The Syracuse basketball program will need a new head coach soon, as longtime leader Jim Boeheim will be retiring in three years following the announcement of NCAA penalties leveled on the program and along with that, the athletic director has resigned and the school will be appealing some of the sanctions.
According to ESPN.com, Boeheim will step down in three years and it comes after the school was stripped of wins and scholarships following the NCAA sanctions. Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud announced the news about Boeheim and also said that the school will be appealing some of the sanctions. Syracuse has a coach in waiting in Mike Hopkins and he is expected to take over for Boeheim and that was the plan even before the recent developments.
Daryl Gross resigned as athletic director and he will now have another role with the school, while Peter Sala will take over as interim athletic director. The NCAA announced earlier in the month that Boeheim would be suspended for nine ACC games next season and the school would lose 12 scholarships along with the vacating of 108 wins. There were also penalties for the football program.
The school announced some self-imposed penalties before the NCAA sanctions, including sitting out of postseason play this season. The school basketball team did not participate in the ACC conference tournament and they likely would have not made it into the NCAA tournament. The issues with the school included academic problems with players as well as issues with drug testing.
"Coach Boeheim has also told me that he intends to retire as Head Coach in three years," Syverud said, according to ESPN. "His goal in making this decision and announcement now is to bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years