Fansided

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim suspended nine games, team loses 12 scholarships

By Stanford Crissey

Mar 2, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim watches the action during the second half of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Carrier Dome. Virginia won the game 59-47. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim watches the action during the second half of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Carrier Dome. Virginia won the game 59-47. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Syracuse basketball coach has been suspended as a result of NCAA investigation into multiple infractions.

Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim has been suspended nine games by the NCAA, and the program will lose 12 scholarships over the next four years, according to a report from Syracuse.com.

The penalties have been handed down as a result of an NCAA investigation into multiple violations committed by Boeheim over the past fourteen years.

More from Mens Basketball

Other sanctions handed down by the NCAA include ordering Syracuse to return all money it has received for its appearances in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA basketball tournaments; also, the Syracuse basketball and football programs have been put on probation. (It’s unclear how the football program got dragged into this).

The violations began as far back as 2001. The NCAA found in its investigation that Syracuse did not follow its own written policies for students who tested positive for banned substances between 2001 and 2009. Syracuse had a written policy and set procedures, but Boeheim and athletic director Daryl Gross have admitted they did not follow the policy.

The NCAA sent out a press release that criticized Boeheim for not following the policies.

“During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement,” the release said.

The school will also have to vacate an unknown number of wins during that time period, a punishment that remains as dumb as ever, but one the NCAA continues to use.

Boeheim’s suspension would normally keep him from coaching in the Big East tournament and most, if not all, of any postseason tournament the Orange (18-12, 9-8) may have made, including the NCAA Tournament. However, the university had already self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2014-2015 season, trying to stave off any further postseason bans in future seasons. The school has not named an interim coach as of yet.

Boeheim, 70, has been Syracuse’s head coach since 1976, and is second all-time on the NCAA wins list for coaches with 965.

The scholarship bans will likely keep Syracuse from adding some top talent over the next few years. It’s not quite as crippling as the original Penn State football sanctions (few sanctions are), but this will have harmful effects on the Orange for years to come, and they may find themselves a step behind their Big East rivals for the next few years as a result.

Next: Syracuse University responds to harsh NCAA sanctions

More from FanSided