Eric Devendorf, former Syracuse star, defends Jim Boeheim: 'He has earned the right to step down when he wants'
Eric Devendorf played at Syracuse under Jim Boeheim from 2005 to 2009 before forgoing his senior season to enter the 2009 NBA Draft, where he went unselected.
He’s watching closely as this year’s Syracuse squad struggles. Currently, the Orange have an overall record of 16-11 and a 9-7 mark in ACC play.
Like in many recent years, that puts the Orange right on the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble. Boeheim is currently 78 years old. Syracuse didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last year and hasn’t been better than an 8-seed in March Madness since 2014.
Should Boeheim retire? Should he be fired? Devendorf weighed in on SiriusXM Radio on Wednesday:
Syracuse basketball is at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament and hasn't entered March Madness ranked higher than an 8-seed since 2014.
Is it time for Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim to retire? Former Orange star, @ED23HOOPS, answered that to @dannykanell & @KrisBudden. pic.twitter.com/cvjQlRMLVP
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) February 22, 2023
“You want to see another guy get an opportunity and another guy get a chance to lead,” Devendorf started. “But at the same time, they guy has been there for 50-plus years. … He’s a Hall-of-Famer. He has the most wins in NCAA history. … I believe he has earned the right to step down when he wants.”
Syracuse’s next 2 games are at Clemson and at Pitt. We’ll see if the Orange can get back on track and earn a spot in the field of 68 teams on Selection Sunday.