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The Syracuse basketball program moved on from head coach Adrian Autry this offseason. It is now in the process of finding his replacement.
That search took a hit this week when the Orange swung and missed on a top target. Autry’s son mocked the school after a firing he believes was undeserved.
Autry took over for legendary coach Jim Boeheim in 2023. His tenure started with a 20-win debut season. It was followed by back-to-back campaigns below .500.
The Orange went 49-48 across his three-year stint. They never made the NCAA Tournament.
Calls for his job were loud this year. The coach was criticized heavily by both the fanbase and parents of players on the roster. He seemed to lose the locker room. Things were dysfunctional.
Adrian Autry was fired.
Administration granted fans’ wishes after a 15-win season. Autry was removed from his post in March.
The coach still had four years left on his deal. He was paid to leave the university. The partnership clearly failed given the final result, but was coaching solely to blame?
In December, Boeheim revealed that Syracuse was well behind most of its rivals in terms of NIL resources. It had “no money” to spend in 2024, leading to a 14-19 campaign.
The budget improved this past season, but not nearly enough to close the gap. Boeheim said the Orange spent around $2 million. Others around the ACC and Big East spent upwards of $8-10 million.
Syracuse was simply not as talented as its opponents. The coaching staff was unable to mask the deficiencies, but at the end of the day, Boeheim said Autry’s ouster rested on the players’ shoulders.
“I think (Autry’s) a good coach,” he said via ESPN. “I think he got in a situation where his best players just didn’t play the way they needed to play, and it cost him his job. His two best players had horrible years.”
He doubled down when speaking with Cuse Sports Talk.
“The one thing with Adrian this year — he’s not going to say this, and people will think I shouldn’t say it — his two best players had bad years. They had bad years on offense. They had bad years on defense. The best two players have to have great years. That didn’t happen… He got let down by those guys.”
-Jim Boeheim
Autry’s son agrees.
As the Orange search for a replacement candidate, an update on a top target surfaced this week. Bryan Hodgson of USF is no longer in running for the job.
He removed his name from consideration. He is instead focusing on either leaving for Providence or sticking with South Florida.
Hodgson led one of the top turnarounds in the sport this season. The Bulls won 13 games last year. They are now gearing up for the NCAA Tournament.
Hodgson rejected Syracuse’s pursuit. That news went public on Tuesday. Adrian Autry Jr., a former Orange guard, reacted on social media.
They said it was coaching 😂😂😂 https://t.co/j9azBz41P9
— Adrian Autry Jr (@AA_JR15) March 18, 2026
Money, again, seems to be the issue. The school is not making an investment in the team.
Adrian Autry Jr. does not believe his dad was given a fair shake at Syracuse. He was set up to fail. The next coach might follow in those footsteps based on recent reports.
Bryan Hodgson chose not to take that risk. For now, the Orange’s coaching search continues on.