Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Associate Head Coach Bernie Fine
Assistant Coach Mike Hopkins
Assistant Coach Rob Murphy
Administrative Assistant Stan Kissel
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
31 Seasons at Syracuse
750-264 overall (31 seasons)
Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim has had a remarkable 31-year run as head coach at his alma mater, Syracuse University. Boeheim has guided only winning teams in his tenure and has pushed the Orange into the postseason in all but one of his years. Syracuse has made 25 trips into the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987, 1996 and 2003, and the NCAA championship in 2003.
He coached the 2006-07 Syracuse squad to a 24-11 mark and the third round of the National Invitation Tournament. During the campaign, Boeheim became the fifth active coach to reach 1,000 games. He is 21st on the all-time Division I games coached list and one of only six who have reached the milestone with one institution.
Boeheim wrapped up his 31st season as head coach on the Hill with a 750-264 (.740) overall record. He ranked seventh among active Division I coaches in winning percentage and tied for fourth in victories. His 29 20-win campaigns place him in a second-place tie on the all-time Division I list. He is also tied for eighth in Division I NCAA Tournament wins.
The 2005-06 season was a special one for Boeheim as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He was honored again during the postseason, receiving the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” Award in April. Boeheim joined previous recipients Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Lute Olson, Denny Crum, Roy Williams, Mike Montgomery and Jim Calhoun. That spring he and Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun were the “Spirit of Jimmy V” honorees at the annual V Foundation Gala.
Hall of Fame selection has capped a remarkable climb for the native of Lyons, N.Y. Boeheim enrolled at Syracuse in 1962 and was a walk-on with the basketball team that year. By Boeheim’s senior season, he was a team captain along with the legendary Dave Bing. The Orange were 22-6 overall that year and earned the team’s second-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social science, Boeheim played professional basketball with Scranton of the Eastern League. He was a member of two championship squads and earned second-team all-star honors.
In 1969 he turned to a career in coaching and was hired as a graduate assistant at SU by head coach Roy Danforth. He was soon promoted to a full-time assistant coaching post and was part of the staff that guided the Orange to the program’s first Final Four appearance in 1975. A year later he was appointed head coach at his alma mater.
On February 24, 2002, the University named the Carrier Dome court “Jim Boeheim Court” in recognition of his many accomplishments. Boeheim joined a select group of coaches working the sidelines of a court named after them.
A three-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Boeheim has been honored as District II Coach of the Year 10 times by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). During the 2000 Final Four he was presented with the Claire Bee Award in recognition of his contributions to the sport. In the fall of 2000, he received Syracuse University’s Arents Award, the school’s highest alumni honor.
In 2001 Boeheim was named USA Basketball National Coach of the Year after leading the Young Men's Team to the gold medal at the World Championship in Japan. It marked his seventh year of USA Basketball coaching experience. When the Senior Men’s Team program was restructured in 2005, Boeheim was tabbed to be an assistant to Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, a three-year appointment. The U.S. won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships.
A champion of many charitable causes, Boeheim has been most active with “Coaches vs. Cancer,” a national fundraising organization affiliated with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society. Boeheim’s local campaign has led all others in money raised for seven of the last eight years. He has also lent his time to Crouse Hospital’s Kienzl Family MaternityCenter, the Children’s Miracle Network, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Pioneer Center for the Blind and Disabled, Lighthouse, People in Wheelchairs, Easter Seals, the Special Olympics, the Rescue Mission and the Jack Bruen Fund. The Crouse Health Foundation chose Boeheim as its honoree for Tribute Evening 2003, the Foundation’s annual fundraising gala. In May 2005, he received the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center Inspiration Award from the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Jim and his wife, Juli, are parents of James Arthur Boeheim, III, and twins Jack and Jamie. Jim also has a daughter, Elizabeth.
Bernie Fine
Associate Head Coach
31 Seasons
The cornerstone of the success of the Syracuse University basketball program is its continuity. Bernie Fine has been an integral part of Orange basketball for the duration of Jim Boeheim’s 31-year tenure. He continues to serve as a stable coaching force with the program.
In 2000, Fine was rewarded for his loyalty with a promotion to associate head coach.
He is known throughout the college basketball world as one of the top assistants in the nation. Entering his 32nd season at his alma mater, Fine has developed a strong reputation for his broad recruiting contacts and his ability to develop big men.
