Syracuse is bringing back one of its own to lead the men’s basketball program. Siena’s Gerry McNamara has been hired as the Orange’s next coach, the school announced on Tuesday. One of the most beloved players in program history is returning home to lead the program after Adrian Autry’s firing earlier this month.
McNamara winning out for the job comes after weeks of debate amongst big money players at Syracuse, sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, who said there was a faction of boosters that were adamant about hiring outside the Syracuse/Jim Boeheim tree.
With a variety of potential candidates not showing serious interest due to uncertain NIL capabilities, McNamara quickly became a sentimental and practical lead candidate as the search progressed over the weekend.
“I love this place. I love what Syracuse means: to the fans, to the players who have worn this jersey, to the people of Central New York. This program has given me everything, and I am ready to give everything back to it,” McNamara said in a statement. “College basketball has changed. How you build a program, recruit talent, compete for resources and win looks different than it did even five years ago. I know that. I’m ready for it. What hasn’t changed is what Orange Nation expects, and what this place deserves. We are going to build something special here.”
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A former two-time All-Big East guard at Syracuse, McNamara and Siena nearly toppled NCAA Tournament overall No. 1 seed Duke in the first round after leading the Blue Devils by double digits.
While starring as a four-year standout for the Orange, McNamara hit six 3-pointers during a first-half barrage in the 2003 national title game against Kansas. McNamara scored 2,099 career points at Syracuse.
After studying the game under longtime Syracuse coach and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, McNamara took his first head coaching position with Siena prior to the 2024-25 season. He went 14-18 in his first campaign before leading the program to a 23-12 record this season.
In Thursday’s first-round NCAA Tournament game, the Blue Devils — as a 27.5-point favorite — trailed by as many as 13 points during the opening minutes of the second half before storming back to survive what would’ve been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of any group of kids I’ve been around,” McNamara said after Thursday’s loss. “I think the world and college basketball saw what I’ve been so grateful and thankful to be around all season, a group of kids that love each other, that compete at the highest level and play for each other.”
Duke’s Jon Scheyer said after the game that he was out-coached by McNamara.
“I appreciate the compliment, but it’s those kids. It’s the kids that just walked away,” McNamara said. “It’s my staff. I’ve got an incredible group in that locker room. Like I said, a lot of people have game plans. Duke’s been able to pretty much wash that out in pretty much any team they’ve played.”
McNamara’s parting words to Siena
While he wasn’t asked directly about other jobs following the loss to Duke, McNamara did address a question centered around what it has meant to him leading the Siena program. McNamara has long been rumored to be Syracuse’s top choice for its vacancy since the Orange fired Autry earlier this month after a third straight NCAA Tournament-less season.
“I’m just really proud,” McNamara said. “I said before, I thought last year we put together a group that was ready to compete right away, and we lost a lot of close games. This offseason was focused on the frontcourt, which you watched Riley Mulvey play today, Francis Folefac, Tas has been hurt, and Antonio didn’t play, we’ve got the best frontcourt, one of the best frontcourts in our league.
“Listen, your kids in a lot of ways are a reflection of you as a coach, and I couldn’t be prouder in terms of how hard they play. That gives us a chance. So when I took the job at Siena, you’ve got to understand that when I played in college, my understanding, Fran was right behind me. This program was in this tournament. The support from the alumni, from the students, from the fans, it’s real. We’ve got a real thing going in Albany.
“I wanted it to feel and look a certain way, feel a certain way in that locker room, a brotherhood, a family. I wanted it to look a certain way on the court in terms of the fight and the grit, and these kids have done all of it. They’ve done all of it.”
McNamara will be tasked with getting Syracuse back to the Final Four for the first time since the 2015-16 season under Boeheim. Since that campaign, Syracuse has only four total NCAA Tournament wins.