Former Syracuse Heir Mike Hopkins' Siena Coaching Hire Hits Snag

The deal for the ex-Washington head coach to take over the Siena men's basketball team appears to have fallen through.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 6:18pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a college basketball game, with the players and court broken down into overlapping geometric shapes in muted blue, green, and orange tones, conveying a sense of uncertainty and transition.The unexpected collapse of a high-profile coaching hire deal leaves the future of a small college basketball program in flux.Syracuse Today

Mike Hopkins, the former heir apparent to the Syracuse men's basketball head coaching job and most recently the head coach at Washington, was expected to be hired as the new head coach of the Siena College men's basketball team. However, according to multiple reports, the deal has now fallen through and Hopkins is unlikely to take the Siena job.

Why it matters

Hopkins was seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks after serving as an assistant under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse for over a decade. His potential hire at Siena was viewed as a major coup for the small MAAC program, but the breakdown of the deal is a setback for Siena and raises questions about Hopkins' future coaching plans.

The details

According to MAAC reporter Sam Federman, sources indicate that the deal for Hopkins to become the new Siena head coach is now unlikely to happen, though the specific reasons for the change are unclear. Hopkins had been expected to take over the Siena program after spending the last five seasons as the head coach at the University of Washington.

  • On March 29, 2026, reports surfaced that Hopkins was close to being hired as the new Siena head coach.
  • As of March 29, 2026, the deal for Hopkins to take the Siena job is now considered unlikely to happen.

The players

Mike Hopkins

A former assistant coach at Syracuse University who was viewed as the heir apparent to the head coaching job there. He most recently served as the head coach of the University of Washington men's basketball team.

Siena College

A small private college located in Loudonville, New York that competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for men's basketball.

Sam Federman

A reporter who covers the MAAC conference and broke the news that the deal for Hopkins to become the Siena 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

The takeaway

The breakdown of the deal for Mike Hopkins to become the new head coach of the Siena men's basketball team is a surprising development, as he was widely expected to take the job. It remains to be seen where Hopkins' coaching career will go next, and what this means for the future direction of the Siena program.