Syracuse University men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim will stay on the bench at least through the 2017-2018 season, after his contract was extended, the university announced Sunday.
The extension comes after associate head coach Mike Hopkins announced earlier in the day that he was leaving Syracuse to become the new head coach at the University of Washington.
"I can't express enough thanks to Coach Boeheim for so many years of mentorship and guidance," Hopkins said in a statement. "The timing is right for me and my family to make this move."
Hopkins played at Syracuse from 1989-1993, and joined the coaching staff in 1996. In 2015, he was named "head coach designate" after the university announced that Boeheim would retire after the 2017-2018 season. But with Hopkins leaving, there was no succession plan for Boeheim's retirement.
"Mike accepting the position at Washington has put us in a unique position," said Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack, in a statement. "The circumstances are different now than they were when he was named head-coach-in-waiting. After discussing it with Chancellor [Kent] Syverud, we believe the best decision for the student-athletes currently in the program and those who are committed to attending the university is to extend Coach Boeheim’s contract. Jim has enthusiastically agreed."
The contract extension comes following one of Boeheim's worst seasons in his 41 years as Syracuse's head coach. Syracuse finished a disappointing 19-15 this season and failed to make the NCAA tournament, after reaching the Final Four last year. Syracuse lost in the second round of the NIT tournament to Ole Miss on Saturday.
