Jim Boeheim has never been shy with his thoughts on media.
Now he’s a member.
The former Syracuse coach and basketball Hall of Famer is joining ESPN as an analyst for the upcoming college basketball season. Boeheim confirmed the news to Syracuse.com on Wednesday. He’ll also do radio work for Westwood One calling games.
“We’re finishing a deal with ESPN to do a limited number of studio appearances and games,” Boeheim told Syracuse.com. “And I’m doing Westwood games at the end of the year, probably in the different tournaments.”
Boeheim expects to make 15 to 20 appearances on ESPN with his time split between studio work and game coverage. For Westwood One, he expects to call conference tournament and NCAA tournament games.
Syracuse replaced Boeheim with associate head coach Adrian Autry in March after he spent 47 years as the men’s basketball head coach. Boeheim coached Syracuse to 35 NCAA tournament appearances, five Final Fours and the 2003 national championship with a roster starring Carmelo Anthony. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.
After a career filled with accolades, his final few years at Syracuse were marked by struggles on the court and repeated instances of Boeheim lashing out at media, including criticism that he bullied a student reporter in February. He remains in the Syracuse fold as a special assistant to athletic director John Wildhack.
Rarely timid with his opinions on much of anything, Boeheim’s sure to add a compelling voice to the college basketball media landscape.