Gerry McNamara returns
Syracuse announced the hiring of former standout Gerry McNamara as head coach after his successful run at Siena — the move reunites a program legend with the Orange’s bench. The hire arrives as the coaching carousel accelerates across blue‑blood programs. (espn.com)
Gerry McNamara’s appointment at Syracuse is effective immediately and was approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees on March 24, 2026. McNamara finished the 2025–26 season at Siena with a 23–12 overall record (13–7 MAAC), captured the MAAC tournament title and earned an automatic NCAA bid as a No. 16 seed. Siena pushed No. 1 overall seed Duke to the brink in the East Region first round — leading 43–32 at halftime — before Duke rallied for a 71–65 win on March 19, 2026. Across two seasons at Siena McNamara compiled a 37–30 record and engineered a 10‑win turnaround in his first year, earning recognition as one of 16 finalists for the CollegeInsider.com Joe B. Hall Award. McNamara returns to Syracuse after 14 seasons on Jim Boeheim’s staff and a promotion to associate head coach under Adrian Autry before departing for Siena in March 2024. The hire follows Syracuse’s dismissal of Adrian Autry on March 11, 2026 after three seasons and a 49–48 record, making McNamara the program’s ninth head coach. (upI.com/Sports_News/2026/03/11/Syracuse-fires-basketball-coach-Adrian-Autry/1691773245602)
