Scott Pitoniak - Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story

Acknowledgments

Although I didnt realize it at the time, my research for this book actually began back in the winter of 196566 when I started following Syracuse University basketball as a 10-year-old in Rome, New York, about a 45-minute drive east of Manley Field House. Dave Bing was my favorite Orange hoopster in those days. And if you had ever seen him play, youd understand why. Bing was a graceful athlete who had an uncanny ability not only to rise above the rest but to remain airborne longer than everyone else. He would go on to become a consensus All-American, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His backcourt mate back then was Jim Boeheima skinny, bespectacled guy with a funny-looking jump shot who was smart enough to realize that if he hung around Bing, good things would happen.

When I arrived on the Syracuse campus as a student eight years later, Bing was long gone, but Boeheim was still there. He remained skinny and bespectacled, but he had traded his players garb for some god-awful plaid sport coats while working as an anonymous assistant to coach Roy Danforth. It wasnt until my senior year, 197677, that I and my fellow crazies who sat in the student section known as the Zoo became more familiar with Boeheim. He had replaced the personable and loquacious Danforth as head coach, and none of us knew what to expect.

The Boeheim Era tipped off auspiciously as two precocious freshmen, Roosevelt Bouie and Louis Orr, helped the Orangemen go 264. It was during that season that I interviewed the coach for the first time for my hometown newspaper. During the next three and a half decades, I would interview him scores of times and, like most reporters who covered the team, I occasionally would incur his wrath. There were instances when a story or a column struck a nerve and Boeheim would call my sports editor to complain, a practice he employed with other writers, as well.

Over time, our relationship improved as each of us became more understanding of this often awkward dance between coach and reporter. My questions began eliciting insight rather than sarcasm, and Jim went out of his way to provide me with background information for stories and columns I was researching. There were times when he was funny in a self-deprecating way, almost charming.

Theres no doubt that his second wife, Juli, and the presence of his three young kids helped soften him. But I also believe that the national championship, the Hall of Fame induction, and the appreciation shown by the fans, the school administration, and even we ink-stained wretches also played roles in his transformation. (Thats not, though, to say he mellowed completelyhis tongue-lashing of local reporters following a victory at the Carrier Dome midway through the 201011 season conjured memories of the not-alwaysgood old days when he and his media detractors were occasionally at odds.)

I had been attempting to convince Jim to collaborate on an autobiography for several years, but he wouldnt budge. He said he had no interest in writing a bookat least not while he was still coaching. Finally, Tom Bast at Triumph Books asked me if I would be interested in writing an unauthorized biography of Boeheim, and I said, Yes.

Though Jim was a little miffed when I told him we were going ahead with the project, he wound up being cooperative, filling in blanks and expounding on things when necessary. For that I am grateful. And everyone associated with the program and whom I contacted from his pastincluding his younger sister, Barbara Boeheim, and many of his lifelong friends from his hometown of Lyons, New Yorkwere extremely helpful in providing insights into what makes Jim tick.

I discovered that Jim, like most of us, is a complex individual with many sidessome good, some not so good. His Hall of Fame career was largely shaped by an ultracompetitive father, a nurturing but also competitive mother, his small-town roots, and his lifelong friends, especially Bing. My journey through his years uncovered a man who is extremely intelligent and opinionated, but also, at times, thin-skinned, whiny, and sarcastic. I learned just how deep his loyalty and devotion to his program and his college alma mater runs. And I also discovered a kindhearted side to the person who is as driven to raise funds for Coaches vs. Cancer as he is to accumulate victories on the court.

A biography should explain how and why a person became who he or she is. It is my hope that whether you like or dislike this incredibly accomplished basketball coach and philanthropist, youll come away with a better understanding of him.

A book is always a team effort, and I had some great teammates assisting me with this project. This is my third book published by Triumph, and each experience has been a good one. Thanks to the aforementioned Tom Bast for believing in this subject and to developmental editor Noah Amstadter for seeing it to fruition.

