Boeheim Bows Out (Hour 1)

Live from the play show you're not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10 floor 345 Hudson Street. Welcome on in to a Wednesday, I think it is, edition of the Zach Gelb show, across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, and that free Odyssey app.

27 could always get at me on Instagram, where I'm straight flex, interview the good old cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Whole lot to do today, we will be having a bunch of guys stopping by, John Jastremski coming up 40 minutes from now, talk a little Syracuse basketball, as big baby Beyheim is out, is done. Oh, by the way, let me pick my nose first to honor Jim Beyheim, but I guess you could say the legendary Jim Beyheim, who I'm not a fan of, but he's been at Syracuse since the 1960s, won a whole lot of games, and obviously won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony. And Jim Beyheim, who went to five final four appearances, 47 seasons as the head coach, is walking away, but let's be real, he doesn't really want to walk away. Because that's always what happens when you have guys that just stay around and stick around at their school, and since the 1960s, and everyone knows the game has passed them by, and it kind of stinks in one way. Now he's done it to himself, because the last two years, and remember, coming off a pretty damn good run, but the last two years, you've just seen him be stubborn and arrogant, and I'm sure he's been stubborn and arrogant for a long time. But when you're winning, you put up with it, you deal with it, right? Like Belichick, and I know it's different because Belichick has won six championships as a head coach, when Belichick is short with the media, when he's stubborn with the media, when he's arrogant with the media, and also the fans, no one really says anything when you're winning.

But then when Brady leaves, and the last, what, three years, they've only made the playoffs one time, even though all hail Bill Belichick, I love Bill Belichick, some people get tired with the act when you're not winning games. Now when you've won six championships, you buy yourself a little time, when you have one championship, and you're viewed as this old curmudgeon, it's time to go. And I'll just say this, Hickey, this is the surprising part to me, that Syracuse has finally found a backbone, and they finally had some cojones. Because I really did think that it was obvious the last two years, especially this year, turn out the lights, the party's over, time to wrap it up, and time to walk into retirement. I didn't know if Syracuse was gonna have the guts to tell Boeheim, it's over, it's done. And it was crystal clear at just this bizarre and weird and cringe-worthy Boeheim press conference, where it's fitting he goes out that way, where he has this just terrible presser, he goes, oh yeah, I gave my retirement speech last week.

No one picked up on it besides one person. And then he goes, oh, it's the university's decision. Him saying it's the university's decision is the one last kind of jab by big baby Boeheim as he goes right out the door, I don't wanna walk away, this is the university telling me it's time to wrap it up.

And I guess he didn't put up much of a fight, and I guess he didn't wanna be viewed as someone that was gonna get fired, so he does the whole retirement, and one of his own does take over, and away you go. But it does kinda suck, if you're being honest, like when you look at him, and I've been frustrated with Boeheim the last few years, and he's made me sick, and I've wanted to projectile vomit with the way that he's conducted himself really the last two years and the winning wasn't there to kind of excuse it and you put up with it. But when you have a guy that's been pretty much breathing, sleeping, eating Syracuse basketball, made the program what it was, and has been there since the 1960s, his school, assistant coach, head coach, and you never look back, he probably does, not probably does, he definitely deserves a better sendoff.

