Walsh Honors Boeheim With House Speech

SPEECH OF

HON. JAMES T. WALSH

OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005

Mr. WALSH

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Syracuse University's Head Coach and my fellow Central New Yorker, Jim Boeheim.

On September 10, 2005, Coach Boeheim was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame joining the likes of legendary coaches such as Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, and Dean Smith.

On and off the court, Coach Boeheim has proven to be a great leader and a great mentor. Both his colleagues and players admire his coaching abilities as well as his personal traits.

Coach Boeheim became head coach of Syracuse University in 1976 after working as an assistant. Since then, his resume shows a remarkable list of accomplishments:

703 career wins;
74.5 winning percentage;
1 National Championship--2003;
10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances;
3 Final Four appearances;
40 NCAA Tournament wins;
27 20-win seasons;
Big East All Time Wins Coach;
Three-time Big East Coach of the Year;
Eight Big East regular season championships;
Elected to Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame--1991;
2000 Recipient of the Claire Bee Award;
Three-time USBWA choice for Coach of the Year;
Nine-time NABC District II Coach of the Year;
Eighth-fastest Division I coach to reach 600 wins.

Clearly his record alone is worthy of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but as any Syracuse native can attest, his efforts do not stop on the hardwood floor. Both he and his wife Juli are

active community members. They organize and participate in a wide variety of community events; all with the goal of giving back to the people who have given them so much.

Topping the Boeheims' list of community endeavors is their creation of Coaches vs. Cancer's Basket Ball. Basket Ball, a yearly celebration of dinner and dancing aimed at raising funds for local American Cancer Society programs and services, has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars and benefited an untold number of cancer victims.

Mr. Speaker, undoubtedly Coach Boeheim deserves this prestigious honor, and it is with great pleasure that I help recognize his commitment to Syracuse University, Syracuse basketball, and our

community as a whole."

Syracuse University Athletics

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