Syracuse reportedly targeting former player Gerry McNamara as its next men's basketball coach Syracuse University is finalizing a deal to hire former player Gerry McNamara as its next men’s basketball head coach following the dismissal of Adrian Autry. The move comes after Syracuse finished the 2025-26 season with a 15-17 record and a six-game losing streak, including four consecutive losses to unranked opponents. McNamara, who previously coached Siena to a 23-12 record and an NCAA tournament berth, is set to replace Autry, who led the Orange for his first season after taking over from legendary coach Jim Boeheim. McNamara’s coaching career at Siena saw the Saints improve from 14-18 in his debut season to 23-12 in 2025, securing a spot in the MAAC tournament. The team advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they faced No. 1 Duke in a historic matchup. Despite a 71-65 loss, Siena led Duke by 11 points at halftime, the largest halftime lead ever recorded by a No. 16 seed against a No. 1 team. However, the Saints’ depth was severely impacted when starter Antonio Chandler was ruled ineligible, a decision the NCAA attributed to an “institutional mistake” by Siena. Before joining Siena, McNamara spent his entire college coaching career at Syracuse, returning in 2009 as a graduate manager and later serving as an assistant. He became associate head coach for the 2023-24 season. McNamara’s playing career at Syracuse included a standout 2003 NCAA championship season, where he averaged 13.3 points per game as a four-year starter and a three-time All-Big East selection. Autry’s first season as Syracuse’s head coach saw the Orange go 20-12, but the team’s performance declined to 14-19 in 2024-25. Syracuse has not advanced beyond the Sweet 16 since 2021 and has not secured an NCAA tournament berth higher than a No.#syracuse_university #gerry_mcnamara #adrian_autry #jim_boeheim #maac_tournament