But when you don't wanna leave, and you just sit there, and you only wanna leave the program when your time on earth is up, that never ends well. And when you have legends, and when you have older coaches, nine times out of 10, they never, ever know when it's the right time to walk away, because this is all they know, they're robots, they don't know how to go live and be a normal person in society, and it scares the living crap out of them what they're going to do once they walk away from the game of basketball. So you could call it a retirement, a firing, whatever you want, Syracuse finally said, enough is enough, your time is up, it's time to go, and now he retires in really what is just such a bizarre way, because they lose with what, two tenths of a second today on that last shot by Wake Forest after a horrible Syracuse offensive possession, and then that press conference afterwards, I'm not saying I'm retiring, but I gave my retirement speech, it's the university's decision, that was, Syracuse, I made ya, here's the middle finger, you're basically forcing me out, I don't wanna retire, so I'm gonna make that be known, and then shortly after that, you do get the official announcement that Jim Boeheim is out as the head basketball coach at Syracuse, and it's a retirement, which I will say in air quotes. Hickey, this is really bizarre, because I kind of feel bad, and it's ironic that I feel bad, because I've been leading the charge the last two years, there's a segment of me that's posted somewhere on CBS Sports Radio's Twitter feed, where I'm chanting, fire Boeheim, fire Boeheim, when he called that reporter like 5'2 and never played basketball in his life, and this year when he went after the student reporter who was just asking about a player and the status of the player or whatever it was, I thought he handled that like a jerk and a big bully, so I knew that it was time for Syracuse to usher in a new era, but the part I feel bad about is nothing that I said. I stand by everything I said, and I've been trying to say the last two years, and people felt this even before that, that it was time for Boeheim to go, but it does feel like a guy of, maybe class is the right word, but of his stature, and what he meant to that program, what he's meant to college basketball, I feel like he deserves a better sendoff, but he basically did this to himself with the way that he's conducted himself like an ass the last two years, and we all know he didn't want to walk away, so part of me says, yeah, he deserves a better sendoff, but the reason why he didn't get a better sendoff is he doesn't embrace this retirement, he doesn't want to retire, and also, he's been kind of a jerk, and he hasn't been winning the last two years when talking to anyone, and basically trying to tell everyone, like even the other day, you know, our true fans aren't calling these radio shows, they show up, and they support us, and all of that, dude, like you can't be that lost in the sauce, you can't be that much of a dummy, the fan base has given up on you, like sure, if you talk to the people that went to Syracuse 30 years ago, 20 years ago, right, all those sycophants that are in the media, yeah, death taxes, and whatever Jim Boeheim says, like those are the three givens in their life, because he's been there their entire life, but I think the younger media members, and the people that are either at the school now, or let's say 15 to 10 years, and less removed from the school, I think they realize the Boeheim that everyone else has talked about, and the Boeheim that everyone else genuflects to, is not the Boeheim that they knew, and it's all about the era you grew up in, the guy is a legend, no doubt about it, to Syracuse University, but, like if I talked to my uncle who went to Syracuse, he would never have a bad word to say about Jimmy Boeheim, but, you talk to someone who's like 5 years removed from the university, I think they have a little different tone, and they were like okay, it's time to move this guy out, and bring in new life and new blood into the program, so when you have that, those emotions, and you have that dynamic, and you have a coach that doesn't want to leave, you're not going to have an ideal send-off, but I'll even say it, Boeheim deserves better at the end, not that they shouldn't have got rid of him, they absolutely should, it was time to move on, and I commend Syracuse for basically forcing him into retirement, but it is a very just weird ending, an anticlimactic ending to his career, but he never embraced this, so it's kind of tough to say, yeah, I expected this to end well, and to be a better send-off for one Jim Boeheim. You know why today is actually fitting for Jim Boeheim to go off into the sunset, if you will, is because the last, let's say 5 years, it feels like Jim Boeheim cared more about making the media, the Syracuse media look bad than winning games, and you referenced already a few minutes ago about a few instances where he's making fun of reporters' size, and he's snapping back at reporters for asking fair questions, there's been a lot more instances of Jim Boeheim trying to make the media look bad, and the latest example was today in his press conference where he goes, well, I announced my retirement on the court last week, or I did my whole retirement speech, I did my whole retirement press conference after the game, and no one picked up on it.

He was trying to almost shame them into how did you guys not pick it up, how did no one put two and two together, you said before, oh, this is classic Syracuse media, earlier in the year, he just, I think at this point, wanted to just, he took a lot of pride in kind of making them look foolish, and that's why this almost feels just perfect, because he cared more about making them look bad than winning games. Give me a legendary talk show host, like someone that comes to mind that's older, obviously, that's still working in the business. Let's go Dan Patrick. Okay, perfect example. Well, Dan Patrick is like the definition of class, so he probably wouldn't do this, but let's just say that, right, well. Stephen A. Smith, you want to do him? He's a long, long time legendary. Let's do Chris Russo.

