With Syracuse AD John Wildhack retiring, who makes decision on basketball coach Adrian Autry?
Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack is retiring from the school but will face at least one, and potentially two, critical decisions regarding the SU men’s basketball program as he runs out the clock on his tenure.
Wildhack will retire from the school on July 1 but said that, despite his lame-duck status, he will be the person making the final recommendation on the future of men’s basketball coach Adrian Autry.
“I’m here until July 1, so you’re talking to him,” Wildhack said, when asked who would decide Autry’s future. “Any time you make a coaching move there is a recommendation to the chancellor, a recommendation to Steve Ballentine, who is the chair of the (Board of Trustees) athletic committee. There is a normal communication process that you go through.”
Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud is also currently a lame-duck. The school is currently in the midst of a search for his replacement.
When asked if he could see a scenario where Syracuse punts on a decision this year in order to leave those important choices to its next athletic director and chancellor, Wildhack responded with a firm “no.”
When asked if he would be part of a search if Autry is fired, Wildhack declined to talk about hypotheticals.
“I’m not going to get into hypotheticals,” Wildhack said. “We have a month left in the basketball season. We have the regular-season and the ACC Tournament. I’m not going to do anything until I see the results of this season.”
The SU men’s basketball program appears headed toward a fifth consecutive season without an NCAA Tournament bid, with three of those seasons coming under Autry.
It’s the longest drought for the Orange since a five-year span from 1967 to 1972. Back then, the tournament field included fewer than 30 teams.
Syracuse is currently 13-11 (4-7 ACC). The Orange is just 47-42 in two-plus seasons under Autry.
With the way Syracuse is playing it would be stunning if the team meets the preseason standard that Wildhack set for the men’s basketball program of “playing meaningful games in March.”
Still, the athletic director said he has not made a final decision on whether Autry will be brought back for a fourth year. He said he won’t make that decision until the season has been completed.
“The criteria has not changed since the spring,” Wildhack said, when asked if he thought there was any chance for Autry to return. “Adrian and I have met. We’ve discussed it. Our margin for error is incredibly thin, but I’m not going to say ‘There’s no chance whatsoever so let’s throw in the towel.’ I understand the scale. I understand it’s a high mountain to climb.”
During an interview on ESPN Radio Syracuse the athletic director noted that, unlike college football, in-season firings in men’s basketball are rare in college programs because there is no immediate urgency created by the recruiting and transfer calendars.
When asked if a miracle run through the ACC Tournament would qualify as the team playing meaningful games in March, Wildhack did not answer directly.
“If you make a really good run in the ACC Tournament you’ve probably got a pretty good basketball team,” Wildhack said.
Wildhack said he has not communicated with a search firm or formed a search committee in anticipation of a potential search.
“I’ve laid out clearly what the expectations were and I’m going to see how the season plays out,” Wildhack said. “I’m going to continue to support Adrian and his staff and our players.”
