Former Syracuse Heir Mike Hopkins' Siena Coaching Hire Hits Snag

The ex-Washington head coach's move to the MAAC school now appears unlikely to happen.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 5:08pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented basketball court scene, with overlapping shapes and planes in shades of orange, blue, and purple, conceptually representing the twists and turns of the Syracuse coaching saga.The complex coaching carousel involving Syracuse and its former assistants takes another unexpected turn.New Orleans Today

Mike Hopkins, the former heir apparent to the Syracuse head coaching job, was reportedly close to being hired as the new men's basketball coach at Siena College. However, multiple sources have now indicated that the deal is unlikely to go through, with the reasons for the change in plans still unclear.

Why it matters

Hopkins was seen as the natural successor to legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, but when Boeheim stayed on longer than expected, Hopkins left for the head coaching job at Washington. His potential move to Siena would have reunited him with former Syracuse assistant Gerry McNamara, who just took the head coaching job at his alma mater. The collapse of the Siena deal is another twist in the complex coaching carousel involving Syracuse and its former coaches.

The details

According to MAAC reporter Sam Federman, the deal for Hopkins to become the new Siena head coach is now unlikely to happen, though the specific reasons are unknown. Hopkins had been expected to replace Gerry McNamara, who just left Siena to become the new head coach at Syracuse, his alma mater. Hopkins and McNamara overlapped as assistants under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, leading to speculation of a natural coaching handoff. However, that plan appears to have fallen through, leaving Siena still searching for its next head coach.

  • On Sunday afternoon, MAAC reporter Sam Federman posted on X about the unlikely nature of the Hopkins-Siena deal.

The players

Mike Hopkins

A former assistant coach at Syracuse who was expected to eventually succeed Jim Boeheim as the Orange's head coach. Hopkins instead left for the head coaching job at the University of Washington, where he had a 118-106 record before taking an NBA assistant role with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Gerry McNamara

A former Syracuse player and assistant coach who just accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater, replacing the retiring Jim Boeheim. McNamara was expected to be succeeded at Siena by Hopkins, his former Syracuse colleague.

Jim Boeheim

The legendary head coach of the Syracuse men's basketball team, who stayed in his position longer than originally planned, leading to Hopkins' departure for Washington.

Sam Federman

A reporter covering the MAAC conference, who broke the news on X that the deal for Hopkins to become Siena's new head coach is now unlikely to happen.

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What they’re saying

“Things can change quickly. Hearing from multiple sources now that this is unlikely to happen.”

— Sam Federman, MAAC Reporter

What’s next

It remains to be seen who Siena will hire as its next head men's basketball coach, now that the expected hiring of Mike Hopkins appears to have fallen through.

The takeaway

The coaching carousel involving Syracuse and its former assistants continues, with the collapse of Mike Hopkins' expected move to Siena College another twist in the saga. The reasons behind the change of plans are still unclear, but it leaves Siena searching for a new head coach to replace the departing Gerry McNamara.