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Adrian Autry already knows he’s been counted out. Just listen to the song blaring through the JMA Wireless Dome when he emerges from the tunnel each game.

Over his first two seasons as Syracuse’s head coach, Autry walked out to “I Got the Keys” by DJ Khaled with features from Jay-Z and Future. The lyrics paid homage to a changing of the guard for the Orange, where Autry took over for Jim Boeheim.

This year, Autry changed his tune. His new anthem is “MIDDLE CHILD” from J. Cole. The 2019 hit says, “(Expletives) been countin’ me out. I’m countin’ my bullets, I’m loadin’ my clips. I’m writin’ down names, I’m makin’ a list. I’m checkin’ it twice and I’m gettin’ em hit.”

It’s a perfect encapsulation of where Autry sits entering his third year at the helm.

Following Syracuse’s worst season in over 50 years and a fourth-straight year missing the NCAA Tournament, the pressure is on Autry to return SU to its “Orange Standard.” He’s not shying away, saying on Oct. 15 he expects to make March Madness every year. Autry doesn’t care for mediocrity.

Though his job status beyond this year shouldn’t be that black and white — labeled as “March Madness or bust” — the Orange must improve in the 2025-26 season without question. But the complexity of finding success at the Power Five level in this day and age extends beyond the head coach. Autry should be considered under a gray area, where true improvement meets plausibility and sympathy.

Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack understands the standard, too. Nearing the end of last season, Wildhack said he and Autry expect the performance to be “significantly, significantly better.” The phrase “meaningful games in March,” which Wildhack later referenced in the same interview, can be picked apart.

If Wildhack wanted to say “March Madness or bust,” he would’ve. The statement leaves the door open for vast refinement while still missing the Big Dance. The Orange could find themselves with eight more wins than the previous year, yet still on the outside looking in.

You’d still dismiss Autry with that much of an improvement? Despite what Wildhack showed with Fran Brown on the football side, the grass isn’t always greener.

The Dino Babers situation, Wildhack’s last key coaching decision, differed mightily due to time running its course. Before Babers’ eighth season in charge, Wildhack set a defined benchmark at 7-5. It was behind closed doors and not revealed until the head coach was fired. In basketball terms, this benchmark could be fairly set at the 20-win mark, matching Autry’s success in Year 1 while making notable advancements from prior mistakes.

If the Orange fall short of 20 wins, sure, it might be time for a change. But keep in mind where Syracuse was when he took over.

The “Orange Standard” Boeheim built over his 47 years in charge is often pointed to as a barometer. Autry even uses it himself, placing it on the wall in his office at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

“We have to get it to that on a consistent basis,” Autry said on Oct. 14 at SU Media Day. “(Boeheim) did it consistently.”

But did Boeheim live up to that standard in his final years? Yes, the Orange made the 2021 Sweet 16, but they fell under .500 the following year. His career then ended with a 17-15 season.

This isn’t like Villanova, where fellow legendary coach Jay Wright retired after a 30-win season and a Final Four run. Or Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who won 32 games and bowed out after that same Final Four.

The standard fell before Boeheim left, and Autry was expected to pick up the pieces. So why would Syracuse be expected to suddenly turn back the clock?

If anything, this season truly feels like Autry’s first crack at building it back. His first season featured a 20-win campaign, although nearly the entire roster came from Boeheim’s tenure. Yes, Autry played a key role in recruiting many of those players, but they were Boeheim’s final crop.

Four-star freshman Kiyan Anthony stands next to returners J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman for the National Anthem before Syracuse’s exhibition at Buffalo. The trio is part of a nearly completely rebuilt roster that features 11 new players. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor

The second year featured a conglomerate of mid-major players dressed up as Power Four ones. The investment was clearly not there to compete financially, as reported by Syracuse.com, and where the Orange did have talent in J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman, the injury bug hit.

Autry’s staff, with general manager Alex Kline at the forefront, came prepared this time around. Adding to their pockets through the $20.5 million allotted from the House v. NCAA settlement, Kline told The Daily Orange at Syracuse Media Day the Orange men’s basketball program spent nearly every dollar of their 15% cut. “You have to,” he said.

Rather than churning for the bottom of the barrel, SU acquired established Power Four talent like Naithan George and William Kyle III. The additions of Nate Kingz and Tyler Betsey brought needed shooting and depth. And the Orange retained Starling and Freeman while reeling in multiple top recruits.

“This is a new season, new team,” Autry said. “That’s what it is. And everything that’s in the past is in the past.”

The past mistakes can be learned from. Whether in roster or schedule building, Syracuse created an early stretch of nonconference layups mixed with a few Quad 1 win opportunities.

The mindset of putting all the pressure on Autry and the team to reach a certain level before they even begin their journey doesn’t seem beneficial. Just ask Kline, a key piece to the operation.

“I don’t look at it like that,” Kline said. “I look at it as you take it game by game. You win the games you’re supposed to win. You compete in the games that you know you’re supposed to compete at a high level. And I think that’s the goal, is to consistently compete at a high level, play big games in February and March and see where the cards fall.”

So if Selection Sunday hits, and Syracuse finishes outside the bubble, hearing its name called shouldn’t determine Autry’s future.

He must improve drastically. Autry knows it. Why else do you think he no longer flaunts having the keys pregame?

But it’s not as easy as March Madness or bust.

Aiden Stepansky is a Senior Staff Writer for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at amstepan@syr.edu or on X @AidenStepansky.

Published on November 2, 2025 at 10:22 pm
Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky