university and basketball program, but how many years of double digit losses has to happen before Wildhack realizes there’s a problem. I guess when attendance drops below 15,000 it might start hurting the pocket book enough to do something. Can JB still coach? Sure, but his interactions with his players, the media and his unwillingness to adjust to today’s game is hurting the program. Attendance last night for a top ten team was announced as 19,000. There was not close to that many in the building. There were open seats everywhere in the lower level and the third level was basically empty. Student attendance was again great. How long before we lose their support too? I hope for nothing better than JB and this team going on an end of the season run. Maybe we can win two ACC tournament games. I think we all want the same thing. Unfortunately, recent history says otherwise.

 

[MikeSU02]

I think most people here (yes, I'm including myself), have a superficial understanding of the multifaceted factors, including both political and financial pressure, that comes with firing a nearly 50 year career HOFHC, with only 1 losing season, his name on the court, and a lifetime of off the court philanthropy and "equity." This process is compounded by the fact that SU is a private university. I'm fairly certain that the AD does not have unilateral decision making power in this situation.

I understand the frustration. I understand that there has been a 9-year lack of success compared to the standards JB set. I'm not even debating whether it's time for JB to step down. I think it's easy to throw stones at JW. I also think that a lot of that frustration is misguided.

I think this is a very fair and rational take.

But here's the issue: when JW took on this role, JB's exit was always going to be one of the key items of JW's tenure and how it went down. He gets paid quite a bit of money to handle it.

No one should think this is an easy situation in any respect. But it's also a situation to which he walked into, hopefully, eyes wide open and gets compensated very well to handle.

I am sure JW loves Syracuse. He's donated a lot of money back to the university. I know he has done many good things while AD. But JB's time as coach was always on the docket, one way or another, when JW took on this role.

And we are now at the point where the program can't be transitioned over for a continuity hire which makes it much, much tougher.

 

[DilemaCuse]

Yeah, his sterling personality translates really well to television.

How about he just retires and enjoys his last few years with his family?

Go travel Europe and see Jr play some ball. Buddy will be playing overseas soon enough, too.

What was his point of coming back to coach this year in a rebuild season? Just because he told the recruits I will coach you?

 

[Newhouser]

I don't get the sympathy for Wildhack. He knew when he signed up the JB transition and Dino extension were 2 of the big ticket items on his docket. All the wonderful stuff he is reportedly doing behind the scenes is awesome, but in P5 schools the AD's big job is transitioning programs to new directions when their football and basketball coaches are getting replaced. He knew the politics and the pressure when he took the job - get it done.

 

[tbonezone]

wildhack can at least call JB into his office and inform him that one more temper tantrum post game will get a 2 game suspension. JB is supposed to be representing the Department he runs. and PR comes with the job. if this was a one off thing OK sure but it's become a chronic issue and tiresome and a bad look for our program.

 

[Dinkyspond]

One of the biggest things that gives me doubts about Wildhack is the women's basketball controversy. He attributed all the players transferring to the new norm in college sports. Actually, it was because the egomaniac coach was physically, verbally, emotionally and mentally abusing his players. He stood by Hillsman and it took The Athletic article to expose it and it happened right under his nose, it seems like he had no clue. Didn’t the players request a meeting to air their grievances and no one from the athletic department showed or responded. This whole situation has bothered me for a long time about Wildhack.

 

[BillSU]

You can email him instead of posting the same thing over and over on a message board. He responds to emails.

Yes he does. I emailed him one night about Daily Orange coverage and I had a reply the next morning

 

[samspann1]

Yeah, his sterling personality translates really well to television.

How about he just retires and enjoys his last few years with his family?

Nah, adjunct professorship at Newhouse

 

[OrangeDW]

Eerily reminiscent of another poster that used to be active here…..

Yeah. I knew CuseHulk would make it back……

 

[OrangeDW]

ADJW couldn’t “fire” JAB after his first losing season in 45 years.

You just don’t do that.
Period.

Yes - the program has now been on the decline for nearly a decade.
And yes - last season was the (then) culmination of that decline.

But now - after what will almost certainly be a 2nd straight losing season, JW needs to have a long and difficult talk with the BoT and then with JAB.

This MUST be his last season.

Program is listless and going nowhere, and with the current coach’s lack of desire to pound the portal, 2023 is looking like it’ll be even worse.

