Gerry McNamara, a former Syracuse point guard, led Siena to 23 wins and its first NCAA Tournament bid in 16 years this season. Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images
March 22, 2026 2:23 pm EDT
Syracuse is expected to hire Siena head coach and former Orange star Gerry McNamara as its next men’s basketball head coach, according to multiple reports.
It’s a return home for one of the most beloved players in program history, one who just made his mark in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
McNamara played for Syracuse under coach Jim Boeheim from 2002 to 2006, winning a national championship in 2003 alongside Carmelo Anthony. His No. 3 jersey is retired, and he holds the school records for 3-pointers and minutes played. He spent 2009 to 2024 on the Orange coaching staff, before landing the Siena head coaching job two years ago.
Inheriting a Siena team that had gone 4-28 the year prior, McNamara improved the Saints to 14-18 in his first season. This year, Siena went 23-12, finishing third in the MAAC but winning the MAAC tournament and the automatic NCAA berth. Against Duke on Thursday, No. 16 seed Siena led No. 1 overall seed Duke deep into the second half, before the Blue Devils escaped with a 71-65 win. After the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said McNamara had out-coached him.
McNamara returns to a Syracuse program that is reeling, coming off a 15-17 season and 49-48 record in three years under Adrian Autry, who succeeded Boeheim. The Orange haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2021, their longest stretch out of the Big Dance since the early 1970s.
Concerns over investment in the program in the NIL era have mounted, and at a time when Power 4 schools are devoting more resources to football, it will need to improve if McNamara is to return the Orange to greatness.
Mar 22, 2026
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