Syracuse basketball coach to retire in 3 years; athletic director resigns

Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim will retire in three years, the school said Wednesday, less than two weeks after the NCAA slapped the school with severe sanctions amid a lengthy investigation of its athletic programs.

In addition, the school’s athletic director, Daryl Gross, has resigned to take another position at the school, said Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association on March 6 suspended Boeheim for nine ACC games next season, took away 12 scholarships, and ordered all wins in which ineligible students played between 2004 and 2012 be vacated following the NCAA’s investigation into the basketball program.

Boeheim, a mercurial Hall of Famer who has been the Syracuse head coach since 1976, won 135 games in those five seasons and 108 of those wins will be wiped out. The Orange won the 2003 NCAA title but that season was not affected by the sanctions.

In a written statement on Wednesday, Syverud said Boeheim, 70, made the decision now “to bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years and enable and plan for a successful, longer-term transition in coaching leadership.”

Boeheim, who had ranked second all-time in Division I career victories, has gone to four Final Fours and was the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2010.

Syracuse discovered and self-reported 10 violations that primarily involved men’s basketball but also impacted its football program, the NCAA Committee on Infractions said.

Syverud said the school will appeal the NCAA sanctions on vacating the basketball program’s wins and the loss of scholarships. Syverud also said the school will support Boeheim if he decides to appeal sanctions levied against him specifically.

“The decision to appeal is not taken lightly,” he said. “However, based on the facts and a review of previous NCAA infractions decisions, the university believes the impact of these specific penalties is excessive and disproportionate.”

Among the financial sanctions previously announced, Syracuse must return to the NCAA all money it received through the Big East Conference for its appearances in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Gross is in his 10th year as the Syracuse athletic director and was a key figure in helping the program move to the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Big East.

He will now serve as vice president and special assistant to the chancellor, and adjunct professor in the College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.