Okay. Let's say Sirius, and this would never happen, because he has his own channel, but let's say Sirius goes to Chris Russo and says, Chris, it's time to hang it up. And Chris doesn't want to hang it up. And he kind of realizes that they're going to move on from it, they're going to force him into retirement, and Chris just goes, you know, talking and reflecting about his career, and then takes a break. And then a week later goes, oh, yeah, a week ago, I basically told you I was retiring without saying it. Like, how is anyone supposed to really pick up on that, and they probably just thought you were reminiscing or talking about something that people were getting honored for, right? And it's like almost like what we're supposed to realize when you're retiring and that's supposed to be on us.

To me, that doesn't make sense. All Bayham had to do was get to the podium today and say this. I know that this is a bad way, and this is not how we envisioned our season going. That was my last game, or this is my last year as the head basketball coach at Syracuse. Obviously, this university means so much.

I look forward down the line to reminiscing. I want to congratulate one of our own on getting the job, someone that obviously I have a great relationship with, and I look forward to talking about our career and celebrating what we've done down the road whenever the university wants to honor us and feel that is fit. Like, that's all he had to say today, but he can't do that.

And we know Bayham would never do that. So instead, in your last press conference as the head basketball coach at Syracuse, you basically came off as an ass. It was like one more time, let me just say to the media, yeah, you idiots, I'm so much above you and I'm more intellectual than you, and pretty much, I told you I was retiring last week and all you peasants couldn't figure that out, you morons. But oh, by the way, it's the university's decision. So when I'm basically being forced out of retirement, I'm going to let you know I'm being forced out of retirement.

I'm not going to say I'm retiring right now because I don't even believe in retiring because I wanted to be here pretty much until I died. And then that would be my time would be up as the basketball coach and I was never going to walk away. And all of a sudden, they don't want me anymore, so I'm going to basically kind of just jab the knife in a little bit deeper and tell everyone on the way out, yeah, I'm gone. But it's not because I wanted out, it's because the university is forcing me out. It's just all bizarre.

That's the word that I use here, Hickey. It is bizarre how it ended, but it's not surprising because this guy has been a jerk and confusing and has and has just been really made you want to have a headache every time you heard him speak the last two years. The old saying goes, right, either die here or stay long enough to see yourself become the villain. And that's basically what Jim Boeheim has turned into. He stopped caring, he stopped recruiting, and it is sad for a guy that should be celebrated, who for a guy, anytime you hear the word Syracuse, the first thing that's going to pop in your head is going to be Jim Boeheim. His name is on the court, and it's sad that this is kind of the way you go out, just on a buzzer beater in the second round of the ACC tournament. And then the press conference, he's basically trying to, again, mock the reporters or belittle them and embarrass them. And that's kind of, again, the last time we hear about him as the official head coach of Syracuse, losing as an eight seed.

It's really sad, but like I said, he did it to himself. It is the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a time out when we come on back. We'll talk about collusion in the NFL and which team is going to break away from the pact that the NFL is forming right now.

And who's going to actually go and pursue the services of Lamar Jackson down the road. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio.

So, I think it was so funny. I started off the show today saying, oh, we got a lot of people stopping by. And the moment I brought up John Jastremski, I went off just a rant for 15 minutes about Boeheim and retiring, getting forced out, and Syracuse finally having their Cajones drop and all that. I didn't tell you who else was joining us today. An hour from now, Jake Deloam will stop by. And then at 9.20 p.m. Eastern, 6.20 p.m. Pacific, we will continue the QB Carousel with Paul Kacharski, who does a great job covering the Tennessee Titans. So, a whole lot to do today on the show.

But Hickey, I'm going to give you a tough pass here. I have four teams that absolutely should be involved in Lamar Jackson sweepstakes. But so far right now, these four teams that's been reported, they're going to have no interest because we all know what's going on behind the scenes. You can't prove it, but the owners don't want to give them a fully guaranteed deal.

