Jim Boeheim picks up win 900

On Monday, the Syracuse Orangemen improved their 2012-13 record to 10-0 and strengthened their position as the #3 ranked NCAA team in the country. The win also brought coach Jim Boeheim to a milestone very few have duplicated, 900 wins.

Three men have coached Division 1 programs long enough to earn 900 wins – Mike Krzyzewski (936), Bobby Knight (902) and now, Boeheim. Krzyzewski coached Army from 1975-1980, then took over at Duke in 1980 and has been there every since. Knight also coached at Army from 1965-1971, then had a 39-year run at Indiana from 1971-2000 and wrapped up his career at Texas Tech from 2001-2008.

Boeheim is and has been about Syracuse basketball since 1962 when he walked on to the program his freshman year at the school, and probably long before that having grown up less than an hour West of Syracuse, NY. He enjoyed a four-year run as a guard, was named captain his senior year and helped guide the Orangemen to an NCAA tournament appearance. After graduating he played a couple of years professionally in the American Basketball League with the Scranton Miners, winning two league championships with the club. In 1969 he was hired as a grad assistant at Syracuse to help coach the basketball team and shortly after was named a full-time assistant, where he remained until 1976. When coach Roy Danforth left to take a new position as coach and athletic director at Tulane, Boeheim ended up with the top position.

Over his career, the Orangemen won the National Championship once (2003), appeared in the National Championship game three times (1987, 1996, 2003), competed in the NCAA Tournament 29 times, won the Big East regular season championship nine times, won the Big East Tournament Championship five times, was Big East Coach of the Year four times (1984, 1991, 2000, 2010), named Naismith Coach of the Year in 2010, assistant coach of US National Team including US Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012.

Boeheim was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2005.