Time is Running Out For Jim Christian

Is the end coming for Boston College head coach Jim Christian?

The writing seems to be on the wall for Boston College's head coach Jim Christian. On Wednesday, his short handed squad lost to Wake Forest, one of the few remaining teams the Eagles on paper looked like they could beat. While not having half of his squad is certainly not his fault, Christian's resume and history all line up with the results we have seen in 2020-21.

BC currently sits at 3-12 (1-8 ACC), dead last in the ACC. While the pandemic has certainly not made his job easier, this season seems more of a pattern for head coach Jim Christian. In his seven years in Chestnut Hill, he has had one winning season, has not made the NCAA tournament during his tenure and has a 37.3% winning percentage and a 21.8% percentage against the ACC. It looked like last year would have been his last but COVID-19 pandemic hit and his job was saved. 

The markers are all there for a regime change. Fan interest in the team is almost non-existent. Even when there were fans allowed, attendance lagged, students never showed up, and Conte Forum started earning the moniker "Conte Morgue" for the lack of noise and attendance. Not only that, but Christian's relationship with the school seems to have hit a rough patch. His comments after he was going to be forced to play against FSU with four scholarship players made it appear that there is a bit of a riff between the coaching staff and BC administration.

With new athletic director Patrick Kraft in charge, and looking to make his mark on his program, it seems inevitable that a coaching change will occur at the end of the season. Boston College can ill afford to continue having one of their revenue programs sit in or near the basement of the ACC, something the program has consistently done for the past decade. 

SI.com's Pat Forde seems to agree, as he has Jim Christian listed as one of his six coaches most likely to be fired after the season. Per his article. 

Jim Christian (8), Boston College. Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because Christian got paid a million bucks while never going to the NCAA tournament and only once having a winning record in seven years on the job. Current record: 3–11 overall, 1–7 in the ACC.

There is no doubt that Jim Christian is a bright and engaging coach. He is well liked by his players, who hustle game in and game out for him. But he has had his chance at Boston College, and it has not worked out. With the end of the 2020-21 season coming to a close in the next few weeks (depending on make up games), we will see how the BC administration feels about the direction of the men's basketball program. 

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