Just over 12 hours after being knocked out in the first round of the ACC Tournament by SMU, Syracuse fired Adrian Autry after three disappointing seasons.
A former star point guard at SU, Autry served as a longtime assistant for the Cuse before succeeding Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim in 2023. In three years with Autry at the helm, the Orange went 49-48 overall, with 0 tournament appearances.
Point blank: the news wasn’t a shocker. Rather, almost a given. Especially with the clear frustration surrounding the program, highlighted by key donors and alums like Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony, the father to guard Kiyan Anthony, had a strong message following the Orange’s 87-77 February defeat at North Carolina, writing “SMFH” under an-in game highlight on SU’s official account. In the following game against Virginia, Kiyan, for the first time all season, did not see the court.
A game later, loud “FIRE AUTRY” chants broke out from the student section during a home loss to Miami.
But while the noise around the program continued to grow, Boeheim struck a different tone, asking fans – time and time again – to give red time and patience.
When the news broke today during the second round of the conference tournament, the Syracuse legend stuck up for his former coach and player once again, saying “At the end of the day, NIL money has to be provided to give a coach a fair shot”.
But Syracuse did give Adrian Autry a fair shot.
As reported by The Daily Orange, Syracuse, in preparation for a “win now” season, nearly tripled its NIL budget to $8 Million dollars, allowing SU to retain key pieces like Donnie Freeman and J.J. Starling, while also bringing in highly touted recruits Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White.
And yet, that investment never translated to results. Anthony and White never fully developed into consistent contributors — and at times, were arguably misused within the system.
While powerhouse programs like Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball may operate with even larger NIL budgets, $8 million should still be more than enough to put Syracuse in the tournament conversation. Instead, the Orange never even got close.
Instead, the Orange never even got close.
And that may be the biggest lesson of all.
Even in the NIL era, money can build a roster. But it still can’t replace coaching.