So, they're all saying right now, we're not interested, we're not interested. And then eventually, one or two owners will break away and probably not give them the fully guaranteed deal, but maybe give them $200 million out of the 230, 250, whatever the offer is, that would be fully guaranteed. And then it just comes down to how much do the Ravens actually like Lamar Jackson? Will they match that or will they find a way to get two first round picks back in the way that the non-exclusive tag does work out? So, I'm going to give you these four teams and here's the task. You be the general manager or the owner of the team and you make the argument, pretend I'm the fan, on why you should be excited that the team is passing up on Lamar Jackson and what you have in the building, why it's going to eventually work and you can make your team a winner. It's a very tough task to do because we are in lockstep in this hickey that there are a lot of teams yesterday that are just idiots, morons and dopes that are saying, you know, we're not interested in Lamar and they should absolutely be interested in Lamar. All right, so you're making me the bad guy here and you're going to deliver the news.

This team is not interested in Lamar Jackson. I got to put basically the cherry on top of a crap sundae and say this is actually a good thing for the fans. You should be happy. Rejoice. Praise me for not making this move. Okay. You know what you're going to be?

Let's do it. You're a PR person. The spin. You're a PR person. Someone did something really awful on the team and you got to say, oh, they have great character.

They didn't mean to do this. Here we go. You're representing first up the Washington commanders. Commanders fans. Number one, I know you hate me, but listen out.

This is why you will love me. Fire Snyder. Put on the tape of week 18. That is our future and you want a good team around Sam Howell.

Guess what? You are not putting a good team around Sam Howell. Sam Howell is making forty five fifty fifty five million dollars a year guaranteed.

The salary cap is what it is, folks. You only spend so much on offense. You like Terry Mcclorn. You want to keep him here. You like Johan Datsy. You want more of those guys.

Well, that means we got to keep our quarterback cheap. You look at Sam Howell. He was great against those handy Cowboys.

He's got to be great in twenty twenty three with Eric B. And we ever heard of him, by the way. Guy just won another Super Bowl with Patrick Holmes. Yeah, that's right. Patrick Holmes was a no name before Eric B. And we got there. Guess what? Sam Howell, a no name. When he came here last year. He will be the next future of this team.

We already got our answer at quarterback. Can I help you out here? It's number, I don't know what he is, but number whatever. Can I help you out here? Sure. Here would be the pitch on Sam Howell. Oh, I think that was just great. It was good.

It was solid. Sam Howell was trending on being a first round pick. Some even said the number one overall pick. Then he lost his two best wide receivers. His two running backs. And UNC put him in an awful position. But we know he could go back if we surround him with the right pieces. Which we have in Jahann Dodson. And obviously one of the best wide receivers in football in Terry McLaurin. And we have Bryan Robinson who will play a full season next year. We have the pieces to make Sam Howell look like what he was. When people thought he could be potentially the first overall pick in the draft.

So, that would be the pitch. Now, imagine if they got Lamar Jackson. If they get Lamar Jackson, you know what Commanders fans would do. Finally, something positive to latch onto. Now, let me ask you this.

Your message, Hickey? Or the reaction of excitement, Lamar Jackson? We could actually be somewhat decent again.

What do you think the fan base would rally around more? Lamar Jackson. Yes, thank you very much. Alrighty, next one. You are David Tepper with the Carolina Panthers. Now, do you need a little advice on what your pitch should be here? No.

Okay, let's see how you could run with it then. Alright, we got Frank Reich. Guy is an offensive genius. We are going in the draft. We are trading up.

We are being aggressive. We are getting whatever the Bears want. And we are getting ourselves Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson. We are getting a guy who's going to be cheap. Who's going to be great. We are getting the answer at quarterback. And we are taking advantage of this crappy division.

And we will be running it for the next decade with our young quarterback. Who we're not going to pay a lot of money to. Who has no, right now, injury history. Like Lamar Jackson, who has missed his last 11 games. The last two seasons.

