Autry spoke about John Wildhack after Wednesday's win against California.
It's been an eventful week for Syracuse Athletics.
On Wednesday, Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack announced that he is going to retire at the end of June. A national search will take place to find his successor, and SU announced a search committee full of interesting names on Thursday.
Also on Wednesday, the embattled Syracuse men's basketball program toppled California 107-100 in a double-overtime thriller that was played while a snowstorm was going on outside and the power was going out inside.
After that win, Syracuse coach Adrian Autry spoke about Wildhack and his legacy for the Orange:
Well, first I want to congratulate John on his retirement. Well-deserved. He's done a really phenomenal job in his time here with a lot of change. You know, it's a lot of change that's gone on in college athletics. And he showed up every day and did the job to the best of his ability. So, you know, well deserved for him, proud of him.
While Autry didn't really address the elephant in the room, we will: What does all this mean for Autry's future, which has been a huge point of discussion over the last few weeks? Syracuse is 14-11 but just 5-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Orange are on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.
Syracuse Orange head coach Adrian Autry reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesLooking at the situation from two angles
1) Wildhack is the guy that hired Autry. If he feels a sense of loyalty to him and believes he can do the job ultimately, then perhaps he keeps him through his own exit and lets the new athletic director make a decision on him after one season.
2) If Wildhack doesn't think that Autry can do the job, he can get rid of him. Wildhack would also likely be in charge of the hiring, presuming the university doesn't hire his replacement months before he leaves - and doesn't give that person hiring power of a new coach.
Why it's all complex
1) If Wildhack elects to keep Autry before turning over the position, does a new athletic director really want to inherit a coach he didn't hire who is very much on the hot seat?
2) If Wildhack fires Autry and does the hiring himself, does a new AD really want to inherit a coach he didn't hire - for the school's highest profile program?
3) If Wildhack fires Autry and gives the new AD hiring power, is that really the best way to handle things? Should someone who just got the position have the ability to hire the most important person in the athletic department?
It will all play out out over the next few months.
Also on campus
--The No. 2 ranked Syracuse men's lacrosse team will host No. 1 Maryland on Friday night (6 p.m. ET) in one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire college lacrosse season.
--Former Syracuse football player Justin Outten is interviewing to become the offensive coordinator of the World Champion Seattle Seahawks. He played at SU from 2003-06 and was a two-year starter on the offensive line.
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