The following, in alphabetical order, are many of the people whom Ive either interviewed about Jim and Syracuse basketball through the years or whose work provided reference and perspective (I apologize in advance for any folks I may have omitted): Rafael Addison, Patricia Alena, Wendell Alexis, Lew Andreas, Carmelo Anthony, Carol Bailey, Tom Batzold, Kim Baxter, Jay Bilas, Frank Bilovsky, Dave Bing, Dick Blackwell, Ryan Blackwell, Jim Blandino, Mark Blaudschun, Greg Boeck, Barbara Boeheim, Jim Boeheim, Juli Boeheim, Lee Boice, Rick Bonnell, Roosevelt Bouie, Rick Bozich, Steve Bradley, Erik Brady, Tony Bruin, Earl Buchanan, Barry Buchsbaum, Arnie Burdick, Marty Byrnes, Jim Calhoun, Jack Carey, Hal Cohen, Derrick Coleman, Larry Costello, Jay Cox, Jake Crouthamel, Roy Danforth, Ken Davis, Dorothy DeBout, Mike DeCola, Eric Devendorf, Donna Ditota, Sherman Douglas, Kueth Duany, Gene Duffey, Sue Edson, Dave Elfin, Donn Esmonde, Andrea Evangelist, Gary Fallesen, John Feinstein, Bernie Fine, Jonny Flynn, Craig Forth, Tom Foster, Dave Gavitt, Rev. Paul Gongloff, Tom Gould, Allen Griffin, Rudy Hackett, Vaughn Harper, Jason Hart, Isabelle Hartman, Marty Headd, Mark Heisler, George Hicker, Otis Hill, Geoff Hobson, Louise Hoffman, Mike Hopkins, Rick Jackson, Jennifer Jacobs, Marius Janulis, William Kates, Andy Katz, John Kekis, Sean Kerins, Armen Keteyian, Larry Kimball, Sean Kirst, Manny Klutchkowski, Bob Knight, Bill Koenig, Tony Kornheiser, Bob Krengel, Mike Krzyzewski, Dave and Leona Lauster, Tim Layden, Jimmy Lee, Fred Lewis, Todd Lighty, Brendan Malone, Jim Mandelaro, Brian Martin, Mike McAlary, Jack McCallum, Brian McLane, Pat McMullen, Donovan McNabb, Gerry McNamara, Jeremy McNeil, Ron Mergenthaler, Chuck Miller, Len and Edna Minnich, Greg Monroe, Pete Moore, Malcolm Moran, John Moriello, Lawrence Moten, Demetris Nichols, Ed Nicklas, Arinze Onuaku, Jill Ouikahilo, Billy Owens, Josh Pace, Arthur Pachter, Bob Parker, Joan Pecorello, Sam Penceal, Digger Phelps, Val Pinchbeck, Joel Pinckney, Leo Pinckney, Preston Pisellini, John Pitarresi, Rick Pitino, Bud Poliquin, Louie Orr, David Ramsey, Ethan Ramsey, Andy Rautins, Leo Rautins, Bill Reddy, Matt Reynolds, Chuck Richards, Lenn Robbins, Charley Ross, Bob Ryan, Jonathan D. Salant, Robert Sanzone, Tony Santelli, Jim Satalin, Danny Schayes, Dolph Schayes, Phil Schoff, Chris Sciria, Tony Scott, Rony Seikaly, Jack Seitzinger, Steve Serby, Dale Shackleford, Ed Shaw, Preston Shumpert, Lazarus Sims, Joey Sindelar, Keith Smart, Dean Smith, Bob Snyder, Buzz Stoetzel, Theresa Streb, Bill Strickland, Kim Sholly, Pete Thamel, Etan Thomas, John Thompson, Stevie Thompson, Howard Triche, Rex Trobridge, Mike Vaccaro, Bill Vanderschmidt, Bud VanderVeer, Valerie Vecchio, Dick Vitale, Gene Waldron, John Wallace, Hakim Warrick, Dwayne Pearl Washington, Mike Waters, Dick Weiss, Tim Welsh, Adrian Wojnarowski, Alexander Wolff, John Wooden, and Jay Wright.

Periodicals that provided great background included: The Basketball Times , Bergen County Record , The Boston Globe , Chicago Tribune , The Daily Orange , The Detroit News , Eastern Basketball , ESPN The Magazine , Finger Lakes Times , Hartford Courant , Knoxville News-Sentinel , Los Angeles Times , Louisville Courier-Journal , Lyons Republic , The Lyons Tale high school yearbooks, The National , New York Daily News , New York Post , The New York Times , Newsday , The Onondagan , Philadelphia Daily News , Philadelphia Inquirer , Rochester Democrat and Chronicle , Rochester Times-Union , Sports Illustrated , The Sporting News , Syracuse Herald-Journal , Syracuse Post-Standard , Syracuse University Magazine , Syracuse University basketball media guides (1962-present), USA TODAY , Wayne County Star , and The Washington Post .