He did not play it in January. In two years. We're not paying for that. We are getting a proven guy in the draft that you will love. Homegrown talent is what everyone wants. That's what you're getting.

See, now that's the fascinating part of this. If you get the number one overall pick and you find a way to trade up. It elicits this response of you have your guy for the next decade. Regardless of who you pick. It will give those fans who still latch on to the thought that Cam Newton is still a good quarterback.

Even when he came back and was horrible. It gives you that thought and that belief that you'll have your next Cam. Your next leader of the franchise. When you trade up to the number one overall pick.

Or if you go into the top three, whatever it would be. But, that's still, even though we've seen a lot of CJ Strad and Bryce Young in college. And we've seen them be successful.

There's still an unknown. Where we know what Lamar Jackson is. We know how great Lamar Jackson could be in this league. If you were the Panthers, Hickey, would you rather move up to number one and get Bryce Young? Or, would you rather go give up two first round picks and give the contract to Lamar Jackson? If it's a fully guaranteed deal, I will trade up to the number one overall pick. I will take Bryce Young. Yes sir. And I think those are some thoughts of, yeah I said I didn't want Lamar with the Colts.

And now Gelb just asked me a really good question. And if I say the Panthers should go get Lamar. Then it's going to make me look bad with my Colts take and all that.

That's a tricky question though. Well I think the Panthers and Colts are different. But you look at the Panthers, I mean, you get Lamar Jackson. You are easily the best team in that division.

Yep. You're the best quarterback obviously in that division for a while. You got a good line. You got DJ Moore.

You got a fantastic defense. And then you get a better position right now where they're kind of, not a quarterback away per se. But they are definitely kind of right there. Maybe one piece or two outside of that away.

But they're pretty close to knocking on the door. Alright. I'm going to make you Mark Davis. Your favorite team. The Raiders. Your favorite coach. Josh McDaniels. You sell me if they don't go out there and get a deal done for Lamar Jackson where the hope is.

Of that team. Go ahead. Hype it up Picky.

Picky the hype man. The pictures that you have seen of me are bald are fake. My hair is real. It's glorious. And it's going nowhere. Now that we got that important fact out of the way, let's get to less important information.

It's real and it's spectacular. We have Josh McDaniels. Before Josh McDaniels came to Vegas, he was in New England with a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones in which the Patriots made the playoffs. We are drafting a quarterback. We are going to be aggressive in going up to number one. Number two. Number three.

Number four. Whatever it takes Raiders fans. We are getting you that franchise quarterback and guess what? He's got me more athletic. He's got a better quarterback than Mac Jones.

He's got more success here in Vegas. We are going to take this franchise off the ground. Take it to be in two or three years competing with the Chiefs. We are going through the draft spending our assets wisely because we have a coach that we believe in that can get the most out of and develop a young quarterback to truly reach his peak sooner rather than later. Year one does not have to be a developmental year aka again Mac Jones, Patriots made the playoffs. That's my pitch.

Here's why that doesn't work. Even though I'm asking you to make the pitch. Even though if you draft a young quarterback, you think it provides Josh McDaniels more time. It's tough to think that they're actually going to make the playoffs in year one, especially in that division and in that conference with the rookie quarterback. I think you need someone that's had proven success in this league because you also have an offense where you don't want to annoy Devante Adams and Josh Jacobs is on the franchise tag and Josh Jacobs sent it to us at the Super Bowl. If they got Aaron Rodgers, he would definitely right away be willing to sign the long term deal pretty much. If you'll get Lamar Jackson, I would think that's a very similar feeling because Lamar Jackson is a lot younger than Aaron Rodgers, has also won a unanimous MVP in this league. And you also know how electrifying that offense could be when you look at what Lamar could do on a football field when you pair him up with Adams, also Waller and then Josh Jacobs. If I'm the Raiders, I think you go get Lamar Jackson instead of trading up in the draft.

That's what I would do. All right, final one. Atlanta Falcons. I don't know how you're going to try to provide hope if they do not go out there and break away from the colluding owners and go out there and get Lamar Jackson.

