Next season will no longer be the last for Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.
The member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame agreed to a contract extension with Syracuse that stretches beyond the 2017-18 season, the university announced on Sunday evening. This announcement was made hours after the University of Washington officially hired Syracuse associate head coach Mike Hopkins as its new head coach.
“Mike accepting the position at Washington has put us in a unique position,” Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack said in a statement. “The circumstances are different now than they were when he was named head-coach-in-waiting.
“After discussing it with Chancellor Syverud, we believe the best decision for the student-athletes currently in the program and those who are committed to attending the University is to extend Coach Boeheim’s contract. Jim has enthusiastically agreed.
Hopkins, who had been with the program for two decades, had been named coach-in-waiting in 2015, with the plan of him taking over the program from Boeheim at the start of the 2018-19 season.
“Mike received a great opportunity and we thank him and wish him the best,” Boeheim said in the press release. “I’m happy to stay on to help the program and to continue the staff’s devotion to success.”
Syracuse also announced that Adrian Autry has been promoted to associate head coach.