SU To Honor Hall Of Fame Coach On Jim Boeheim Day

Syracuse University Athletics will be honoring Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Jim Boeheim '66 at the Notre Dame game on Saturday, Feb. 24, in the JMA Wireless Dome. A ceremony to recognize the many accomplishments of the recently retired coach will be part of "Coach Jim Boeheim Day."

Saluting Boeheim
"Coach Jim Boeheim Day" will honor the most successful coach in Syracuse basketball history. Boeheim, who announced his retirement following the completion of last season, was at the helm of his alma mater's program for 47 years.

"Coach Boeheim is an iconic figure in Central New York and to all Orange fans and alumni around the world," said John Wildhack, Syracuse Director of Athletics. "His remarkable career and commitment to Syracuse University and our community will never be replicated. February 24^th will provide our fans the opportunity to celebrate and thank Coach Boeheim.

Boeheim's Greatest Hits
His career produced many staggering numbers, many of which will be difficult for others to approach:

Boeheim ranks second among Division I coaches in wins and games coached, marks that have only been exceeded by former Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
He guided the Orange to winning records in 46 of his 47 campaigns in charge.
Boeheim led Syracuse into the postseason in all but five of his seasons.
Syracuse made 35 trips into the NCAA Tournament during Boeheim's tenure.
The Orange advanced to the Final Four five times: 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013 and 2016.
Boeheim was at the helm when the program reached college basketball's pinnacle – the 2003 NCAA Championship.
Boeheim is the only Division I coach who directed a team into the NCAA Tournament in six different decades.
He became the only Division I coach with more than 1,000 victories at his alma mater.
Boeheim's 47 seasons as head coach at one institution has only been topped once. Jim Phalen led Mt. St. Mary's for 49 campaigns.
At the conclusion of his coaching tenure at Syracuse, Boeheim ranked second among Division I coaches in 20-win seasons and fourth in NCAA Tournament victories.

Boeheim's Orange Beginnings
Following a productive scholastic career at Lyons Central High School, where he earned all-section and all-state honors, Boeheim enrolled at Syracuse and decided to try out for the Orange basketball team. He not only earned a roster spot, Boeheim developed into a starter and co-captain. He and teammate Dave Bing '66 helped Syracuse finish 22-6 overall, which included an NCAA Tournament visit. That year's Orange unit led the NCAA scoring, averaging 99.0 points-per-contest.

Professional Plans
After earning his Syracuse degree in social science, Boeheim embarked on a professional basketball career with Scranton in the Eastern League. He played for four years, was a member of two championship clubs, and earned second-team all-star honors.

A Career In Coaching Begins
One Boeheim decided to retire from playing and instead coach basketball, success came quickly. He was named a graduate assistant coach of the staff of Roy Danforth in 1969. Boeheim coached the Syracuse freshman team to a 16-2. In 1972, Boeheim was promoted to a full-time assistant's post and the Orange earned their first NCAA berth since Boeheim's last year as a player. The 1973-74 group was back in the NCAA's and the 1974-75 squad became the first SU club to reach the Final Four. The NCAA streak reached four campaigns in 1975-76.

Boeheim Takes Charge
Danforth left Syracuse in 1976 to take over the program at Tulane. On April 3, 1976, Boeheim was named head coach at his alma mater. In his first four years at the helm, Boeheim coached Syracuse to a remarkable record (100-18, .847) and four NCAA Tournament invitations.

The formation of the BIG EAST Conference, which began play in 1979-80, gave Boeheim an even larger audience to showcase Syracuse's basketball program. The Orange accumulated a conference-record 10 conference titles, five tournament crowns, and a league-record 15 trips to the BIG EAST title game.

An Honorable Career
Boeheim earned several impressive accolades over the course of his career:

2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year
2010 Henry Iba National Coach of the Year (United States Basketball Writers Association)
2010 Naismith Coach of the Year
2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year
2010 Yahoo Sports Coach of the Year
1984, 1991, 2000, 2010 BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year
2005 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction
2006 Wooden Legends of Coaching Award

Boeheim and USA Basketball
Boeheim played a major role in the development of USA Basketball, the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. His involvement began in a coaching capacity for teams competing nationally. He served as the chair of the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Committee while also holding a spot as an assistant coach with the Senior Men's Team staff.

The U.S. Olympic program was coming off a bronze-medal finish in the 2004 World Championships when Boeheim was asked by Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski to become involved.

The rebuild began with a bronze-medal effort in the 2006 World Championship. Since that time, the Americans won, in succession, the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Championship, the 2012 London Olympics, the 2014 World Championship, and the 2016 Brazil Olympics.

Developing Pro Players
Twenty-three of Boeheim's players, starting with Marty Byrnes in the 1978 draft and continuing to Tyler Lydon in 2017, were drafted in the NBA's first round. Seven were picked in the draft's top 10. Derrick Coleman was the first overall selection in 1990, by the New Jersey Nets. Rony Sekaily (ninth, 1988), Billy Owens (third, 1991), Carmelo Anthony (third, 2003), Jonny Flynn (sixth, 2009), Wesley Johnson (fourth, 2010) and Dion Waiters (fourth, 2012) rounded out Syracuse's top-10 picks.

Syracuse Ticket Information
Season tickets starting at $250 are on sale online (cuse.com/tickets), by phone (1-888-DOMETIX), and at the JMA Wireless Dome Box Office (Gate B). Non-conference game tickets and group tickets are also available. Tickets for individual conference games, like the Notre Dame, will go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 10:00 a.m.

Syracuse University Athletics

SU To Honor Hall Of Fame Coach On Jim Boeheim Day

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