Jim Boeheim’s nearly half-century-long tenure as head coach of Syracuse men’s basketball came to an abrupt end on Wednesday, when the school announced that the 78-year-old would not be returning to the team. It was not immediately clear if the Hall of Famer had retired or been fired, but the news came hours after Syracuse lost 77-74 to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Associated Press reported that Boeheim had hinted at retirement after the game’s buzzer-beating finish. Associate Head Coach Adrian Autry was immediately named as his successor. Over 47 seasons since he was elevated to head coach in 1976, Boeheim racked up an official record of 1,015-441, but that tally does not include the 101 wins he had vacated by the NCAA for rules violations between 2004-07 and 2010-12. Boeheim departs the position as the country’s longest-tenured men’s basketball coach, leading the Orange to five Final Fours and one national championship in 2003.
