Syracuse announces end to basketball coach Jim Boeheim's 47-year tenure

March 8 (UPI) -- Jim Boeheim's 47-year tenure as the men's basketball coach at Syracuse is over, the school announced Wednesday night.

Syracuse announced that associate head coach Adrian Autry will assume control of the program. Autry joined Boeheim's staff in 2011 as an assistant.

"I've been very lucky to coach this long," Boeheim said Wednesday at a news conference.

Boeheim told reporters it was "up to the university," when asked if he was going to retire. His son, Jimmy Boeheim, tweeted Wednesday night that it was time for his dad to "enjoy retirement."

Boeheim, 78, posted a 1,116-440 record during his tenure with Syracuse. He led the Orange to 35 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national title and five Final Fours. The Orange won 10 regular-season conference titles and five conference tournament titles.

Boeheim ranks sixth all-time in wins, behind Mike Krzyzewski, Herb Magee, Harry Statham, Danny Miles, and Dave Holmquist.

Wake Forest beat Syracuse 77-74 in the ACC Tournament on Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C. The Orange went 17-15 this season.

"There is no doubt in my mind that, without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today," says Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said in a news release.

"Jim has invested and dedicated the majority of his life to building this program, cultivating generations of student-athletes and representing his alma mater with pride and distinction. I extend my deep appreciation and gratitude to an alumnus who epitomizes what it means to be 'Forever Orange.'"

Boeheim played guard at Syracuse from 1963 to 1966. He joined the program as an assistant in 1969 and became head coach in 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Boeheim first announced he would retire in 2018, but later extended his contract.