Jim Boeheim appears to have all the confidence in the world in Mike Hopkins.

But no level of assurance the Syracuse head coach puts in his expected heir can guarantee Hopkins will definitely take over when Boeheim retires in three years. The longtime SU head coach just doesn’t have the kind of authority many people believe he does.

It’ll be Chancellor Kent Syverud’s call, Boeheim stressed throughout his press conference Thursday morning.

“You read so many things and one of them is that I make all of the decisions at Syracuse University,” Boeheim said at the press conference, his first time addressing the media since the NCAA’s report came out on March 6.

“I don’t decide who hires, who’s hired at Syracuse University, whether it’s the chancellor or athletic director or compliance officer or the person who I work directly with.”

While clearing the air about how much authority he has at SU, Boeheim indirectly mentioned the press conference following the Orange’s regular-season finale against North Carolina State on March 7.

Instead of Boeheim representing SU for the media availability, Hopkins came out instead to face reporters. The switch prompted criticism from some who believed Boeheim chose to duck out of the press conference.

“I wanted to do the press conference and limit it to basketball, which is always going to bring up ‘I can’t comment on that’ a few times before you leave,” Boeheim said. “… Wouldn’t have been a productive press conference.

“I was counseled not to go. I don’t find tremendous fault with that. I find fault with the articles that said I was a coward. Assumption is made, ‘You sent Mike Hopkins out there, you coward.’ I never send anybody out anywhere. If you believe I make all the decisions here, you’re under some delusion.

“If I’m told not to do something — that, a press conference — I don’t do it. Because I work for people.”

Boeheim said that if he made all the calls at SU, he would’ve decided for the school not to join the Big East and not to leave Manley Field House — a pair of huge decisions in SU’s history that Boeheim admitted he would’ve gotten wrong.

He said the lack of a guarantee for Hopkins’ future is not important right now. But as Boeheim looked to the future, he spoke as if Hopkins — his assistant coach of 19 years — will indeed be his successor, as he has for years.

“I believe Mike Hopkins will be a great coach,” Boeheim said, “and I fervently hope that he is the coach here. But that’s something the chancellor will decide with the board of trustees, like they decide every major issue that happens at Syracuse University.

“And I decide, sometimes, what restaurants my family is going to eat at.”

Published on March 19, 2015 at 2:04 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb