Jim Boeheim: 'Could interpret' NCAA making an example of Syracuse

[Halldan1]

• By Tommy Tomlinson

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Tuesday that the NCAA's sanctions against him and the basketball program are excessive and "you could interpret it that" the NCAA is making an example of Syracuse to warn other schools against cheating.

In an interview with ESPN, Boeheim said he doesn't think he personally did anything wrong and said it's still not clear how the NCAA expects coaches to monitor their programs.

"I didn't commit a violation in eight years of investigation, and obviously they tried to find everything that was there, as they should," Boeheim said. "I'm guilty of not monitoring, which is a very nebulous term. Nobody has defined it. What does that mean?"

The NCAA announced in March that it is vacating 108 Syracuse victories between 2004 and 2012 because the school used players who should have been ineligible in some games. The NCAA found several instances of what it called academic fraud, including one case where two staff members did coursework for a player to help him pass a class.

The NCAA also found some players who failed drug tests weren't held out of practices and games even though that was the school's written policy. Also, a booster gave more than $8,000 in cash to two basketball players and three football players for "volunteer work" at a YMCA.

"The institution's head basketball coach failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance and monitor his staff," the NCAA said in its report.

Besides the vacated wins, the NCAA suspended Boeheim for the first nine Atlantic Coast Conference games of the upcoming season and cut three basketball scholarships a year for the next four years.

Syracuse has appealed the ruling.

Boeheim said the penalties are out of line with what other schools -- and other coaches -- got for similar violations in the past.

"I think we feel the punishment has been excessive, and it's the first time a head coach was really charged with the monitoring part and been so severely punished," he said.

Before the sanctions, Boeheim had 966 career victories, behind only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (1,018) on the all-time list. If the sanctions stand, he'll officially have 858, which would make him sixth.

"I know how many games we've won," he said. "I don't know how many they take away. I know how many we've won, for sure."


http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...im-boeheim-says-ncaa-sanctions-team-excessive

 

[Halldan1]

Brings back memories of talking to Big East Briefs publisher Greg Shemitz in the 80's. Told me back then that in his opinion Boeheim was by far the dirtiest coach in the Big East and maybe in the country.

 

[Save Continental]

yup, you never did anything wrong Jim. that program is clean as a whistle.

Such a repulsive program/fanbase/coach.

 

[statenman]

It is odd that the penalty for the know offenses was that severe, when schools that do worse get less. I would have to think, like Dan said, their reputation played a part in this.
Lets see how UNC gets treated.

 

[theaterman]

The guy is delusional!

 

[Halldan1]

The guy is delusional!

You almost wonder if he really is starting to believe some of the nonsense he has been sprouting for so many years. Keep saying the same stuff and you start to believe it.

Either that or he feels untouchable after getting away with so much for so long.

Jim Bulletproof Boeheim.