Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim is way more than a basketball coach

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim made a lot of sincere remarks in an Esquire interview, including some thoughts on February’s fatal car accident.

On the court, Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim is often viewed – at times, unfairly – as a complainer and a whiner.

As a stodgy curmudgeon who frequently dukes it out with referees. He gets lambasted for acting abrupt and upfront in press conferences, and for occasionally lashing out at reporters.

Okay, fine, that’s fair enough.

Some critics throughout Central New York, and in the media, bemoan when his Orange has mediocre regular seasons or, conversely, puts forth brilliant campaigns that unfortunately end with early Big Dance exits.

Boeheim is stubborn, they say, by always playing that trademark zone defense. His ‘Cuse offenses are stagnant. He can’t recruit with the blue bloods of the sport. His guys don’t fare well in the NBA. He’s only captured one national championship in more than four decades roaming the Syracuse sidelines.

I could go on and on and on.

I’m a proud Orange alum, I cheer fervently for the ‘Cuse hoops program, and I adore JB. His basketball IQ is extensive, he gives a ton back to the Syracuse community through his foundation, and in all honesty, I think that Boeheim is misunderstood.

When he calls it quits, I will miss him tremendously. So, too, will an abundance of other Orange fanatics, even if they don’t realize it now. For better or for worse, there’s a personal element to Boeheim that is, sadly, overlooked, and that candidness came out in an article written by Tom Chiarella that published on Esquire’s Web site earlier this week.

Boeheim spoke about changes in collegiate basketball, one of which is the transfer portal that provides an avenue for student-athletes to move from school to school. JB had this to say:

"“I think it’s great for kids to go if that’s what they really want, but what if they just work through it? Would it have worked out better? Brandon Triche played very little here when he was a freshman and he became a great player for us. We had a kid leave here and go to Vanderbilt, he didn’t play, and Vanderbilt didn’t win a conference game last year.”"

That Vanderbilt player, in case you’re wondering, is Matthew Moyer, who left the Hill for Nashville, Tenn.

Full disclosure, I really like Moyer. I think he has class, integrity, and passion. In 2018-19, Moyer suited up in 30 contests and made five starts, averaging 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per affair, according to the Vanderbilt athletics department Web site.

Triche, meanwhile, wrapped up his ‘Cuse career with the most successes in the squad’s history. Facts are facts.

"Regarding the current culture of players wanting to get to the NBA as soon as possible, and many of them wanting to bypass college, Boeheim noted, “What we’ve needed to do is give kids more money, which we have. People don’t realize that. Nobody writes this. These kids get paid. My son [sophomore guard Buddy Boeheim] gets $1,300 a month. He’s a scholarship player because we give him the cost of attendance.”"

Sports are just sports, so when Jim Boeheim opened up about the fatal car accident involving him, which occurred in February and tragically took the life of Jorge Jimenez, that really caught my attention.

"“The crazy thing is, I’ve had five hundred emails, minimum—perfectly serious—more than five hundred emails from people that had the same thing happen to them. The testimony, the inquest, or whatever—it’s hard. And it should be hard. They looked into it. Every minute was accounted for,” Boeheim said.He adds, “It’s a miserable thing because a man was killed.”Once more: “And his family . . .”"

Stories about the incident included accounts that Boeheim, immediately following the accident, used the light on his cell phone to warn other drivers.

"“I got a letter from a guy who said I saved his life because he was going too fast and he saw me and slowed down and was able to get off. But it’s a terrible thing. You know that you did everything you could and it just didn’t work and then somebody’s dead and it’s just terrible. There’s no way to talk about it or explain about it.”"

I can’t even begin to fathom what Boeheim has gone through, and of course, my heart breaks for Jimenez and his family, too. But for anyone out there who merely sees Boeheim as that ornery Syracuse coach, hopefully, this illuminating Esquire piece will lead you to adjust your perspective.