Some Syracuse basketball fans are ready for the Orange to have another head coach at the helm on the Hill, but for me, I’d like to see Jim Boeheim lead the ‘Cuse for multiple more years.
Sure, the Orange has struggled through a handful of sub-par regular seasons in recent campaigns, but when it matters the most, the ‘Cuse continues to fare quite well.
Syracuse basketball is about to play in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with the No. 11 seed Orange battling No. 2 seed Houston in the regional semi-finals on Saturday night.
Boeheim, in his 45th stanza as the Syracuse basketball boss, will be in his 20th Sweet 16 as the Orange head coach when the ‘Cuse takes on the Cougars.
Think about that for a second. Twenty trips to the Sweet 16 in 45 seasons. That’s incredible. Plus, a national title in 2003, five Final Four appearances and two journeys to the Elite Eight.
On top of that, as we’ve documented on many occasions, Boeheim has never endured a losing term in all his years as the head coach of Syracuse basketball. Again, that’s pretty ridiculous, in my humble opinion.
Syracuse basketball boss Jim Boeheim plans to coach for a while longer.
So for all those critics of Boeheim out there, while I respect their opinions, I adamantly believe that he should coach for several more stanzas.
It would be nice if the Orange could revert back to stretches like 2009 to 2014, where the team would contend for conference championships as well as March Madness glory.
However, even when Syracuse basketball resides on the Big Dance bubble and squeaks into the NCAA Tournament, it often does a lot of damage, and the 2021 March Madness is no different. That works for me, and that’s why Boeheim is the best person to lead the ‘Cuse.
According to an article from 247Sports national writer Riley Gates, Boeheim recently said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that he feels like he’ll “coach for a while.”
"“I’m coaching until I can’t win anymore. I’ve said that for 10 or 15 years,” Boeheim said, adding, “I’m going to coach – Warren Buffet still goes to work every day, doesn’t he? And he’s what, 90? All he does is talk to people; all I do is talk to people. That’s all I do. I don’t have to get out and dig any ditches or run up and down the court. If I can keep winning, keep getting good players to come to Syracuse, I feel like I’ll coach for a while. I really do.”"
I sincerely hope that is the case. Syracuse basketball won’t be the same when Boeheim retires, and he’s still doing all kinds of wonderful things for the Orange program deep into March (and perhaps early April).