Boeheim On Hopkins: 'It's Up To Him, It's His Decision"

Back in December, most Syracuse Orange fans felt pretty sure about two things:

Doug Marrone will be our football coach for years to come.

Mike Hopkins will stay on with the basketball program and one-day take over from Jim Boeheim.

One of those things we now know to be completely incorrect and the other is starting to sound a lot less likely given what we learned Tuesday.

Not only did Hopkins indeed interview for the USC Trojans head coaching vacancy, but Jim Boeheim has given him his blessing to do so if he receives an offer.

"I know he interviewed for that job," Boeheim said after practice Monday. "It's a good job, he's from Southern California, it's up to him it's his decision."

"He did that last week," Boeheim said on the show. "He’s a tremendous young coach and he’s interested in going back to Southern California."

On whether or not Boeheim still wants Hopkins to succeed him:

"We’d like that to happen, it’s just a question of what he wants," Boeheim said. "What I want is not important. It’s what coach Hopkins wants to do is that’s important."

Listen to Boeheim's appearance on Upon Further Review here.

We've got a ways to go on this so let's not get too speculative. Besides, looking at the LA Times article that started all of this, Hopkins was a footnote to the thought that it's Tim Floyd's job to lose. Still, if it does shake out that Hopkins takes the job, he's well within his right, he's earned the opportunity and it doesn't mean he can't still take over for Boeheim in 3-5 years when Boeheim retires.

And the first person to tell me Gerry McNamara should replace Hopkins in the coaching hierarchy gets banned. Slow down...