Jim Boeheim’s plan to retire in three years is unlikely to have a negative influence on the men’s basketball program, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Kent Syverud announced in an email that Boeheim said he intends to retire as head coach in three years. In an interview with The Daily Orange, Bilas discussed the effect Boeheim’s planned retirement will have on the men’s basketball program, as well as who he believes should take over when Boeheim leaves the program.

“I’m not surprised,” Bilas said of Boeheim’s the decision. “Giving it a definite date is certainly a reasonable judgment on his part.”

Bilas added that he doesn’t think the announcement will be a major factor in recruiting for the team moving forward.

“Anybody that’s being recruited by Syracuse now has to know Jim is not going to be there 20 more years,” he said. “I don’t think in the grand scheme of things it’s that big a deal.”

Bilas also discussed the future of the coaching staff in Boeheim’s absence. Assistant coach Mike Hopkins has been presumed to be the coach-in-waiting for when Boeheim steps down, though there was no confirmation that would still be in the case in the chancellor’s email.

While there are multiple ways to go about hiring the next head coach, Bilas said one way is to hire a top assistant, which he said he believes is the right move in Syracuse’s case.

“Anybody you hire you would want to maintain the program’s level of success,” Bilas said, adding that it can be beneficial to hire somebody the university knows and trusts. “The best way has always been to hire the right person. I happen to believe Mike Hopkins is the right person.

“There were other instances where hiring the top assistant isn’t the right thing, in this case I think it is.”

Published on March 18, 2015 at 4:49 pm

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27