Jim Boeheim concluded his Hall of Fame coaching career last year but that doesn’t mean his presence still isn’t being felt in the world of college basketball.
Now a member of the basketball media (well, not according to him, but we’ll get to that), Boeheim spent this past year calling games for ACC Network and Westwood One radio and as an ACC Network studio analyst. Just like during his storied coaching career with the Syracuse Orange, his curmudgeonly opinions put him in the crosshairs of certain fanbases. Even now, it doesn’t take much for Jim Boeheim to make people mad.
With March Madness in full swing, we thought it was an ideal time to catch up with the 79-year-old legend to see how his career transition was going, how he really feels about North Carolina State, whether or not we’ll ever hear him call a Syracuse game, and what he’s watching when he’s not watching basketball.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
I have to start with the North Carolina State comment. You said during the ACC tournament where you said, ‘I don’t know why anybody that’s got this recent history of these guys is celebrating.’ They go on to-
No, no…That was a guy celebrating a three-point shot in the game.
Right.
Well, first of all, I don’t like celebrations, period. The fact that you would celebrate when it’s just the first game of the tournament and you’re having a bad season was just funny to me. Let’s wait until we do something. Now that they have, they can celebrate all they want.
“I don’t know why anybody that’s got the recent history of these guys is celebrating.” – Jim Boeheim 🏀🎙️💀
(h/t: @Matt_McGavic) pic.twitter.com/ALlfr24NMV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 12, 2024
Right. So they make that run. They head to the Sweet 16. I think some Wolfpack fans had some fun with your comment. I was just wondering because I know you have them in your Final Four in your Dan Patrick bracket.
I sure do. I picked them. I like the way they play. The comment had nothing really to do with NC State. It was really…what is anybody celebrating for when they haven’t done anything yet? It was more along those lines. To give context, I said, I don’t see why football players celebrate when they’re down four touchdowns.
I love NC State. I picked them to win the tournament after they got going. I picked them to win the ACC tournament. Then I picked them to go to the Sweet 16. I think I picked them in my pool, which I do with my family. I think I picked them to go to the Final Four. So I’m all on board with NC State for sure.
In your Dan Patrick Challenge bracket, you have them, you’ve got North Carolina, and then you’ve got Purdue beating UConn. How do you feel about your picks?
Well, I like them. I don’t know. I haven’t seen Dan Patrick’s thing. Is my poll any good in there? Am I anywhere?
You are currently number one in the VIP bracket.
You’re kidding.
No, you are currently number one.
I did not know that. I knew I made some good picks because I’m leading the family poll by a couple or so, which I’ve never done. So that’s a good thing.
But I love NC State. I like the chalk, which is what it turned out to be in reality, the tournament. I was always upset during the year because the ACC and the Big East, I knew both were being tremendously undervalued because they’re going by these NET things, which we know is absolutely the worst measure they’ve ever used. People thought that the RPI was bad. It’s way better than this system. You can game this system.
The Mountain West, they’re fine. But six teams in the conference getting in? No. The only team that’s won any significant games is San Diego State. St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Pittsburgh were the three most egregious [teams left out]. I really thought Wake Forest would have done well in the tournament as well. I would have liked to see Indiana State in there, too.
Every year, the ACC advances. Every year. And every year, we’re getting fewer teams in, which means they think our league is weak. Writers write about it being weak all year. And it’s not. It’s just bad at the NET. We win the most games, we go to the most Sweet 16s, we go to the most Final Fours, we win the most tournaments, and we’re getting fewer and fewer teams in. It just doesn’t make sense that when you repeat your success year after year, there’s going to be something wrong with how you’re picking the tournament. And it’s people looking at just metrics. They’re not looking at teams.
There’s a lot of chatter now about expanding the tournament and trying to find different ways to get more teams in. How do you feel about expansion versus maybe changing the way?
It’s so easy. You just do what you do in Dayton in another place. And here’s the real kicker. The reason I think they’re not doing it…there will be no more additional money paid by television until 2032. Until there’s a new contract. To me, they’re getting a billion dollars. That shouldn’t be an issue. You shouldn’t be trying to get teams in. It always used to be, you don’t hate to see a team get left out that can actually win games. We left teams out that could win games in this tournament.
When you look at what’s happened this year with the next five teams, with the bid stealers. So the committee had already agreed on those five teams that should be in. Okay? And then they got knocked out. So they were already good enough to be in the tournament, according to the committee. And the reason they didn’t get in is because somebody stole a bid. So it’s not like these teams like Seton Hall or whoever those next few teams are weren’t good enough. They would have been in the tournament. And you’re always going to have somebody left out that’s good.
But hey, when the tournament was 24 [teams], coaches said, ‘Well, we don’t need to expand. We got the best thing.’ And then 48, same thing. ‘It’ll ruin the tournament’ 64, 68. The tournament’s only getting better every year. It doesn’t dilute the tournament. You’re just putting better teams in.
Yeah, it does seem like it’s going there.
After the first round, you’ll lose the bad teams. Let’s face it, there’s always going to be a few upsets, and that’s great. That’s why we should always have automatic qualifiers. Anyone that says we shouldn’t just really doesn’t understand the NCAA Tournament and the beauty of it. Not many of them are going to win, but it’s still part of the beauty of the tournament. You get an Oakland. You get a Duquesne. Those are good. That’s good stuff.
In your coaching career, you definitely had some run-ins with the media. Now you’re in the media. What has that transition been like? And do you change your perspective?
