For ESPN broadcaster Mike Tirico, the biggest news of the day stemming from Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud’s email Wednesday morning is not the announcement that longtime head coach Jim Boeheim will retire in three years.

Tirico, an SU alumnus, believes the bigger takeaway is the immediate change in leadership, as Daryl Gross is no longer SU’s director of athletics and instead will be taking on a new role as vice president and special assistant to the chancellor.

“I would imagine it has a lot to do with what’s gone on over the last month or so,” Tirico said in an interview with The Daily Orange on Wednesday evening. “… If the chancellor feels that Daryl’s presence, if he continues to serve his time at the university, can benefit the school, then I’m all for that.”

Tirico noted Gross’ whole body of work, including his advancement of Syracuse’s facilities, Olympic sports and the overall profile of the athletic department. But the broadcaster also said Gross’ 10-year tenure will be counterbalanced by the football program’s disappointments and the flaws of the basketball program that the NCAA recently exposed.

But Tirico also believes the announcement of Boeheim’s retirement — a type of announcement the broadcaster said can sometimes be a negative — helps ease the Orange’s future.

“I think it allows the new leadership in the athletic department, when in place, to help guide the process going forward of how the basketball program will look three, four, five years from now,” Tirico said.

“I would imagine the players who are being recruited will be on campus at that point, will be a part of those teams and certainly will want to be a group that helps send off a Hall of Fame coach with a great run.”

Tirico expects Boeheim to work as hard as ever in his final three seasons, and he hopes SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins — considered by many to be Boeheim’s successor — is indeed the one to take the helm from the longtime head coach.

“He’s someone who, from the day he stepped on campus at age 18 or 19, has been incredibly committed to the success of the program,” Tirico said of Hopkins, “and I think … would be a great person to lead Syracuse basketball into the next generation.”

Published on March 18, 2015 at 7:49 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb