Mike Hopkins named as Jim Boeheim's successor at Syracuse
Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins will take over as head coach when Jim Boeheim retires in three years, the school announced Thursday.
“For more than 25 years, Mike Hopkins has demonstrated the true meaning of Orange pride and loyalty,” Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. “He has contributed so much to the success of the Syracuse basketball program. I know Mike is ready to lead the program into the future and carry forward the success that has occurred under Coach Boeheim.”
Boeheim announced in March that he will retire after the 2017–18 season. The announcement came just weeks after the NCAA punished the Syracuse program for academic misconduct and providing improper benefits to players. Boeheim was suspended for the Orange's first nine ACC games of the upcoming season and 108 of his 966 career victories were vacated. The program docked a total of 12 scholarships over a four-year period.
On the same day that Boeheim announced his intention to retire, athletic director Daryl Gross resigned after 10 years in that role. Syracuse named former Boise State AD Mark Coyle as Gross's replacement last week.
Hopkins, a former Syracuse player, joined Boeheim's staff in 1995 after a brief playing career overseas. Gross denied in 2007 that Hopkins had already been chosen as Boeheim's successor.
- Dan Gartland
