5. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)
- Overall record 1033-373
- Final Four appearances in 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013, and 2016
- National Championship in 2003
Boeheim is the longest tenured college basketball coach, having held the top job at Syracuse since 1976. He played for the Orange and spent seven years as an assistant there, never serving elsewhere as a full-time coach, though he has been an assistant coach on the USA national team.
His 40+ years running Syracuse have been largely successful. He won the 2003 national championship with a team led by future NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. He’s led the Orange to five Final Fours, including a wild run in 2016 as a 10-seed. He also has the second-most wins all-time for D-I head coaches. He has Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament nearly every season and recently transitioned the team from Big East to ACC without much issue.
One of the issues with Boeheim is that he’s survived several scandals during his tenure. He’s had 101 victories vacated as a result, some of that stemming from eligibility issues involving Fab Melo. He also survived the sexual assault scandal surrounding longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine, though he was never charged or prosecuted.
Boeheim is a solid recruiter and really has gotten his underrated teams to play in March in recent years. Until his retirement, he’ll have Syracuse in a position to compete in the ACC on a yearly basis, though winning the league will not be easy, as Syracuse has been 7th or lower each of the last four seasons in ACC play.