Jim Boeheim 'thrilled to be retired' as Syracuse coach

Syracuse introduced Adrian Autry as the school's new head men's basketball coach at a Friday news conference and gave clarity on the awkward exit of coach Jim Boeheim earlier this week. On Wednesday, the school abruptly announced Boeheim would not return after 47 seasons as coach.

Boeheim addressed the media on Friday and used the word «retired» to describe his departure, a distinction the university did not make in its announcement of the coaching transition. Athletic director John Wildhack said that Boeheim informing the team he wouldn't be back a few hours after the ACC tournament loss to Wake Forest prompted the school to announce his departure. He reiterated that a handoff to Autry, an Orange assistant since 2011, has long been the plan.

Boeheim was a mix of sentimental and sarcastic in reflecting on his departure from the school. He said he didn't think a lot about retirement until a four-game losing streak late in the season, which led him to believe «this was the time.» He said he met with school officials for 45 minutes Thursday to work out «the basics» of what his role would be with the school moving forward.

«I'm so thrilled to be at this university and continue,» Boeheim said. "… I wouldn't know what else to do anyway."

Boeheim added that he's «thrilled to be retired» and said he has felt better the past two days than he has «in the last 47 years.»

Boeheim did get emotional reflecting on his family, the former players and the fans who trudged through winter weather all those years to attend games at Manley Field House and Syracuse's dome. He also expressed his appreciation for the city and the school and called any notion that the school didn't treat him right as «not true.» Boeheim, 78, came to Syracuse in