We have ZERO ‘23 croots to worry about losing if JAB isn’t here.
(See: ND has lost their top 2 ‘23 guys since the Mock Turtleneck announced his “retirement”)

JW needs to tell JAB that he and the BoT are “allowing him to retire” after the last game is played this season.

And JAB needs to look around as how all of his contemporaries have left these past few years, and realize the game has now passed him by, and it’s time to hang them up.

Jim seems easily annoyed and miffed these days. I think you’ve just gotta use that to your advantage.

- Give every faculty member access to his private bathroom at the Melo Center.

- Schedule lots of 9:00 PM games. He doesn’t want to stay up that late.

- Have the PA announcer say ridiculous things about the other team, “folks that was the WORST shooting half(still 48% though) a team has had against the Orange defense all year! Let’s hear it for the Orange defense!”

- Call and text him at bad hours with suggestions of what to do- new plays, playing time suggestions, etc.

- Send us on a bus to play Bonnies, UB, and Canisius.

- Sbarros instead of Mario and Salvos, post game.


Think when Play Now Sports was trying to get rid of George Costanza.

 

[BigNastyJon]

My biggest fear is he "retires" and takes on some sort of executive / director role in the bball department, and doesn't truely go away and let fresh air into program. Red / Gmac taking over and Jim still in the building will change nothing.

I don’t see it. Going to the games, maybe some practices, sure. Definitely doing some broadcasting/analysis.

I just don’t even know what an executive/director role is, and I can’t picture Boeheim being on SUs payroll for anything but HC

 

[djcon57]

I understand that there has been a 9-year lack of success compared to the standards JB set.

No issue with your post, but I think it’s time to fight back against this myth.

the last 4 years specifically have been BAD. Not even JB standards.

1 semi ok season with a sweet 16, prob 3 no tourneys, 1 losing season and we’ll see where this season ends.

were not a good program right now

 

[OrangeDW]

No issue with your post, but I think it’s time to fight back against this myth.

the last 4 years specifically have been BAD. Not even JB standards.

1 semi ok season with a sweet 16, prob 3 no tourneys, 1 losing season and we’ll see where this season ends.

were not a good program right now

Yup. This year, last year, and 2020 are the 3 worst SU teams of my fandom lifetime. Hands down. 3 of the last 4 teams are the 3 worst teams I remember - first season I remember was ‘89. Not even a discussion either, unless this team catches fire and surpasses the 2015 team(which is 4th worst).

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Hes a great AD in a tough spot

Great ADs don't put must win games like ours vs Pitt in Neutral stadiums.

If he gets us Nate Oats sure hes a great AD but who knows what he does with our BB program that is teetering and basically another Georgetown at this point.

 

[OrangeDW]

Great ADs don't put must win games like ours vs Pitt in Neutral stadiums.

If he gets us Nate Oats sure hes a great AD but who knows what he does with our BB program that is teetering and basically another Georgetown at this point.

Exactly! We need every W we can get, this is a league game, we hardly ever beat Pitt but should have a solid shot next year, and we NEED it to be at home.

Honestly WAY more pissed about this than all the Meadowlands games under Gross.

Pitt at Yankee Stadium? For what? Who cares about Pitt? Who cares about Yankee Stadium? They returning the favor next year? This is absurd.

 

[hungrychuck]

Nah, adjunct professorship at Newhouse

So silly. He’d need to be the DEAN at Newhouse.

Obviously he knows just what are the right questions to ask and how to elevate the university’s reputation on a national level.

He clearly already has an advanced degree in journalism.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Exactly! We need every W we can get, this is a league game, we hardly ever beat Pitt but should have a solid shot next year, and we NEED it to be at home.

Honestly WAY more pissed about this than all the Meadowlands games under Gross.

Pitt at Yankee Stadium? For what? Who cares about Pitt? Who cares about Yankee Stadium? They returning the favor next year? This is absurd.

I mean ND changed their home game and it didn't work out for us. We couldn't beat Minny there. He changed a 50-50 win for us to worse odds. Awful what a joke and this us the guy we have to trust to kick Boeheim out after he drove the hoops program off a cliff.

We don't get much media preference either any game against a peer squad we are all scrambling for streams and whatever garbage regional trash carrier its on.

Just pathetic like the entire AD. The AD sucks and is a joke. Fanbase is still excellent and drawing NBA crowds despite horrible results and worst case scenario team. Wildhack better fix stuff soon.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Like honestly the fans have been better than I would have expected for a brutal year with tough scheduling UNC and UVA both midweeks with one at 9pm.

AD has let us down big time.