Under Pressure but Undeterred: Adrian Autry Navigates the Growing Pains at Syracuse
The echoes inside the JMA Wireless Dome have taken on a different tone lately. What was once a fortress of support for Syracuse men’s basketball has, in recent weeks, turned into a space filled with frustration. The Orange have stumbled, and with their NCAA Tournament hopes fading fast, some fans have taken their discontent public-booing during home losses and even calling for head coach Adrian Autry’s job.
On his weekly radio show, Autry faced that criticism head-on. One caller, clearly trying to get under his skin, asked him to name candidates to replace himself. Autry brushed it off quickly, but the moment underscored the growing tension around the program.
“This is part of it,” Autry said, not flinching from the pressure. “If it was easy...
This is what I want to do and this is part of it. It’s hard.
It’s a challenge. But I love it.
I love where I’m at. I love the guys.
I love the challenge of working through it and getting this together.”
That kind of resolve is important, especially considering the weight Autry carries. He stepped into one of the most iconic coaching roles in college basketball-replacing Jim Boeheim, a Hall of Famer and the face of the program for nearly five decades.
But this isn’t the same college basketball landscape Boeheim ruled for so long. The game has changed, and quickly.
Autry didn’t just inherit a team-he inherited a program in transition. The transfer portal, NIL, and the growing demands of roster management have reshaped the job entirely. And while the Syracuse brand still carries weight, adapting to this new era hasn’t been seamless.
Through two-plus seasons, Autry holds a 46-40 overall record, including a 21-27 mark in ACC play. Those numbers reflect a team still trying to find its footing. And as the losses have added up, so has the scrutiny.
“When I took over, this was not going to be easy,” Autry said candidly. “College athletics changed.
There are a lot of other factors and things that impact programs now. It’s more off the court than it is on the court at times now.”
That’s a reality every coach is facing, but it hits a little harder in a place like Syracuse-where the expectations are sky-high, and patience is in short supply.
Autry pointed to the shifting mindset of today’s athletes as another challenge. “You’re dealing with a different generation of young men with different stressors and different problems.
I think the focus is different,” he said. “I’m an older guy.
We know what we grew up on, but the reality is... it’s a different world. We’re rebuilding and trying to connect in a short period of time.
It’s made the job that much harder.”
Last season, Syracuse struggled to compete financially for top-tier talent and lacked a general manager to help navigate the ever-important transfer portal. Still, there was optimism heading into this year.
The Orange retained two key players and added a proven point guard from Georgia Tech. On paper, it looked like a group that could make some noise.
But through 21 games, Syracuse sits at 12-9 overall and 3-5 in ACC play. The path to an at-large NCAA Tournament bid is narrow, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.
Athletic director John Wildhack made the expectations clear before the season began: Syracuse needs to be playing meaningful games in March. That means dancing in the NCAA Tournament. Anything less would fall short of the standard.
Autry knows that. He’s not ducking the pressure. If anything, he’s leaning into it.
“Each year you’re starting over and that’s a challenge,” he said. “But I love coaching, I love mentoring, I love competing. I love trying to get my alma mater back to competing for championships.”
And he made one thing perfectly clear: “That’s what I’m going to do until they tell me I can’t do it anymore.”
For now, Autry is still in the fight. The road back to national relevance is steep, but he's not backing down. Whether the fans stick with him through the climb remains to be seen-but the coach is all in.