What is Jim Boeheim's Net Worth and Salary?
Jim Boeheim is a college basketball coach who has a net worth of $20 million. Jim Boeheim is best known for serving as the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's team. In this position, he has guided the team to multiple Big East Conference, Big East Tournament, and NCAA Tournament appearances; however, he was also embroiled in the Syracuse University athletics scandal that erased many of his team's wins. On the world stage, Boeheim was an assistant coach for the United States men's national basketball teams at several FIBA World Championships and Summer Olympics.
Early Life and Education
Jim Boeheim was born on November 17, 1944 in Lyons, New York. He went to Lyons Central High School, and subsequently attended Syracuse University, where he played on the basketball team. With his teammate Dave Bing, Boeheim helped lead the Syracuse Orange to a 22-6 record and the team's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Career Beginnings
Following his graduation from Syracuse, Boeheim played with the Scranton Miners of the East Professional Basketball League. With the team, he won two championships. Later, in 1969, he decided to become a basketball coach, and was hired as a graduate assistant at his alma mater of Syracuse under Roy Danforth. Soon, Boeheim was promoted to a full-time assistant coach, and was a member of the coaching team that helped guide Syracuse to its first-ever Final Four appearance in 1975.
Head Coach at Syracuse
After Danforth left Syracuse to become the head basketball coach at Tulane University, Boeheim became the new head basketball coach at Syracuse in 1976. He has remained in this position ever since, guiding the Orange to postseason berths in every year the team was eligible. Notably, Boeheim led the team to ten Big East Conference championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 33 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five Final Four appearances and three appearances in the national title championship game. In 2003, he guided Syracuse to its first national title in a victory over Kansas.
During his tenure as Syracuse head coach, Boeheim was named Big East Coach of the Year four times, and was named District II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches a total of ten times. Additionally, he was given Syracuse University's Arents Award, the school's highest honor for an alumnus.
Salary
Jim's annual salary before bonuses is $2.5 million.
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NCAA Violations
While Boeheim was head coach at Syracuse, the school's basketball program was put under investigation for serious NCAA violations. Reportedly, the university had failed to follow its own drug policy; student-athletes were receiving improper assistance on coursework; and the YMCA of Oneida, New York was providing improper benefits to both student-athletes and coaches. Moreover, it was discovered that Boeheim had failed to promote compliance with NCAA rules for close to a decade of his tenure.
As a result of the NCAA violations, Boeheim was suspended from the first nine games of the 2015-16 ACC conference, and eight scholarships were taken away. Additionally, the Syracuse basketball program was forced to vacate 101 wins accrued between 2004 and 2012, ten of which were NCAA Tournament games.
United States National Team Coach
Beyond college basketball, Boeheim has served as a coach for various United States national teams. In 1990, he was an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski at the FIBA World Championship; he fulfilled this role again at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIBA World Championship, winning gold at the latter two. In 2008, 2012, and 2016, Boeheim returned as assistant coach under Krzyzewski for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro, respectively, in all of which the United States won gold. Additionally, Boeheim helped guide the Young Men's Team to a gold medal at the World Championship in 2001.
Film and Television Appearances
Due to his high profile, Boeheim has appeared in a number of films and television spots over the course of his career. In 1994, he made a cameo as himself in William Friedkin's basketball film "Blue Chips," starring Shaquille O'Neal and Nick Nolte. He played himself again in Spike Lee's 1998 basketball drama "He Got Game," starring Denzel Washington. On television, Boeheim has appeared in myriad commercials aired in Central New York, and also had a spot alongside Syracuse alum Carmelo Anthony on a Nike Jordan commercial.
Personal Life and Charity
In 1997, Boeheim wed his wife Juli, with whom he has three children: Jimmy and twins Buddy and Jamie. From his ex-wife Elaine, he also has a daughter named Elizabeth.
Boeheim is a survivor of prostate cancer, having beaten the disease in 2001. He subsequently became a major donor to the nonprofit Coaches vs. Cancer. In 2009, Boeheim and his wife founded the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation to expand the reach of their charity to groups throughout Central New York promoting cancer treatment and prevention and child welfare.
