Syracuse, N.Y. ― The story of how Jim Boeheim, upon getting the head coaching job at Syracuse, convinced Rick Pitino to postpone his honeymoon to be an assistant has been told so often that the details have become blurry with time.
But Pitino remembers the scene vividly.
Boeheim didn’t just call Pitino and offer him the job. Boeheim actually went to New York City and met with Pitino in the lobby of the Americana Hotel, which is now the Sheraton Hotel on Sixth Avenue. Up in their hotel room was Pitino’s new bride, waiting for her husband to return. It would be a while.
“We were getting ready to go to Hawaii on our honeymoon,’' Pitino said. “It was three hours of deep conversation about what he envisioned. For three (or) four hours. He wanted an answer right away. He wanted me to go right away to recruit Louis Orr and he had to know right away.’'
Pitino was also in consideration for an assistant coaching opening at Fordham and the head-coaching job at Wagner. But Boeheim convinced him to come to Syracuse as part of his first coaching staff.
“I finally went upstairs and told my wife I had good news and bad news,’' Pitino said. “She took it like a trooper.’'
Pitino recalled the scene in an appearance on the “Inside Syracuse Basketball” podcast. The podcast with Pitino is the third in a series of five interviews with people who span Boeheim’s time at Syracuse, from his playing days in the 1960s to his beginnings as SU’s head coach in 1976 and throughout the rest of his career.
The series will lead up to Syracuse’s game against Notre Dame this Saturday when the university will recognize Boeheim, whose career came to an end after 47 years last March.
Jim Boeheim’s early years as a head coach through the eyes of a former Syracuse player
What was Jim Boeheim like as a player? A former SU teammate joins the podcast
Pitino worked as an assistant to Boeheim at Syracuse for two years, the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons, before moving on to a head-coaching job at Boston University. Pitino would go on to a Hall of Fame career, including stops with Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks and St. John’s, where he is currently the head coach.
“I love Jim,” Pitino said. “I love everything he did for me and certainly everything what he’s done for basketball.’'
Why was Boeheim so intent on hiring the 24-year-old Pitino?
“He wanted to change,’' Pitino said. “He said Roy Danforth was brilliant at the 2-3 zone. He wanted to play more man-to-man and he thought I could help him in that area.’'
Pitino remembered that after taking Boeheim’s job offer that he went to Syracuse for one day, dropped off his wife and then headed to Cincinnati to get Orr’s commitment.
“The toughest job I had getting Louis Orr to commit; he was ready to commit, (but) he had this overwhelming fear of flying,’' Pitino said. “I just had to convince him that I would sit next to him and everything would be fine.’'
Pitino said Boeheim gave him the chance to learn how to coach during practices.
“Jim was great for giving his assistant coaches a lot of leeway in practice,’' Pitino said. “He would allow you to teach. I grew a lot under him because he allowed me to do things.’'
Pitino described the Boeheim that most people don’t see when he’s out in public, especially during one of his many contentious press conferences.
“I always see Jim in a different light than other people see,’' Pitino said. “I see the kindness in him. I see the generosity. I see the person. Jim’s not at his best in a press conference. He’s at his best with his team, with his friends. He’s at his best when he’s comfortable.
“I know him as a person,’' Pitino added. “I’ve always respected the person as much as a coach and my admiration in both areas is off the charts.’'
To listen to the entire conversation, click on the links provided near the top and bottom of this story, or click here.
The rest of the five-part series of podcasts looking back on Boeheim’s career will appear daily this week.
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