But give it your best shot. We are sitting there, pick number eight. We won seven games last year with Marcus Mariota, who quit on the team.

We won seven games with a quitter. We are also going to be aggressive in the draft. We are going to get Bryce Young. We're going to get CJ Stroud.

Those two guys, guess what? They had some talent in college. We have Drake London. We have Kyle Pitch. We have weapons where they can come in and have success right away. We are in a crappy division.

And guess what? The less money we are paying a quarterback, the more money we have to put around the rest of the team to build up the team to become a contender very quick in what is a very weak division. So yes, we are going to take a pass on giving Lamar $45 million a year fully guaranteed for a guy who, again, who has risked 11 games past two years, biggest games of the Ravens season. Because we want a guy who is going to be on the field.

We want a guy who is going to be cheap. And we think if we go that route, we can turn this franchise back around very quickly. And, Falcons fans, you will be having a reason to cheer sooner rather than later with this move. The only problem with this is they could have had Justin Fields a few years ago and they elected to take Kyle Pitts. And then it's like, okay, you're going to get a younger quarterback where I can get excited about Bryce Young, CJ Stroud. Richardson seems like he's a developmental player so it's going to take a little bit longer. But for Lamar Jackson, they just all went in for Deshaun Watson last year. And I think Lamar is obviously more trustworthy off the field and he's done more on the field than Deshaun Watson.

So that's why I think it's a tough sell. But if I had to look at those four teams, I do think the commanders will eventually get involved. I think the Panthers will eventually get involved. The Raiders and the Falcons, I don't know.

It seems like the Raiders are really going to go through the draft and it seems like the Falcons are going to try to move up as well. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. By the way, you want to take one guess? Sam Howell's number hickey with the commanders.

He was seven in college, he's not seven with the commanders. What do you think his number is? Take a guess.

His number was... Sorry, I'm trying to really kill some time here. I will say...

I don't need you to kill time. Ten. Ack, Sam Howell's number with the commanders. I'm going to go five. No, definitely not five.

You said, what did you say? Ten. Ten and Ack said five? Fourteen.

I was just going to say, if you subtract one, you get to fourteen. There you go. That is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll talk a little Syracuse basketball with Jim Boeheim. Stepping away, retiring, as I say that in air quotes, with John Jastremski next. Now joining us is one of the few Syracuse graduates that I actually like.

He used to work here and now does a great job for the ringer. And I figure we bring him on for a few moments on the day that Jim Boeheim... I guess we could say finally has walked away from Syracuse.

I think it was clear that he got forced out, especially with that bizarre press conference today. But John Jastremski does join us right now. John, how you been? ZG, it's been an eventful day, man. I did not think at the beginning of the day we'd be talking about Jim Boeheim actually leaving Syracuse University.

But that's where we are, my man, and happy to do it with you. So what's happening? Yeah, that's the thing to me. It's been clear the last two years it's time to go, it's time to pack it up and move in a new direction. But I never thought the university would basically force him out. And with the way that press conference did go down today saying that it's the university's decision, he clearly didn't want to retire and I guess he just did what the university told him to do.

Yeah, I think there's something to that. And his tune kind of changed dramatically, Zach, over the last month. Like, if you go back to that Pete Damel article and you go back to like late January, early February, Boeheim was very defiant.

I'm going to decide when I'm going to leave, it's my call, ba ba ba, away you go. And then Syracuse, the way they put it down a stretch, where they put themselves completely off the bubble, they were embarrassing in their second to last home game against Georgia Tech. And then on Saturday, they had the big 20th anniversary, Schindig, Mello, McNamara, Tim Moore, all the guys from the 2003 team. And the nostalgia was really starting to pick up where I actually was sitting there saying to myself, I think this is it for Boeheim.

That was the feeling I had, in all seriousness, watching that game on Saturday. Jim, though, with the pressure he gave today, it's classic Boeheim. Boeheim is not going to want the swan song and he's not going the farewell tour kind of road. He's mercurial. He's cut from a different cloth.

