The university announced that Jim Boeheim, 78, will not be returning as coach at his alma mater

In his postgame press conference following Syracuse’s 77-74 loss to Wake Forest in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, Boeheim was evasive about his future. Boeheim implied that he gave a “retirement” speech following the team’s regular-season finale on Saturday, and that the final decision on his future belonged to the Syracuse administration.

“It’s up to the university,” he explained.

Indeed, the university announced its decision on Boeheim hours later, saying, “Today, as his 47th season coaching his alma mater comes to an end, so too does his storied career at Syracuse University,” in a brief statement that shocked the college basketball world.

The university expressed gratitude to Boeheim, 78, for his lengthy tenure as coach of the Orange, who won a national championship in 2003 and made five Final Four appearances under his direction, but did not use the word “retirement.”

“Without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today,” Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. “Jim has devoted the majority of his life to building this program, developing generations of student-athletes, and proudly representing his alma mater. I’d like to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to an alumnus who personifies what it means to be ‘Forever Orange.'”

Boeheim leaves the sport with a record of 1,015-441, second only to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski on the Division I men’s basketball all-time wins list. This figure does not include the 101 victories vacated by the NCAA.

Boeheim built the program around a patented zone defense and a slew of star players, including 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, who led the team to the national championship in 2003. Boeheim spent 57 seasons with the program in various roles, including four years as a player and six as an assistant at Syracuse. He also worked as an assistant coach for Team USA, assisting in the development of Olympic gold medal teams in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

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After reaching the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed in the 2020-21 season, the Orange finished 16-17 in 2022 and 17-15 this season, with an early exit from the ACC Tournament. Boeheim’s departure comes a year after his sons, Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim, left the team after key roles.

With Krzyzewski retiring after the 2021-22 season, and North Carolina legend Roy Williams retiring in the summer of 2021, the ACC is experiencing a generational shift within its coaching ranks that has only intensified this year. Along with Boeheim, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey’s 23-year tenure came to an end after the Fighting Irish were eliminated from the ACC Tournament. Leonard Hamilton, 74, of Florida State, and Jim Larranaga, 73, of Miami, are the league’s senior citizens.

Under Boeheim’s leadership, Syracuse won 10 Big East regular-season titles and five Big East Tournaments in addition to the 2003 national championship and four other Final Four appearances. He oversaw the program’s transition from the Big East to the ACC in the 2013-14 season, and his teams have made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament three times since the league switch.

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Syracuse is keeping things in the Orange family by naming Autry as Boeheim’s successor. Autry was a point guard for Boeheim from 1990 to 1994, starting 116 of the 121 games he appeared in. He was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams before going on to play professionally and start his coaching career in high school.

Autry, 51, began his career as the director of basketball operations at Virginia Tech in 2008 before being hired as an assistant coach by Boeheim in 2011-12. He’s been with the team ever since, rising to the position of associate head coach in 2017.

“There have been few more powerful influences on my life than Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim,” Autry said. “They’ve both played crucial roles, and I’m confident I wouldn’t have this incredible opportunity without either of them. I’ve spent a lot of time in the game of basketball learning from Jim, and I’m grateful to him for preparing me to carry on Orange Basketball’s winning tradition. It’s difficult to imagine a world without him on the bench, but we will continue to build on our winning tradition with the help of our coaches, student-athletes, and fans.”