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There’s a very good chance most people reading this have never lived in a world where Jim Boeheim hasn’t been the head coach of Syracuse’s men’s basketball team, as he’s been at the helm for the Orange since taking over for Roy Danforth all the way back in 1976.
The fact that Boeheim has been at the same school for over 45 years really says everything you need to know about the legendary career that’s seen him rack up a record of 1,012–436 while helping Syracuse punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament 33 times (which has resulted in five Final Four appearances and a national championship in 2003).
Unfortunately, the program has hit a bit of a rough patch over the past couple of years. Syracuse wasn’t able to go dancing after posting a 16-17 record last season, and it seems like there’s a chance it could miss out on March Madness yet again based on how the team has looked during a campaign where it’s currently sitting at 14-10.
Bohiem attempted to shed some light on some of the issues he and the team are facing in a recent interview with ESPN where he became the latest person to point the finger at NIL deals, saying:
“This is an awful place we’re in in college basketball. Pittsburgh bought a team. OK, fine. My [big donor] talks about it, but he doesn’t give anyone any money. Nothing. Not one guy. Our guys make like $20,000.
Wake Forest bought a team. Miami bought a team. … It’s like, ‘Really, this is where we are?’”
Those accusations obviously didn’t sit well with some of the people affiliated with the ACC teams the coach called out.
That included Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, who emphatically disputed Bohiem’s claims.
Just in: Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes tells CBS Sports about Jim Boeheim claiming Wake Forest "bought a team:
"He's wrong. He's one thousand percent wrong. I don't have one player on my team that got NIL to come here. That's a fact. I've NEVER had a player come here for NIL."
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 5, 2023
Former Pitt guard (and current Rutgers assistant coach) Brandin Knight also got in on the action by implying Bohiem is the last person who should be talking about the impact money has had on the college basketball landscape.
Pitt great, Rutgers assistant Brandin Knight on Boeheim charges "Sounds like sour grapes. Next time ask Jim Boeheim how many teams he bought before NIL was legal. Don’t throw stones in glass house. Remember you’ve been coaching a lot of years and a lot of us know who got paid.”
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) February 5, 2023
It would appear the 78-year-old skipper has opted to not press the issue any further based on a statement he shared on Monday morning where he attempted to walk back his comments.
Statement from Coach Boeheim pic.twitter.com/MPwig9m6eu
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) February 6, 2023
Something tells me that’s not going to stop Pitt and Wake Forest from putting a very big circle around their upcoming showdowns with Syracuse.