Jim Boeheim will be remembered for his NCAA success, but a Section V upset sticks with him

Jim Boeheim and I both attended the best basketball game in my recent memory.

In 2019, Boeheim was on hand for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Championships. Joe Girard III, now a senior at Syracuse, made an epic buzzer-beater that helped Glens Falls win the state title. Boeheim sat on the opposite baseline with assistant coach Gerry McNamara to watch the state's all-time leading scorer, and Orange commit, in person.

Boeheim, 78, was the the center of attention that night, as he is wherever he goes. His tall, thin frame can't be missed. You'd hear whispers whenever he walked by. But instead of large crowds flocking to him, only a handful of folks asked for photos.

Boeheim enjoys watching many levels of basketball. He attended his children's basketball games, and even traveled to Utica to take in some summer basketball league action.

It was announced Wednesday that Boeheim, the Syracuse University men's basketball coach for 47 years, would not return to coach his alma mater that he transformed into a national powerhouse.

No matter where Boeheim went throughout his 47-year coaching career, he was treated with respect. I guess when you're a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer with 1,015 wins, five final fours, and a national title, that is to be expected.

"I've just been lucky to be able to coach this long," Boeheim said during a press conference after losing to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Wednesday. Assistant coach Adrian Autry will replace Boeheim as head coach.

Jim Boeheim has Section V roots

Local basketball fans from the '60s remember Boeheim well.

He starred for coach Dick Blackwell's Lyons team that won its first 20 games in 1962. They met coach Johnny Baynes' East Rochester squad that entered the Section V Class AA final at the War Memorial with an unblemished record.

Boy, was it a battle.

Boeheim scored 18 points. His buzzer-beater sent the game into double overtime. But East Rochester overcame many deficits to win 58-57 in what was considered an upset. About 11,000 people witnessed Lyons lose leads of 13-2 and 21-4 in the first half, and a 34-28 lead through three.

“Over the years, I’ve been asked numerous times about my most disappointing defeat, and most figure I will say the 1987 NCAA championship loss to Indiana. I don’t. I say the East Rochester game. ... I'm a little torn up now just remembering it," Boeheim said in his book.

Lyons life

Boeheim was born in Lyons in 1944.

He compared life in Lyons to the town of Mayfield from "Leave it to Beaver."

Boeheim's family was German in an Italian neighborhood. His athleticism came from his mother, Janet. But his father, James Boeheim Sr., is the one who nailed a hoop in the backyard so he could practice shooting.

His great-grandfather opened the Boeheim Funeral Home in the 1800s, but Boeheim never planned on joining the family business. The funeral home was renamed Boeheim-Pusateri Funeral Home after his family sold it. It's still located on William Street not far from the Lyons school district.

Boeheim graduated from Lyons High School in 1962. He's been in Syracuse ever since, walking on the team after considering the University of Rochester. He graduated from SU in 1966, was a grad assistant from 1967-69, then became an assistant coach to Roy Danford. Boeheim succeeded him as Syracuse's head coach in 1976, using a coaching opportunity at the UofR as leverage.

Boeheim's daughter, Jamie, would end up playing for the Yellow Jackets. Both of his sons, Jimmy and Buddy, played under him at Syracuse. The guys wrote heartfelt messages on social media Wednesday.

"There will never be another Jim Boeheim. The greatest coach, father, and mentor I could ever ask for," Buddy said.

"One of the greatest coaches of all time and somehow managed to be an even better Dad through it all. My GOAT! THANK YOU," Jimmy said.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Jim Boeheim: Syracuse career defines him, high school loss sticks with him