Jim Boeheim has seen a lot in his 37 years as the head coach at Syracuse.

Five different decades spanning back to his playing days, several potentially-crippling scandals, the construction of the Carrier Dome, the rise of the one-and-done, and of course hundreds of different players from unique backgrounds.

Through it all, though, Boeheim has been as much a model of consistency as any figure in sports. And Boeheim’s former players are just as consistent in their praise for the coach as he yet again etches his name into the record books with a 900th career win.

“To be able to recruit (five) different decades has been incredible,” said Dave Siock, a center for the Orange from 1988-93. “I mean his program sells itself. He’s done such a good job with the system he uses that it appeals to the kids even nowadays. I mean they’re excited to come to the Dome and play for Coach Boeheim still.”

With the 72-68 win over Detroit on Monday, Boeheim joined Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski as the only three coaches in Division-I college basketball history with 900 career victories. Boeheim also now sits just two wins behind Knight’s 902 for second all time.

It’s elite company for Boeheim that goes to show just how remarkable of a feat 900 wins is.

“Those other two gentlemen are phenomenal as well,” Siock said. “So the top three like that just speaks volumes about the job Coach Boeheim has done at Syracuse.”

Publicly, Boeheim has been his usual self—nonchalant about the achievement and thinking of it as just another win.

No one can be sure what he thinks behind the scenes other than Boeheim himself, but Siock gave some insight from his personal experience with the head coach.

“I’m sure it means a great deal to him,” Siock said. “Privately I’m sure he’s really excited about it. I just think he’s more focused on the job at hand than anything else. He realizes it’s a big honor, but there’s still games to be played, so he can’t dwell on it too long.”

Jason Hart always valued Boeheim’s long list of achievements, but as a coach himself now, he’s taken a different level of appreciation.

After starring as a guard at Syracuse from 1996-2000, Hart played professionally for 10 years. In 2012 he was named an assistant coach at Pepperdine giving him a new sense of admiration for Boeheim’s accomplishment.

“For him to continuously beat the (North) Carolinas and Dukes and Georgetowns and all that, that’s pretty amazing,” Hart said. “So I definitely, now that I’m coaching on this side, respect all those wins. That’s pretty amazing.”

Craig Forth also coaches now, although at the high school level. The former center played at Syracuse from 2001-05. He was on the court during the 2003 NCAA Championship and during Boeheim’s 700th career win just seven years ago.

Forth said it’s those types of accomplishments – the championships and rapidness of victories – that Boeheim will be remembered for.

“He’s obviously going to be remembered for a very long time for the length of his career,” Forth said. “And obviously being in the Big East for pretty much every year of that and each win—he definitely racked ’em up against the toughest competition out there.”

With Boeheim quickly piling up victories, reaching 1,000 is within reach. But it’s a possibility that hasn’t been discussed much as the assumption has been that Boeheim would retire within the next two or three years, handing the program off to assistant coach Mike Hopkins.

But people have said that for years and Boeheim keeps defying expectations. Nine hundred is just one more marker for the head coach, and Siock doesn’t think it’ll be his last.

“Well, too bad for Mike Hopkins, I think Coach Boeheim’ll stick around to get 1,000 wins to be honest,” Siock said. “… He’s not that far off.”

Published on December 18, 2012 at 2:54 am

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2