Chancellor Nancy Cantor expressed support for Jim Boeheim two days after the men’s basketball head coach backed down from earlier statements supporting Bernie Fine.

‘Coach Boeheim is our coach,’ Cantor said to a gathering of reporters, following an economic development conference with state officials in Albany on Tuesday, according to a blog post on the Albany Watch blog. Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, confirmed the post.

Boeheim initially defended Fine, former associate head coach of the men’s basketball team, when molestation accusations made by former Syracuse ball boys Bobby Davis and Mike Lang were brought to media attention. An additional accuser has since stepped forward and a recording of a phone conversation from 2002 between Fine’s wife, Laurie, and Davis was also released Sunday morning. In the phone conversation, Laurie Fine admitted she was concerned her husband molested Davis

Boeheim released a second statement during the weekend, taking a step back from his original claims.

Cantor addressed Boeheim’s second statement to reporters Tuesday.

‘Coach Boeheim is our coach; he’s getting the team ready tonight,’ Cantor said. ‘We’re very pleased with what he said Sunday night, and we stand by him.’

dbtruong@syr.edu

Published on November 29, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong