Syracuse coach Boeheim says he will appeal ‘harsh’ sanctions
Published 1:00 pm Thursday, March 19, 2015
- FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2012, file photo, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, standing next to his wife, Julie, waves to the crowd after his 900th win, after Syracuse's 72-68 victory over Detroit in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse university officials say coach Boeheim will retire in three years and athletic director Daryl Gross has resigned following punishment from the NCAA for violations that lasted more than a decade. Chancellor Kent Syverud said Wednesday, March 18, 2015, that Boeheim, a Hall of Famer and head coach for 39 years, decided to make the announcement to "bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years" and to allow for a smooth transition. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli, File)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Thursday he will appeal “unduly harsh” NCAA sanctions for violations that occurred over a decade and that 2018 is the “right time” to retire.
Speaking two hours before the start of the main games in the NCAA Tournament, Boeheim said some of the NCAA’s allegations laid out in a scathing report earlier this month are innacurate.
“This is far from a program where student-athletes freely committed academic fraud,” Boeheim said. “I believe the penalty is unduly harsh.”
The NCAA punished Boeheim and Syracuse for academic, benefits and other violations that officials said showed the university had lost control of the athletic department.
“I’ll take the punishment,” Boeheim said. “Today what’s important is to handle what I have to do here. I am 70 years old. It’s obvious there’s a time frame for me as head coach. I feel that three years is right for me. Three years is probably longer than I was planning.”
The violations have blemished the final chapter of Boeheim’s decorated career, but his 3-year exit plan and support from Syracuse officials throughout the investigation showed how powerful he has become as the face of the university.
Boeheim built his reputation over five decades as a player and a coach, revered for wins and delivering a national title to a struggling city in 2003.
“Given all these developments, it’s right for the program (for me to stay),” Boeheim said. I’ve told every recruit I’m going to coach next year. If anybody’s concerned about recruiting, I don’t think that’s an issue.”