I think that's a nice way of putting it, Zach. But he was not going to be a guy that was going to have the swan song for a year. The team has not been good the last two years and now it's over. Now Syracuse has got to move forward. Well, that's the thing. Like, I've called him Big Baby Boeheim, but I can still acknowledge how special of a coach he's been and what he's meant to Syracuse. But by nature, he's stubborn.

He didn't think he lost his fastball. And like we've been talking about, he clearly didn't want to leave and the university is forcing him out. It is a shame, though, and it may be ironic with me saying this, that you have this coach that has been there since the 60s and he probably made his own bet on this one and then you've got to lie in it. And this is how it ends. It's just a bizarre way for it to end.

You know what, Zach, if you think about it, we see a lot of examples of this. You know, Joe Torre got a terrible ending with the Yankees. Terrible ending with the Yankees. And he won four championships in five years. Tom Coughlin basically was like hysterically crying after the 2015 season when he said goodbye. In many instances, for the guy that kind of hangs on a little bit too long, sports and history kind of tells us that this is the road that it normally ends up going down.

But let's be real about this. Jim should have walked away last year with his kids. You know, he had Buddy Beyhine, they made it to the Sweet 16. I totally understand the appeal of wanting to coach your two sons, right? Like if I was lucky enough to be a coach and I had two sons or I had two daughters and that was my profession, yeah, at this point with what I gave Syracuse, yeah, maybe I'll make that my last year.

Him coming back this year really, in hindsight, didn't make a whole lot of sense. And now, listen, Syracuse, for the first time since the Gerald Ford presidency, think about that for a minute. The Gerald Ford presidency is now in the market for a new head coach.

And listen, Red Autry, the Syracuse guy, he played for Beyhine, he's been on the staff forever. I have no idea what kind of coach he's going to be. I just hope he doesn't exclusively run the 2-3 zone. That's my hope, Zach.

John Juszemski here with us. So you go with one of your own, right? We've just seen Coach K walk away shyer. We've seen Roy Williams walk away and one of their own comes in Davis and all that. But this is the thing to me, is that the right decision or is it just something that's kind of unavoidable in those circumstances?

Yeah, listen, perfect world, Zach, truth be told. I would have preferred Syracuse going with an expansive search and kind of going about their business that way. You've seen that with these legends that retire, they want to keep it within the family. Duke did that with John Shyer. North Carolina ended up doing that with Hubert Davis. Even if you look at Jay Wright and Villanova, I know Kyle Neptune was coaching at Fordham, but he's a Villanova guy.

These icons, they don't like going outside the program to go and replace them. Now, I don't think Red Autry is going to be coaching Syracuse for 47 years. I wouldn't put my money on that, but he's going to be given, I think, the chance right out of the gate to try to keep basically all the players that they have here. And I think that's what Syracuse is open for. He's on the staff, he knows they have a bunch of young players on the team.

Maybe he's the guy that can keep them and grow with the program. But the timing of this is all weird. If they would have announced a presser on Monday or Tuesday early next week, Jim's retiring, Autry's the coach, it would have seemed a little bit more on brand. To basically have that presser and then hours later I'm getting a notification on Twitter, Zach, I'm not going to lie, that was super weird, dude.

Super weird. And to your point, you can understand why there are factions within, I don't know, the board of trustees, the AD, the chancellor, who knows, that all are saying, you know what, Jim, enough is enough. That's also, to me, he basically said he was retiring and he gave the speech a week ago like we were talking and then, oh, it's the university's decision. I get it's one last jab in the back, I guess, at the university. But just be transparent and say this is over, this is it, and then you walk away.

You don't have to take any questions. You know what it is, Zach? That's not his way, though.

And I'm not saying it's right or it's wrong. That's Jim Boeheim in a nutshell. You know, it's funny, everybody gets on him, and I understand what he's berating student reporters. Oh, he's been an ass. And he's telling them, well, I've been right.

