SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- It's bonus time for SU basketball.
"I've never told anybody how many years I've had on my contract, ever,” said longtime Orange coach Jim Boeheim.
All of Cuse Nation thought they only had one more season left with Boeheim, and for once, so did he.
"When this agreement was made with the chancellor and me and Mike Hopkins, I fully knew that next year would be my last year,” said Boeheim.
But on Saturday, as head coach designate Mike Hopkins announced his plans to take over the top spot coaching Washington, there only seemed like one reasonable answer for Boeheim.
"My immediate thought was, 'I want to coach,' " said Boeheim. "I want to keep our staff intact; I want to keep our recruits here. I want to keep the continuity of the program as much as we possibly can."
Fans say they were surprised to hear the news, but they know he still has things left to accomplish, even after 41 seasons.
"He has a lot of unfinished business; he's not done,” said fan Josh Levitt.
"We see the fire in his eyes, the reason he's staying. He wants to get us back into the bracket,” said SU fan Jason Rosen. “I know he's going to make it far next year; he has no other choice."
For Boeheim, it's not so much unfinished as it is just business.
"I will remind you that in 2002, we went to the NIT, and I think everybody knows what happened in 2003," said Boeheim, referencing the Orange's national championship season. "And that's the way I prefer to think rather than the people who are saying, 'They've had two bad years, so they'll probably have another.' The reason those people say that is because they can't coach."
But Boeheim can, and he's getting right back to it.
As for how long he plans to stick around, Boeheim wouldn't give up a number, saying his contract is up to the university. He's just glad they keep letting him stay.