Who is Jim Boeheim’s Ex-wife Elaine Boeheim?

Elaine Boeheim is the ex-wife of Jim Boeheim, the legendary college basketball coach. The couple got married for 17 years from 1976 to 1994 before they sadly went their separate ways. Elaine (born: 14th of May 1970, Age: 53) is also an American media personality in her own rights

Elaine and Jim got together during the early days of Jim’s career and they later tied the knot and stayed married for more than a decade during which they made their home in Syracuse, New York. The couple experienced many highs and lows together before they eventually split in 1993. Subsequently, Jim Boeheim has gone on to become the winningest coach in the history of college basketball with many accolades and championships to his name. This has conferred the spotlight on anyone connected to him but Elaine has chosen not to take advantage of this. She rather prefers a private life out of the spotlight.

Elaine Boeheim is a Native of New York

Elaine Boeheim is a native of New York and was born on the 14th of May 1970. Her nationality is American while her ethnicity is Caucasian. Beyond these details, there is a paucity of information on Elaine Boeheim’s family background, early life, and educational history. Her parents’ names are not available. It is also not known whether she is an only child or has siblings.

Elaine Boeheim’s educational history is also not available in the public domain but it is not out of place to presume that she completed her high school diploma and even got a college degree before taking up paid employment as a young adult.

She Became Jim Boeheim’s Wife in 1976

Elaine Boeheim and Jim Boeheim first got to know each other sometime in the early 70s. They struck up a friendship over their shared interests and began dating in earnest. They dated for some time before their wedding in the year 1976. They then settled down and made their home in Syracuse, New York.

At the time that Elaine Boeheim got married to Jim Boeheim, Jim was working as an assistant coach for the Syracuse basketball team. He was then made the head coach and she rejoiced with him on the new status. She supported him in any way she could and also continued pursuing her own career as well.

Their Marriage Lasted For 17 Years During Which They Adopted a Daughter Together

Elaine Boeheim and Jim Boeheim prospered in their respective professions and also had a happy family life. Things however became strained when they found it difficult to conceive a child. As is common with any couple that faced such challenges, they endured the mental and physical stress associated with the process. They however remained hopeful that a breakthrough will come.

This hope sustained the couple for nearly a decade but they could still not concede. Elaine Boeheim started considering adoption as an option but her husband initially resisted this. He later yielded and they adopted a daughter in June 1985. The little girl was only one week old at the time of adoption and they named her Elizabeth.

The Couple Split in 1993 and Divorced that Same Year

When Elaine Boeheim and Jim Boeheim adopted their daughter Elizabeth, it marked a new vista in their marriage. They thoroughly loved the little girl and she impacted their lives in so many wonderful ways. This sparked a new lease of life into their marriage and they lived happily for the next few years. The couple however started experiencing issues in their marriage in the early 90s.

They tried their best to solve it but it proved insurmountable. They split in 1993 and formalized their divorce that same year. The terms of the divorce are not available but Elaine Boeheim would have walked away with a decent payday as her husband had a thriving job at the time they divorced.

The Reason for the Couple’s Divorce Remains a Mystery

Overall, the marriage between Elaine Boeheim and Jim Boeheim lasted for 17 years before they divorced. To date, the reason for the split is not known. It may however have something to do with the pressures of Jim Boeheim’s burgeoning career as a basketball coach. Back in the late 80s, his team was not doing well and the fans turned on them and started abusing him as the coach.

There was also the fact that his team suffered a scandalous investigation in 1990. That investigation found that Syracuse had violated NCAA recruiting guidelines and the team was suspended from the NCAA tournament for one year. All of this piled a lot of pressure on Jim, which would have inadvertently affected his behavior at home. It is therefore very much possible that Elaine Boeheim and Jim Boeheim got divorced as a result of the pressures of Jim’s basketball coaching career.

Jim Boeheim’s Ex-wife Still Makes Her Home in New York But is Living Out of the Spotlight

Elaine Boeheim presently resides in her native New York and lives her life out of the spotlight. She rarely makes the news headlines and this makes it difficult to know exactly what she is up to in her life these days. It is however possible that she is gainfully employed or running her own business. She could also be enjoying the leisurely life of a retiree given her age.

Elaine Boeheim may have also remarried and had more kids. Whichever way it is, there is no doubt that she would be living a full and happy life. She also doesn’t have a shortage of loved ones in her life, starting with her adopted daughter, friends, and relatives.

Her Daughter, Liz Boeheim is an English Professor in Missoula, Missouri

Elaine Boeheim could possibly have biological children but there is no confirmation of this. Her one known offspring is her adopted daughter, Liz Boeheim. Elaine got custody of Liz after divorcing Jim Boeheim and worked hard to provide a better life for the girl. She also established amicable relations with her ex-husband and as such, he maintained a constant presence in their daughter’s life.

All this had a positive impact on the young Liz and she grew up to become an English professor. Liz Boeheim graduated from the Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District in 2003. She thereafter attended Colby College in Maine before going on to obtain a Master’s degree at the University of Montana. Liz Boeheim now makes her home in Montana and has taught English at the University of Montana. She has a wonderful relationship with her dad and often speaks about him in glowing terms. She also has a good relationship with her mom – Elaine Boeheim.