Syracuse Hires Former Player Gerry McNamara as Head Coach

McNamara led Siena to the 2026 NCAA Tournament in his second season as head coach.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 6:33pm

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Syracuse basketball is hiring former guard and assistant Gerry McNamara as its next head coach after he led Siena to the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament. McNamara, whose No. 3 jersey is retired at Syracuse, was an assistant at Syracuse for 15 seasons under legendary coach Jim Boeheim before taking the head coaching job at Siena two years ago.

Why it matters

Syracuse has struggled in recent seasons, failing to reach the NCAA Tournament since 2020-21. The hiring of McNamara, a fan-favorite former player, is an attempt to rebuild the program and return it to its past success.

The details

McNamara led No. 16 seed Siena to the Men's NCAA Tournament in his second season as head coach, where they led No. 1 overall seed Duke by 11 points at halftime before eventually falling 71-65 in the first round. Prior to that, McNamara was an assistant at Syracuse for 15 seasons under legendary coach Jim Boeheim, whom he played for, and Adrian Autry.

  • McNamara was hired as Syracuse's new head coach on March 22, 2026.
  • McNamara led Siena to the 2026 NCAA Tournament in his second season as head coach.

The players

Gerry McNamara

A former Syracuse player whose No. 3 jersey is retired at the school. He was an assistant coach at Syracuse for 15 seasons before becoming the head coach at Siena, where he led the team to the 2026 NCAA Tournament in his second season.

Jim Boeheim

The legendary former head coach of the Syracuse basketball team, under whom McNamara played and coached as an assistant for 15 seasons.

Adrian Autry

The former head coach of the Syracuse basketball team, who was fired after the ACC tournament following three seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Bryan Blair

The newly introduced athletic director at Syracuse, who is hiring McNamara as the new head basketball coach.

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What’s next

McNamara will look to quickly rebuild the Syracuse basketball program and return it to the NCAA Tournament, starting with the 2026-27 season.

The takeaway

The hiring of Gerry McNamara, a beloved former player, is an attempt by Syracuse to revive its struggling basketball program and recapture the success it had during his playing days. McNamara's experience as an assistant coach and his recent success at Siena have earned him this opportunity to lead his alma mater.