Inside the Storm: Syracuse Players Rally Behind Coach Autry Amid Mounting Fan Frustration
The boos started early and echoed often inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon. Syracuse had just surrendered a 9-0 run to open the game against Miami, and the frustration from the stands was unmistakable.
But it wasn’t just about a slow start or a third loss in eight days - it was personal. The chants of “Fire Autry” rang out with force, directed squarely at head coach Adrian Autry, now in his third season at the helm.
For a program steeped in tradition and used to March relevance, the growing pains under Autry have tested the patience of a passionate fanbase. But inside the locker room, the message is clear: the players are standing behind their coach.
“Just give him a chance,” said freshman point guard Naithan George, visibly frustrated with the vitriol. “It’s always bashing and bashing, but they don’t see what goes on behind the scenes.”
George’s words weren’t just a defense of Autry’s coaching - they were a plea for understanding. For a young team still trying to find its identity, the public criticism has been more than just noise. It’s been a weight.
“I feel like that’s very disrespectful, the way they treat (Autry),” George continued. “I’m just very disappointed. I thought it was a very respected fanbase.”
The Orange dropped to 12-8 overall and 3-4 in ACC play after the 85-76 loss to Miami, a game that exposed some of the same issues that have plagued them all season - poor rebounding, defensive lapses, and an inability to close out games against quality opponents. Syracuse was outworked on the glass, 37-21, and allowed the Hurricanes to shoot a blistering 61% from the field.
Those numbers tell a story, and they don’t paint a flattering picture. The Orange are now 1-3 in both Quad 1 and Quad 2 games - not exactly the résumé of a tournament team. And with each loss, the calls for change grow louder.
But Autry isn’t flinching.
“We’ve shown the ability to be able to play to win,” he said postgame. “This group will keep fighting.
The coaching staff will keep fighting. There’s a lot more opportunities out there.
This season provides us with more opportunities than we’ve had in the past.”
It’s a message rooted in resilience, not bravado. Autry knows the expectations in Syracuse.
He played here. He’s coached here.
And now, as the man tasked with leading the program forward, he’s asking for time - something not often granted in today’s win-now culture.
“We’ve been close,” he said. “But we haven’t been able to get over the hump yet.”
That “hump” has become a mountain. Syracuse hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2021, and if the current trajectory holds, this would be the fifth straight season without a trip to the Big Dance. For a fanbase used to deep runs in March, that drought stings.
But for the players - especially the transfers who haven’t lived through the highs and lows of the last few years - the backlash has been jarring.
“I’ve never experienced that before, to be booed by our fans,” said center William Kyle III, who transferred from UCLA. “It sucks.
You can understand where the fans are coming from. They have passion, they want us to win, and we want to win as well.
But, I mean, it just sucks.”
It’s a delicate dynamic. The players understand the passion.
They feel the weight of the expectations. But they also feel the sting when that passion turns hostile - especially on their home court.
Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman echoed the sentiment: “The fans mean a lot to us, and for them to feel disappointment like that, it’s tough for us. But we appreciate their support, and they deserve better times.”
The locker room isn’t fractured. If anything, the adversity seems to be galvanizing the group. Players like George, Freeman, and Tyler Betsey - a sophomore transfer from Cincinnati - are leaning into their shared goals and trying to block out the noise.
Betsey, who’s been through similar scrutiny before, said the focus remains on restoring the “Orange Standard.”
“I don’t think about his job per se,” Betsey said of Autry. “Just (about) getting things back to where we know we’re supposed to be.”
That “where” is clear: national relevance, ACC contention, and NCAA Tournament appearances. Syracuse basketball isn’t just another program - it’s a brand, a legacy. And right now, that legacy feels like it’s at a crossroads.
The road ahead doesn’t get easier. The ACC is deep, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
But Autry and his players aren’t waving the white flag. They’re asking for belief - not blind faith, but a willingness to ride out the process.
“It doesn’t really faze us,” George said of the boos, “but it’s just like, wow. Because you think the fans will believe no matter what.
But, it is what it is. We’re basketball players.
It’s just something we gotta block out.”
That’s easier said than done. But if this team is going to climb out of its current hole, it’ll need more than just internal resolve. It’ll need a fanbase willing to weather the storm - even if the skies are darker than they’ve been in a while.
There’s still time. There’s still basketball left. But the clock is ticking, and the Orange know it.