The Syracuse men’s basketball program has a penchant for keeping it in the family. When the program’s most legendary figure roamed the sideline for 47 years—after seven years as an assistant and four as one of the team’s star guards—it is easy to see how things could become a bit insular.
During Jim Boeheim’s last Final Four run with the Orange in 2016, his staff consisted of three of his former players: Mike Hopkins, Adrian Autry and Gerry McNamara. When Boeheim stepped aside following the disappointing 2022–23 campaign, Hopkins, the longtime head coach-in-waiting, had departed for Washington. Rather than go outside the program, athletic director John Wildhack (another Syracuse alumnus) promoted Autry to the job—his first as a head coach. Three years, two losing seasons and zero NCAA tournament appearances later, the Orange have moved on from the former All-Big East point guard.
