Jim Boeheim out as Syracuse head coach after 47 seasons

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Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim is no longer the head coach of the Syracuse men's basketball team. The school has just announced that the legend is replaced after 47 years with the Orange.

Boeheim, 78, began his career at 'Cuse as an assistant coach in 1969 before becoming head coach in 1976. He racked up four Final Four appearances, five Big East Tournament championships over the course of almost 5 decades. .. and won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony in 2003.

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Boeheim - a Syracuse alum - has also won several awards...as he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and the College Basketball HoF in 2006.

Coach spoke to reporters after 'Cuse's 77-74 loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament on Tuesday... on tiptoe saying he was retiring - claiming he was had already made his farewell speech, but no one noticed.

Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack spoke... saying, "I've spent my entire career surrounded by the biggest and best names in professional and intercollegiate athletics. Few people are on the same pitch as coach Boeheim."< /p>

"Jim Boeheim is synonymous with excellence, courage and determination. Jim is a rare breed of coach, building a program that has been among the best in college basketball for nearly five decades. I am incredibly grateful for what he has done for Syracuse Basketball, Syracuse Athletics and Syracuse University as a whole."