A growing portion of the Syracuse basketball fan base wants to see Adrian Autry removed as the team's head coach - and now, not at the end of the 2025-26 season.
As the Orange prepares to host Notre Dame on Saturday night, the tension and negativity surrounding the 'Cuse have reached a level I've never seen before, and I've been a Syracuse basketball fan since the 1980s.
At 12-9 overall and 3-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Orange has been a disappointment, without question. Syracuse basketball hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2021, and barring a miracle, the program won't hear its name called on Selection Sunday this March.
Is Autry likely to be fired? Probably. Should it happen before season's end? Not in my opinion. Do fans have a right to be angry, frustrated and upset? Absolutely. Are some fans taking it way too far on social media and in other settings? Absolutely.
This column isn't me lecturing other fans. Behave how you see fit. One thing I will say, though: Adrian Autry, as far as I can tell, is handling the calls for his job like a grown-up. As far as I can tell, he's not ripping into the fan base. He's just trying to win games and turn this season around.
Syracuse basketball fans are irate over the program's current state.
As many of you have probably seen on social media by now, during Autry's weekly radio show on Thursday with host and voice of the Orange Matt Park, a "fan" called in and asked Autry who he thought would be good candidates to ultimately replace him as head coach.
There are a lot of sentiments - both for and against - this fan's behavior on X, and while I adamantly disagree with doing something like this, that's the state of this team and its fan base. Regarding this tough 2025-26 campaign, calls for his job and booing by fans at games, Autry said: “This is part of it. If it was easy ... This is what I want to do and this is part of it. It’s hard. It’s a challenge. But I love it. I love where I’m at. I love the guys. I love the challenge of working through it and getting this together."
Autry certainly took the high road there, as he should. When he took over from the Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, it wasn't an easy thing for Autry. First and foremost, trying to replace a legend is a daunting task. And the Orange wasn't good over the past couple of seasons with Boeheim at the helm.
Plus, the landscape in college sports has dramatically shifted, with schools now paying their athletes directly, along with third-party NIL deals, the transfer portal's explosion, professional players being allowed back into the college game, the potential of future collective bargaining and athletes being deemed employees, and other factors.
Autry knew that coming in, and his 46–40 overall record in three seasons on the Hill won't cut it. However, from my perspective, Red is handling this situation with class.
He added, “Each year you’re starting over and that’s a challenge. But I love coaching, I love mentoring, I love competing. I love trying to get my alma mater back to competing for championships. ... That’s what I’m going to do until they tell me I can’t do it anymore. That’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I’m going to try to do.”
I'm rooting for you, Red.