One of his recent player success stories was the maturation of Etan Thomas. In four years Thomas developed into the top shot-blocker in school history and a two-time BIG EAST Conference Defensive Player of the Year. During his tenure he improved from a player with limited offensive skills to a low-post force. When opponents adjusted their defensive plans, Fine had Thomas work on becoming more of a threat from the foul line. A 47 percent shooter from the charity stripe as a freshman, Thomas hit at a 68 percent clip his final year. Fine’s coaching and Thomas’ effort paid off when the Dallas Mavericks picked him in the first round of the 2000 NBAdraft.
Another one of the better examples of Fine’s on-court tutoring skills is the job he did with Rony Seikaly. Seikaly, who came to Syracuse with no organized basketball experience, left as an All-American. A first-round pick and the 1990 NBA Most Improved Player Award winner, Seikaly played with the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and the New Jersey Nets.
Among the others who have prospered and gone on to pro careers under Fine’s tutelage include NBA first-round draft choices Marty Byrnes, Derrick Coleman, LeRon Ellis, Danny Schayes and John Wallace. The New Jersey Nets selected Coleman with the top pick in the 1990 draft. Seikaly was tabbed ninth by the Heat in 1988, Schayes went to the Utah Jazz as the 13th selection in 1981, Wallace was picked in 1996 by the Knicks with the 18th slot, Byrnes was the 19th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in 1978 and Ellis was the Clippers’ top selection and 22nd overall choice in 1991.
Thomas is a regular with the Washington Wizards.
Other Syracuse performers who were assisted by Fine’s teachings and advanced to the NBA ranks include Wendell Alexis (1986 3rd round, Golden State Warriors, Roosevelt Bouie (1980 2nd round, Dallas Mavericks), Conrad MacRae (1993 2nd round, Washington Bullets) and Louis Orr (1980 2nd round, Indiana Pacers).
A trademark of Fine’s coaching methods are his workouts. Fine’s sessions with the big men are noted for their innovation and ruggedness. He constantly attempts new training tools to find the most productive way of teaching SU’s post players. After a few appointments with Fine, the rigors of The BIG EAST Conference seem a little easier to deal with.
Craig Forth, SU's starting center from 2002-to-2006 was another of Fine's pupils. Forth was with the first unit for every one of his 136 career contests and was a key member of the 2003 NCAA title team.
Fine's most recent developmental project was Darryl Watkins, another four-year letterwinner in the post. Fine helped him expand his game beyond his shot-blocking prowess. He is spending the summer with the Sacramento Kings' entry in the NBA Summer League.
Two of his current projects, senior Craig Forth and sophomore Darryl Watkins, have made steady strides. Forth has started every game of his three-year intercollegiate career and ranks eighth in career blocked shots at SU. Watkins brought athleticism and a physical style to the Orange a year ago and Fine has worked diligently to polish his footwork and other fundamental skills. While Watkins was behind two upperclassmen last year (Forth, Jeremy McNeil), he appears poised to make a significant contribution as a sophomore.
Fine and Boeheim met in 1963, when Fine was a student manager and Boeheim and a fellow by the name of Dave Bing were beginning their varsity basketball careers. Fine graduated in 1967 with a B.S. in personnel and industrial relations and went into business for himself.
In 1970, he returned to athletics as the basketball and football coach at Lincoln Junior High.After one year he went to Henninger High School as the junior varsity basketball coach from 1971-74 before taking over as varsity coach. He remained at Henniger until 1976 when Boeheim offered him the assistant coaching position at Syracuse.
He owns the longest active streak of consecutive seasons at one school in the Division I men’s basketball ranks
When Boeheim was forced to miss the first Syracuse game of his career for health reasons in December 2001, he tabbed Fine to run the bench in his absence. Fine remained at the helm for a three-game stretch until Boeheim was able to return.
Fine has a solid reputation in overseas coaching circles. He guided the U.S. Maccabiah team to a silver medal at the 1993 World Maccabiah Games in Israel.
During the off-season, Fine is the director of one of the showcase basketball camps in the northeast. Three summers ago he participated in The Blackfeet Native Skill-Builder Hoop Clinic, a basketball seminar conducted on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana.
Fine, who was born December 23, 1945, in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduated from Erasmus Hall HighSchool.
An active member of the Syracuse community, he is president of the Central New York Kidney Foundation.
