NEW ORLEANS – Jim Boeheim walked out of the Superdome Monday and into the warm humidity of the New Orleans night. One by one the fans approached the Syracuse coach, who wore a white championship T-shirt over his dress-shirt.
As he got closer to the television set – where his face would be beamed to millions – orange-and-white-clad fans began chanting his name.
This can be heady stuff: One day you’re Jim Boeheim from Lyons, N.Y. – the guy who couldn’t win the big one – and suddenly that night, you’re being mentioned alongside the likes of Wooden and Allen and Smith.
“I usually agree with Dean Smith because he’s smarter than I am,” Boeheim said during an exclusive interview with The Post. “The perception [that I’m a better coach] will be there by people who don’t know anything. I’m not worried about their perception. I’m happy I won, trust me.”
You won’t need a chart to find Boeheim in the upcoming days. He’s not going to the Carribean or to the French Riviera. He’s not even going to Disney World.
Upstate New York has always been Boeheim’s home, and basketball has always been his life.
Winning the national championship is not going to change that.
“I will go home and be with all my kids,” Boeheim said. “We couldn’t have the twins here. I couldn’t have made it through. I told my wife, ‘I can’t win the national championship if I got the twins, and Elizabeth and Jimmy all here.’ So I’ll go home and be with them and I think [today] I’ll start thinking about next year…”
What a party animal: He wins the national championship and he actually takes all of the next day to celebrate.
“He’s not like Louie [Carnesecca] or Rollie [Massimino],” said former Syracuse star Rony Seikaly, who played on the 1987 team that fell one point short against Indiana. “He doesn’t have to be seen at the best Italian restaurant or wearing the best suit.”
At the age of 58, Boeheim is comfortable. He’s gotten a second chance at love, with Juli, and it’s better than you’ll ever know. He’s got his daughter from his first marriage, Elizabeth, whose tears on the Superdome court finally got dad to crack. He’s got Jimmy, his first son.
Most of all, Boeheim has what we all are seeking:
“I’ve been around too long; I know what life’s about now, what’s important in life,” he said. “I’m really happy for our fans and for all those people who have supported me when we didn’t win one. And I’m really happy for these kids.”
Boeheim would have lived with a loss – he is who he is. But maybe now his detractors can appreciate the man who’s never left home.
“Don’t make any mistake, I’m very proud and happy that we won this thing for our program,” said Boeheim. “I’ve been at Syracuse 41 years. I don’t think anybody has invested 41 years in their basketball program. It means a lot to me.”
