What’s Next For Jim Boeheim After Bernie Fine’s Dismissal at Syracuse?

When everything began to come out regarding the sexual abuse claims against (former) Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine, a lot of things were said.

But could what head coach Jim Boeheim said cost him his job?

Let’s flash back to when these allegations surfaced nearly two weeks ago. Boeheim felt the need to come out and support his long-time assistant.

However, his words were rather rigid. This is just a small sampling of what he said:

"“I know this kid, but I never saw him in any rooms or anything,” Boeheim told ESPN. “It is a bunch of a thousand lies that he has told. You don’t think it is a little funny that his cousin (relative) is coming forward? He supplied four names to the university that would corroborate his story. None of them did … there is only one side to this story. He is lying.”"

For him to come out and call two people with sexual misconduct claims “liars” as soon as the story came out was a bad, bad move.

Verbally attacking the alleged victims was not something he would want to have to remember if any of these allegations turned out to be true.

Two weeks later, it has completely backfired on him.

Now, there is no evidence to believe that Boeheim knew that any of this was going on. And given the fact that Boeheim has always been the kind of person to speak his mind, it wasn’t surprising to see him rush to the defense of his assistant and close friend.

It’s human nature for a person to say what they believe in. Boeheim believed that Fine was innocent. And he certainly did not want allegations of sexual abuse to hang a dark cloud over an innocent man and program.

Of course, with everything that came out yesterday, including a third set of accusations and an audio tape of Fine’s wife Laurie, Boeheim had to issue this statement addressing those aforementioned comments:

"“The allegations that have come forth today are disturbing and deeply troubling,” Boeheim said in a statement released by the school. “I am personally very shocked because I have never witnessed any of the activities that have been alleged. I believe the university took the appropriate step tonight. What is most important is that this matter be fully investigated and that anyone with information be supported to come forward so that the truth can be found. I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse.”"

The question now is whether Boeheim deserves any punishment in this whole situation.

CBSSports.com’s Gregg Doyel wrote this column calling for the firing Boeheim at Syracuse.

Doyel discusses the comments that he made, particularly the ones that revolved around money and the relation to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State.

But if Boeheim had no idea that any of this was going on, and was never told of any of the alleged things that Fine was doing, could he still be fired or forced to resign because of passionate, heat of the moment comments?

It may not be what Syracuse fans wanna hear, but of course he could.

As to whether that happens, it’s anyone’s guess at this point. And as to whether it is the right thing for the university do, until this scandal plays out to the end, there’s no perfect answer to that question.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I mean, just think about this.

If your best friend or long-time colleague was accused of something as strong as sexual abuse of a minor, and everything you knew about the man or woman up to that point made you believe that it was absolutely false, would you rush to their defense and give your honest opinion?

That’s what Boeheim did. But his choice of words was awful. There’s no doubt about that.

As a coach at a prominent university, he needed be more careful than that. He doesn’t get the same kind of leeway that the average man on the street gets.

With what he knows now, his stance has obviously changed. And in no way, shape, or form is there any reason for us to believe that he supports these actions from Fine.

So given all the disturbing allegations surrounding this story, will it be a huge error in words and media management be what costs Boeheim his job?

Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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