Fine received the Outstanding Academic Mentor/Chapter Advisor Award from the University’s Office of Greek Life and Experiential Living at an awards ceremony on April 29, 2003. The award is presented annually to a person who makes a significant contribution to the academic preparation of students living in Greek housing. On June 27, 2003, Fine was honored at the Temple Adath Yeshurun Citizen of the Year Dinner.
He and his wife, Laurie, have a son, David, and two daughters, Sheila and Sara.
Mike Hopkins
Assistant Coach
12 Seasons
Mike Hopkins, one of the most popular players in SU basketball history, is now forging a new following as an assistant coach. He is in his 12th season on the Orange coaching staff.
He’s tutored Syracuse’s backcourt performers and hit the recruiting trail with the same relentless drive to succeed he utilized as a player.
A native of San Mateo, Calif., Hopkins and Syracuse teammate LeRon Ellis were members of the 1987 California state championship team at Mater Dei High School in Laguna Hills, Calif. He opted to travel cross country for his collegiate career, enrolling in Syracuse in 1989.
A four-year SU standout, Hopkins built a solid reputation for his intense play. Floor burns were the order of the day when Hopkins took the court. He developed a strong all-around game during his undergraduate days and finished with more than 100 game appearances. He was a member of the 1991 BIG EAST Conference All-Star team that toured Australia.
Hopkins led the 1991-92 SU team to the BIG EAST Championship. He connected on the game-winning free throws with three seconds remaining against Connecticut.
A two-year starter at shooting guard and team captain as a senior, Hopkins capped his career by averaging 9.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game his final year. In a Syracuse victory against Villanova, he connected on a three-quarter court pass to Conrad McRae, who hit the game-winning shot just prior to the final horn. A Carrier Dome crowd favorite, Hopkins saved one of his top collegiate performances for the final Dome game of his career. He tallied a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds and five assists in a 78-74 victory against Pittsburgh.
Hopkins played professional basketball in the Continental Basketball Association with the Rochester (Minn.) Renegades and in Europe with teams in Turkey and Holland following his graduation from Syracuse.
The switch from player to coach did not diminished Hopkins’ enthusiasm for the game. In fact, he’s attacked the coaching profession with the same vigor he used to take a charge on an unwilling opponent during his playing days.
First and foremost, his enthusiasm and his ability to relate to the current players in the program has had a dramatic effect on the team.
Hopkins has focused on working with the SU guards. The game results produced by players like 2000 NBA draft choice Jason Hart are a testament to Hopkins’ coaching abilities.
The departure of Hart, a four-year starter at point guard, opened a spot for another Hopkins’ protege – Allen Griffin. Teacher and pupil spent hours together preparing for the 2000-01 campaign. The hard work paid off when Griffin emerged as one of the top point guards in the BIGEAST. Griffin averaged a remarkable 36.7 minutes per game as a senior and stabilized the Orange attack. Griffin is now back with the Orange as an administrative assistant.
Hopkins had two new backcourt challenges in 2003 in the form of freshmen Billy Edelin and Gerry McNamara. The Orange played with a rookie point guard for the first time since Hart. He also pushed the development of Josh Pace.
The backcourt effort was one part of the recipe for SU success that season. Edelin, McNamara and Pace each played key roles in the NCAA championship charge.
McNamara completed his storied SU career with a truckload of individual and team achievements.
Current guard projects for Hopkins are senior Josh Wright, juniors Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins, sophomore Paul Harris, and incoming freshmen Jonny Flynn and Antonio Jardine.
In addition to the obvious ties to Boeheim as a coaching mentor, Hopkins has also learned a great deal from Tim Grgurvich, a college and NBA coach regarded as one of the game’s top teachers. The workouts SU’s guards go through feature skill development at a high level of intensity. Hopkins uses his drills to encourage physical and mental improvements.
Hopkins has handled scouting reports for the Orange, he’s worked with the academic advising office on the players’ academic progress and he’s assisted at the Big Orange Basketball Camp during the summer.
During the summer of 2000 he added recruiting responsibilities to his job description. His efforts on the road immediately showed up in a positive manner as the Orange build for the future.
Hopkins joined Boeheim’s USA Basketball staff in 2000 and 2001 as a court coach for the men’s national 21-and under team trials. He participated in player evaluation during squad tryouts and helped select the squad that earned a gold medal at the world championships in Japan.
