In the immediacy, the Syracuse University men's basketball team is getting ready for its Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament opener against SMU on Tuesday (4:30 p.m. ET).

The Orange are trying to figure out how to get back to .500 (15-16 currently) and extend the careers of their seniors.

But in the big-picture, the Orange program - and athletic department - are in a very precarious spot, with almost no good answers.

Let's start here.

The head coach of the program for the last three seasons, Autry has gone 49-47 and is on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for a third straight campaign. Many fans are calling for a change, and a recent report suggested that the Orange are expected to make one.

However, as noted by Syracuse television personality Ashely Wenskoski, SU says they aren't expecting to make a change this week.

I reached out to a spokesperson for Syracuse men's basketball today to ask if any leadership announcements are anticipated early this week prior to the ACC Tournament.

"There are no plans for leadership announcements this week."

Problem No. 1: If Syracuse is going to make a change, then why not make it almost immediately? It gives them a chance to start to think about external candidates and get a jump on the hiring process. Yes, they may want to see how the NCAA Tournament plays out for potential coaches, but ripping the band-aid off is often easiest.

Problem No. 2: Maybe SU is just deflecting and giving the players a chance to focus on the game on Tuesday. It would make sense. However, if they make a change this week after issuing the statement? Then that's a poor look too.

Problem No. 3: Oh yeah, Autry is a program legend who has more than 30 years of service to the campus community as a former player, an alum and a valued coach. Regardless of how it's gone as a head coach, that's not a fun position for anyone to be in.

Athletic director John Wildhack is stepping down at the end of June. SU does not have a new athletic director in place, but we are getting some more clarity on the search.

Problem No. 1: Is Wildhack going to decide on Autry's future before he leaves and then saddle the new athletic director with his decision?

If Autry is fired, do you even trust Wildhack to make a good decision on the next coach?

Problem No. 2: The alternative is hiring a new athletic director and letting them make the hire. Is that really the best course of action? To hire someone ASAP and let them instantly be in charge of the biggest athletic department decision the university has?

Sure, SU could hire an internal candidate with knowledge of the program, but we've recently heard about the issues surrounding possible candidate Heather Lyke.

In the era of the transfer portal, you have to weigh any decision against the potential impact on your roster.

Problem No. 1: Let's say the current group of players are loyal to Autry. If he is fired, some or all of them could leave, leaving the roster barren for a new coach who has to scramble to find ACC-level talent at the same time as having to learn every other part of the job.

Problem No. 2: Let's say that Autry stays and let's say some of the team doesn't like that. If they leave, is Autry going to be able to recruit any transfers with more than one year of eligibility? Anyone with a long-term eligibility will at least be aware that Autry is very much on the hot seat in 2026-2027.

Additional possibility: Sure, Syracuse could let Autry go and hire an assistant coach on an interim basis, and that might help retain current talent. But is any long-term player committing when there's no indication as to who the future head coach is? Seems doubtful.

Additional possibility No. 2: The Orange could keep Autry while letting the new athletic director evaluate everything. But with the heat so hot on him, that could create an untenable situation too. And retaining him offers the same future recruiting questions.

Syracuse will play a basketball game against SMU on Tuesday, and then? It's got a mess on its hands.

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