But here's the dirty little secret about that, Zach. Jim Boeheim has been doing this for 35, 40, 47 years. Different when you're winning, though. When you're winning, people excuse it. With no winning 30 games, nobody cares that he's having fun with Johnny from WAER or with Jimmy from the Daily Orange. Syracuse is the number three scene. They're winning 30 games, and, you know, everything's hunky dory. So I do admire, not the last two years, because they were a disaster for Syracuse.

But I do kind of, in a way, admire somebody who is going to be themselves no matter what. Like, say what you want about Jim Boeheim. From beginning to end, Jim Boeheim is going to be Jim Boeheim.

That's all there is to it. It's almost cult-like. It's almost like Penn State football-like in basketball with the way the Syracuse alum talks about the program. And when you guys win, we see all parading on social media and celebrating. Do you think, though, that the Syracuse graduate today is happy that this era is over?

It's a great question. And I can tell you, because I talked to a lot of them, obviously. I went to the school. Over the last year and a half, two years, Zach, a lot of the Syracuse grads that I know wanted a new head coach. So I think today is kind of a bittersweet day, because you get the result that I think most Syracuse alums have been looking for now for the last year or so. But when you're talking about a coach who's been a part of your life, basically your entire adult life, and for anybody who was in the school when I was in the school, I mean, listen, I was there six overtimes. I was there. They were number one seed.

Onuaka blew his knee out at the Big East Tournament. And we might have been talking about Jim Boeheim's second national championship. It's a sad day, you know what I mean? Like, the guy's been a coach for 47 years. It's bittersweet. But I think most people you will talk to, they're not angry about the change. I think most are aware of the fact, hey, the last two years have been lousy. Jim Boeheim's getting close to 80 years old.

It's time for a new voice. I also think it depends how old you are, because I think the younger student or someone that's freshly out of college is like, okay, it's time. If you're a little bit older, like 45 plus, there's a lot of nostalgia. Then I think there's people that understand that are like in their 30s and early 40s that, yeah, there are those great memories and how much he's meant to the school.

But it is time. I feel like it does depend on just how old or young you are in that one. Yeah, I think there's some of that. But to be honest, Zach, I could tell you older Syracuse alums. And I'm talking guys who saw the glory days of Pearl Washington and Derek Coleman and John Wallace. Yeah, that guy by the name of Carmelo Anthony.

Like, guys who were in their 50s and 60s who are basically feeling the exact same way. But why is that? You're not winning. That's what it boils down to. No one was talking about Jim Boeheim retiring two years ago when they were beating West Virginia and near another, what were they, an 11 seed? And they go and make it to the Sweet 16 at that point. Like, hey, you win in the NCAA tournament. It ain't broke.

Don't fix it. But when you're basically game over 500 each of the last two years, that's when, hey, guess what? Your age is a factor.

The team's performance is a factor. Some of the things that you're saying is a factor to the point where enough is enough. I literally have 30 seconds. You have a story with Boeheim in terms of him shredding you in a press conference or anything like that? Oh, I'm sure. I wish I had more time for this. I mean, way too many, but it's a badge of honor.

That's kind of the way I look at it. You're a Syracuse student covering. It's a badge of honor if you're getting scolded by Boeheim. I wish I could have it happen to me one more time. John Jastrzemski does a great job SNY here in New York on TV, and you can catch him on Ringer via Spotify. John, thanks so much, JJ. I appreciate it, CJ.

Anytime, man. There you go. John Jastrzemski here with us. He's also a big Dolphins fan. We have like a minute left.

Probably could have asked him as well. Does he want his team to – he's a big Tua fan. I think he's part of the Tuanon if he wanted his team to go pursue the services of Lamar Jackson. Dolphins are going to be one of those teams that we're going to swoop back in on and see where they're going to be maybe a month or so from now when more teams do get involved with Lamar Jackson. Because right now it's don't say anything other than you don't want him.

Eventually there will be a team or two that does cave. So Boeheim out. He has retired. The time is up. And now you're welcoming a new era of Syracuse basketball with Autry taking over as the new head coach, one of their own, and we'll see how it turns out.

Do a little overreaction, proper reaction next. It is Zach Gilp show on CBS Sports Radio.