Hopkins, who earned his undergraduate degree in speech communications, is now pursuing a Masters’ degree at Syracuse.
He resides in Liverpoolwith his wife, Tricia, who is coordinator of alumni services at the SU, and their sons, Michael Griffith Jr. and Grant.
Following in the footsteps of his coach, Jim Boeheim, Hopkins has become active in the Syracuse community. He was presented the Unsung Hero Award along with Dwayne "Pearl" Washington from the Samaritan Center at the annual Good Samaritan Awards Dinner in May 2003. Hopkins has been instrumental in organizing an annual three-on-three basketball tournament, "Legends Against Hunger."
Rob Murphy
Assistant Coach
3 Seasons
In his three seasons on the Syracuse staff, Rob Murphy has established himself with the SU forwards and has fit right in to the recruiting program established by Jim Boeheim. His development in to a productive major-college assistant coach has helped the Orange program maintain its national standing as a consistent contender.
Boeheim moved quickly when assistant Troy Weaver was hired by the NBA’s Utah Jazz in June 2004. He promptly offered the position to Kent State assistant Rob Murphy, and it was accepted.
Murphy went right two work, spending more time on the road recruiting during his first month on the job than at home base. His recruiting ties in the state of Michigan and specifically Detroit give the Orange another basketball market to harvest top talent..
Murphy, who works with the SU forwards, inherited a talented group when he came to Syracuse. His new charges included Hakim Warrick, who went on to consensus All-American recognition and BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year laurels in 2005.
Murphy also helped Terrence Roberts progress from a reserve to a member of the starting lineup. His current charges include juinor-college transfer Kristof Ongenaet and incoming freshmen Donte' Greene and Rick Jackson.
Murphy was an associate head coach at Detroit Central High School from 1996-98. After the team reached the state finals his first year, the crew won a Class A state title in 1998. Murphy was then hired as head coach at Crockett Technical High School in Detroit. At Crockett Technical, Murphy took over a program that had not won a game in the two previous seasons. He changed the trend immediately by leading the Rockets to a 5-13 mark in year one. His second campaign began a string of three consecutive Class B District titles. Among his players was Maurice Ager, a junior playing at Michigan State. Murphy had an overall record of 64-27 at Crockett Technical and was named Detroit Free Press All-Metro Coach of the Year after his club won the Class B state championship in 2001.
An opportunity to join the collegiate coaching ranks developed in 2002 when Kent State head coach Stan Heath was hired at Arkansas. Jim Christian, an assistant under Heath, was promoted to head coach and subsequently hired Murphy. Ironically, Christian had served as an assistant on a staff at Pittsburgh that also included Troy Weaver.
The Golden Flashes were 21-10 overall and 12-6 in the Mid-American Conference in 2002-03. Kent State reached the final of the MAC Tournament Championship and earned an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament. During the year he tutored Antonio Gates, an honorable mention All-American. Gates had also played for Murphy at Detroit Central. Gates is now a tight end with the San Diego Chargers of the NFL. In 2003-04, the Golden Flashes were 22-9, 13-5 in the MAC, and runnerup in the conference tournament. Kent again participated in the NIT. The Golden Flashes were beaten by West Virginia, now a conference rival for Murphy in the BIG EAST.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Murphy played basketball from 1992-96 and was a two-time team captain for the NAIA program. He was also named the Marauders’ Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
Murphy, a native of Detroit, was a Syracuse basketball fan before joining the staff on the Hill. He rooted for Derrick Coleman, another Detroit product, and latched onto the Orange as a fan early on. Rob and his wife, TeNesha, reside in Syracuse.
Stan Kissel
Director of Basketball Operations
2 Seasons
Stan Kissel was named director of basketball operations for men's basketball in August 2005. He is responsible for managing administrative duties and assisting with academic affairs.
Kissel returned to Syracuse after spending two years at Purdue University as the academic support services advistor for men's basketball. From 2001 through 2003 he was a graduate assistant in academic advising for Syracuse, working with the men's and women's basketball teams. Kissel began his career in athletics at Arizona State as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. he also served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at ASU.
A native of Ticonderoga, N.Y., Kissel earned his bachelor's degree in sports science from the University of Idaho in 1994. He is working toward his master's degree in higher education administration at Syracuse.
He and his wife, Nicole, have two children, August and Harland.
