Syracuse University fired men’s basketball coach Adrian Autry on Wednesday morning after three seasons and a 49-48 overall record. Reports had circulated earlier in the morning that the decision was imminent.

His final game came Tuesday, an 86-69 loss to SMU in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C. It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Orange, who were 3-12 in their final 15 games. They finished the season with a 15-17 record after going 6-12 in the ACC regular season. They earned the No. 14 seed in the tournament.

Athletic director John Wildhack made the decision to dismiss Autry, 54, and launch the Orange in a new direction, despite his own pending retirement at the end of this academic year.

"We are going to move quickly and with purpose," says Wildhack in a press release. "This is one of the most storied programs in college basketball, and we intend to hire a proven winner who will build on that legacy. We are looking for a coach who can recruit at the highest level, develop players and compete for championships, conference and national. Syracuse fans deserve nothing less, and that is exactly what we are going to deliver."

The Autry era began March 10, 2023, almost exactly three years ago, when Wildhack introduced him as the first new Syracuse basketball coach in 47 years.

Two days earlier, it was announced after a season-ending loss to Wake Forest in the ACC tournament that Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim would not return and that Autry would take his spot on the bench.

There was great hope that the younger Autry, who played for Boeheim for four seasons (1990-94) and learned from him as his associate head coach, would infuse the program with a new energy while maintaining its high standards.

"Adrian earned this," Wildhack said on the day he introduced Autry. "He's not here because he's an alum. He's not here because he played here or was the associate head coach here. He's here because I believe he's the best candidate to lead this program and to sustain the success that Coach Boeheim has established over 47 years."

Autry had a resolute tone about rebuilding the program.

"When I think about what drew me to Syracuse as a player, I think about its history," Autry said that day. “A rich tradition, and what I refer to as an Orange standard that was set by Coach Boeheim. The Orange standard is a history of winning, playing hard and competing for championships. A history of resilience, determination and grit.

"As I take over this program as the head coach, it is these standards that will guide us into the future. I am a new voice, a new face with new ideas, but the standards that have helped build this program will not change."

Indeed, the program really didn’t change.

After squeaking into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed in the 2020-21 season, the Orange lost to Houston 62-46 in the Sweet Sixteen, then failed to make the tournament in Boeheim’s final two seasons.

And despite a promising start to Autry’s tenure – 20-12 (11-9 ACC) in his first season – Syracuse never qualified for the field of 68 teams under him. It's a foregone conclusion that SU won't be part of the tournament when the brackets are revealed on Sunday.

During Boeheim’s long run, the Orange never missed the NCAA Tournament more than two years in a row. The number now is up to five, something that hasn’t happened since the pre-Boeheim days from 1967-72.

This season, Syracuse played an ambitious non-conference schedule, facing Houston, Kansas, Iowa State and Tennessee in consecutive games. The Orange defeated only Tennessee, then ranked No. 13, 62-60, on Dec. 2.

Syracuse couldn’t come up with any other wins at the Quad 1 level, going 1-10. The Orange were 4-3 in Quad 2 and 3-3 in Quad 3 games, and 7-0 against Quad 4 opponents heading into the game against SMU.

Autry came in as head coach at a time of the burgeoning name, image and likeness market, when a program with lots of tradition but less money for players could be outbid by a school with little tradition and lots of money.

The Daily Orange, citing a confidential source, reported recently that Syracuse had nearly $8 million to spend in NIL funds before this season, the most during Autry’s era. It was triple the budget of last season and estimated to be about in the middle of the pack of the 18-team ACC, per the student newspaper.

Autry and his staff brought in six transfers from Power 4 programs to pair with four-star freshmen Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. and standout returnees J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman.

While Freeman, Starling, and transfers Naithan George and Nate Kingz all averaged double-digits scoring, the team never really jelled – especially with Freeman out for nine non-conference games with an injury.

Syracuse lost ten games by 10 points or more, including losses of 30-plus points to Iowa State (95-64) and Duke (101-64).

And a look at their team statistics gives some insight as to why the Orange’s season went sour. Autry and his staff couldn’t turn the numbers around.

Their margin of victory was just plus-0.8 points. And that includes four games – against Binghamton, Delaware State, Drexel and Stonehill – that Syracuse won by a cumulative total of 325-188.

Take those four wins off the schedule, and Syracuse’s margin of victory vanished and turned into a deficit of 3.5

In addition, the Orange trailed opponents in 3-point percentage, 3-pointers made, free-throw percentage, rebounds, assists and steals per game.

They were one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation for the entirety of the season.

As stated, Syracuse will be looking to make a home-run hire with the new coach and bring in someone with a track record of turning programs around and experience navigating recruiting in the NIL era. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Wildhack's replacement will be making the hire.

The fans, who have been vocal much of the season about their desire for a coaching change, won’t accept anything else. And after five years without the NCAA Tournament, they are ready to rock the JMA Wireless Dome again.

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