Syracuse Basketball: The Jim Boeheim retirement questions are tiresome

With two games left in the 2021-22 regular season, Syracuse basketball is barely above the .500 mark and in danger of sustaining its first losing campaign under head coach Jim Boeheim.

The team has struggled this year. No one can deny this. It’s been beautiful to watch Boeheim coach his sons, even if this stanza’s roster is lacking athleticism and is awful on defense.

For all the fans out there who want Boeheim to retire, I totally get that. I’m not in that camp, at least not for now, but I absolutely respect those fans who want to see a new leader at the top of the ‘Cuse program.

What’s more, I fully recognize that the Orange has slogged through regular season after regular season since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Big East Conference during the 2013-14 term, although Syracuse basketball has gone on several nice March Madness runs of late.

It’s frustrating. I’m right there with you. As a Syracuse University alum who has loved ‘Cuse hoops since the mid-1990s and has written about the team that I adore since 2016, I’m saddened by what’s transpired in 2021-22. I truly am.

Syracuse basketball boss Jim Boeheim is tired of the retirement questions.

For Inside The Loud House, I cover the program from the perspective of a fan. And in a prior career, I was a journalist for nearly a decade in Washington, D.C. I have tons of respect for the profession as a whole.

But, I have to say, the ongoing questions thrown at Jim Boeheim as to whether he’s going to retire after 2021-22 are really, really irritating.

Boeheim has made it clear, over and over again, that he’s coaching at least next season’s squad, when the Orange will bring in a strong five-member 2022 class, with hopefully at least one more recruit in that cycle ultimately picking the ‘Cuse.

I understand the fascination with Boeheim’s eventual retirement, particularly since Syracuse basketball isn’t good this season, the Orange has struggled a bit in recent stanzas, and Boeheim’s sons are apparently leaving after 2021-22.

In his post-game press conference after the ‘Cuse (15-14, 9-9) got walloped by then-No. 7 Duke on Saturday evening, Boeheim was asked yet again if he is returning in 2022-23.

Let’s just say that Boeheim was less than pleased about being asked this question, and while I respect reporters doing their jobs, I feel like Boeheim will let the media, the fans and anyone else out there who is curious know when he’s going to retire.

"Boeheim said in part, “Just because we’re having a bad year, you want me to quit? I don’t quit because we’re having a bad year.”"

Now Boeheim made some other comments to this reporter that I felt were snarky, and he’s done this plenty of times. And this reporter was just doing his or her job.

But it does get old hearing this question asked time and time again, particularly since Boeheim hasn’t given anyone in the public domain any kind of indication that he plans to retire anytime soon, at least as far as I can tell.

Boeheim reiterated that he’s told every incoming freshman in the 2022 class that he’ll be their head coach next season. To my fellow fans, I totally get it if you want a new head coach. I do.

Personally, I think that Boeheim deserves to go out on his own terms, despite what has happened this season or in other recent campaigns. I’d also like to see how the ‘Cuse fares with a revamped roster in 2022-23 and beyond that features guys like freshman forward Benny Williams, junior center Jesse Edwards, junior guard Symir Torrence and all of the incoming recruits.

If in 2022-23 and 2023-24, Syracuse basketball is still on a downward spiral, I’d probably start to lean into the camp of wanting Boeheim to ride off into the sunset.

However, I’m not there. Yet. And I wish all the retirement questions thrown at Jim Boeheim would end. At least for the foreseeable future.