Head coach Adrian Autry ’94 sums up Syracuse basketball in two words: “Orange Standard.”
It’s a phrase he’s promoted in interviews regarding the current state of men’s hoops and what’s on tap for 2025-26.
Syracuse University men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry ’94 draws up a play for guard J.J. Starling ’27. Starling is one of two starters returning for the 2025-26 season.
“‘Orange Standard’ is about grit and determination. It’s about playing hard and playing with heart—leaving it all on the court,” says Autry with a twinkle in his eye.
The phrase “Orange Standard” was inspired by his mentor and predecessor, Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, H’24. Even though the Hall of Famer is synonymous with Syracuse basketball, this year’s team is radically different from the one he passed on to Autry in 2023.
Sweeping changes—like the transfer portal and the name, image and likeness (NIL) rule—are rewriting the rules of college sports. On top of that, new scholarship and roster limit regulations compel coaches to reimagine how to build their rosters. Welcome to the “Wild, Wild West” era of NCAA basketball.
Autry, for one, is pinning his hopes on two returning starters: ACC Honorable Mention guard J.J. Starling ’27 and power forward Donnie Freeman ’28. “Combine them with a talented transfer portal class and top-ranked recruits, and we can hold our own,” he predicts. “Our players are fast, long and athletic.”
Part of a growing trend of coaches returning to their alma maters, Autry was a point guard for the Orange from 1990-94.
“I learned early on the importance of a fast-paced offense and a tenacious defense,” remarks Autry, who guided the Orange to NCAA tournaments in 1991, 1992 and 1994. “It’s an approach that wins games.”
A former All-BIG EAST player, Autry played professionally in Europe before rising through the coaching ranks and being named the Orange’s head coach in 2023.
A Talented Young Core
Expectations remain high for Autry, who, among other things, wants to end the Orange’s four-year NCAA Tournament slump. All eyes are on the Nov. 3 season opener, followed by an 18-game conference schedule that includes home-and-home encounters with Pittsburgh and North Carolina.
If recent off-court moves are any indication, Autry can deliver. His knack for spotting four- and five-star talent is evidenced by this year’s recruiting class, which 247Sports ranks 10th in the nation. “We have a talented young core,” he says, alluding to Top 40 prospects Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony, son of program legend Carmelo Anthony.
Autry’s education is also a plus. As a graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, he is quick to credit the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies for instilling in him “poise and adaptability.” Those same traits defined his decade-long, European playing career and transition to coaching in 2006.
“Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships,” he says, paraphrasing the great Michael Jordan. “Chemistry is everything.”
Autry emphasizes the importance of teamwork and embraces an up-tempo offense combined with a tenacious defense.
A Sense of Family
Autry exudes confidence. On the sidelines. Throughout campus.
It was his undeniable charisma that captivated Boeheim some three decades ago, when Autry was making a name for himself as a high school athlete.
“I was the easiest McDonald’s All-American ever recruited,” says Autry, who was born near Charlotte, North Carolina, and raised in the Bronx. “Coach took me under his wing and mentored me.”
Autry posted respectable numbers at Syracuse, starting all but five of 121 games. Fifth in career assists (631) and sixth in career steals (217), he had a knack for drawing out the best in his teammates, like Mike Hopkins ’93, with whom he formed a formidable defensive duo.
At 6-foot-3, Autry was tall. Imposing. Excellent at driving to the hoop and shooting from the perimeter. His crimson hair earned him the nickname “Red,” which stuck. BIG EAST All-Rookie honors followed.
In time, Autry, Lawrence Moten and John Wallace comprised one of the best offensive trios in the country. Autry’s selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team during his senior year was a foregone conclusion.
For Autry, building relationships is key to success. “I believe in fostering a strong sense of family among everyone I meet,” he says.
Fast forward to two years ago, when Boeheim handed Autry the keys to the kingdom. He had paid his dues, rising through the high school and college coaching ranks before returning to his alma mater in 2011.
“He taught me to never lower my standards,” says Autry, a 2016 Syracuse LetterWinner of Distinction. “This is my chance to shine, to give back to my Syracuse family.”
The Orange are a family affair for Autry. A relationship-based culture permeates his coaching, his parenting (two of his kids, Aliyah ’17 and Adrian Jr. ’19, are alumni, and his daughter Nina ’29 is an incoming first-year student who will play lacrosse) and his service to the community.
“I believe in fostering a strong sense of family among everyone I meet,” says the married father of four. “Each person needs to know their role and how to work with others to achieve a common goal.”
Anything less, of course, would be substandard.
