Chancellor gives Boeheim vote of confidence

SYRACUSE -- Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor gave men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim a vote of confidence Tuesday amid an investigation of child molestation allegations against his former longtime assistant.

Cantor emerged from an economic development conference with state officials and said: "Coach Boeheim is our coach."

Some commentators and sex abuse victims' advocates had said Boeheim should resign or be fired after three men, including two former Syracuse ball boys, accused former assistant coach Bernie Fine of molesting them and Boeheim verbally attacked the accusers.

"Coach Boeheim is getting the team ready tonight," Cantor said. "We're very pleased with what he said Sunday night, and we stand by it."

After initially saying Fine's first two accusers were lying to make money in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, Boeheim backed off those comments in a statement Sunday.

Playing for the first time since Fine was fired, No. 4 Syracuse improved to 7-0 with an 84-48 win over Eastern Michigan. Afterward, Boeheim didn't bother with questions about the game. Instead, he addressed the firing of Fine.

"It's hard to put everything into words," Boeheim said. "I thought a lot today about different things. I'm saddened in many ways by what's unfolded, and I'm looking forward to a time when we can talk and learn from what has happened.

"There is an important investigation going on, which I fully support, and I can't add anything to that by speaking more about that now. The investigation and all that we can learn from it is what is important."

Boeheim was greeted by a standing ovation when he walked onto the Carrier Dome court that bears his name. Eastern Michigan coach Rob Murphy, an assistant for seven years under Boeheim, greeted him with a warm hug, and Boeheim received another raucous cheer when he was introduced after the players.

"I've never worried about my job status in 36 years," he said Tuesday night. "Many years I didn't have a contract. I don't worry. I do my job. When the investigation is done, we will find out what happened on my watch.

"We don't know what's happened on my watch right now. There are no charges. There are no indictments. There is no grand jury. There is no action being taken. When that is done, then we will see what has happened on my watch."

Some fans offered their support before the game.

"It's sad," said Michael Knowles, 29, of Syracuse. "We've all stuck up for a friend and then realized we shouldn't have. [Boeheim] didn't do anything wrong."

In its previous home game against Colgate 10 days ago, Fine's customary seat was left vacant and players tapped it as a symbolic gesture in support of Fine. Tuesday night, there was no empty seat.

The Rev. Robert Hoatson, president of Road to Recovery, a group that supports victims of sex abuse, said Boeheim, too, should be gone.

"We want to keep saying that Jim Boeheim should resign or be fired," Hoatson said.