Well, two things. I had very, very few run-ins in 47 years. It’s just that if you have one, then that’s all they remember. So that’s not true. I like the media, generally.
Number two, I’m not IN the media. I’m doing games. There’s a difference in my mind. In somebody else’s mind, maybe not. But I’m just doing games. I’m just talking basketball. I’m not firing coaches. I’m not criticizing anybody or not asking any critical questions. I’m just talking about the game of basketball.
So what is that like?
It’s fun. I like doing it. I like covering the games. I like going to games. I like seeing the coaches, seeing the players. It was really good. I’d do a game all the time if I didn’t have to travel to get there.
When are they going to let you call a Syracuse game?
Well, I won’t call Syracuse games. I don’t go to Syracuse games and I won’t call Syracuse games.
That’s too… That’s stuff that I just can’t do. I can watch them on television, but I can’t go there. It’s too intense.
I know you work TV and you work some radio, too. Did you notice any differences? Are there things you have to do differently for each one?
TV is a little easier because the fan sees it, so you can talk philosophy a little bit. On the radio, you got to really tell the fan what happened because they don’t see it. You got to say ‘Joe Girard got a screen from PJ Hall and got open.’ The fan sees it on TV. You can just say, ‘Hey, that’s a great play and great shot.’ You don’t have to go into the details as much. You have a little more time with television. Radio is really about the play-by-play guy, and TV, you get more of a chance to talk.
What was it like working with Wes Durham and Cory Alexander?
We had a great relationship. It was really fun. The studio is very hard. It’s a long, long day. It’s 12 hours. I’ve got to drive to Bristol so it’s a little more difficult. Doing the games was fun. It was really fun with those guys. They’re really good at what they’re doing. We had a fun time doing it.
Who knew Jim Boeheim could be funny?
I haven't had a first day on the job in quite a while, but I had a great time calling the Florida State at UNC game today for @accnetwork. Thanks to @WesDurham and @CoryAlexanderVA for carrying me this first go-around! pic.twitter.com/bdorI5xVnb
— Jim Boeheim (@therealboeheim) December 2, 2023
I always thought you had it in you. You would pull that out at the press conferences.
Yeah, I know. But some people wouldn’t, I guess.
Do you feel like this is something that you’re excited to do again next year? And do you feel like you’ll be doing more games or you’re not sure yet?
I’m excited to do games next year. They don’t do the schedules or anything until later. I’m excited to do games and see how it goes. It’s fun to do.
Obviously, you were coaching for so long and in that world. Is there anything that you wish you’d done before you stopped coaching or anything else that you wish you had another shot at?
No. you know, it was funny. Buddy [Boeheim], who doesn’t say much. He just goes through life. He wants to be a basketball player. That’s what he does.
He told me, I think before last season…it was a struggle the last year, but it was fun. He said, ‘What are you doing if don’t have anything left to prove?’ I think I took that to heart a little bit and just realized that it was enough. And when I walked into practice this year for the first time [since retiring], I was so happy. I was just looking for a few minutes and then going home.
Yeah, I could see that.
You don’t know that until actually that happens. I thought that I would miss it, and I didn’t even miss it a little bit, which surprised me.
Speaking of Buddy, do you think will you be able to make it to any of his games in Detroit?
I like to watch him on TV. He’s doing good. He’s getting better. He’s really a high-level shooter. His defense has gotten better. I think he’s got a chance, maybe, to get in somebody’s rotation, maybe, which would be great. I mean, he’s done great. I’m really proud of the work he’s done. He’s gotten better every year. He works hard and happy to see him get a chance.
I know you said you don’t go to the games or don’t want to call them, but I was just curious what you made of Adrian Autry’s first season as Syracuse head coach.
I thought he did an unbelievable job this year. I thought they were really shorthanded, losing their centers. All three of them really couldn’t play. Benny [Williams], obviously, had major issues. They had six sophomores doing the playing. I think it was a Coach of the Year type of season. Amazing season.
I think they’re on the right path. They’ve got some good recruits. I think they’ll be good next year. I’m really tremendously pleased with everything that he’s been able to do.
I’m out in Seattle and Coach [Mike] Hopkins was coaching UW out here. I was curious if you’ve chatted with him since he was let go.
I have not talked to him. It was ironic that the guy fired him and then took another job the next week.
Do you have any advice for Hopkins (who coached under Boeheim for 22 years) or thoughts on what might be next for him?
He’ll be all right. He’s a very good coach. He’ll do fine. He’ll be good.
Are you working on any more games in the tournament?
If an ACC team gets to the Final Four, I’ll do stuff out there. But games are done unless there’s an emergency radio opening someplace.
What are you watching these days when you’re not watching basketball?
Well, I read a lot and I watch probably too much television.
Are you watching Shōgun?
No, I will. I read the book. I will watch it.
I felt like it would be up your alley.
I would love it. I can’t wait. Is it on Netflix? I didn’t even see it on yet.
I believe it’s on Hulu.
Hulu? Yeah, I will. I watch a little bit of Netflix. I really love Bosch. That’s a big… it was a book I read. I read all the books. Michael Powell is a writer I like. But I love Bosch, and I definitely can’t wait to watch Shōgun. I love the book.
For some reason, I felt like Jim Boeheim would like this.
No, that’s a big one. I like historical stuff like that. That’ll definitely be a must-watch for me. As soon as I get time to watch. As soon as I get done working here.
I didn’t want to work quite this hard in retirement.
