Gerry McNamara to be next head coach of Syracuse basketball

McNamara, who played and coached at Syracuse, will return to Central New York after two seasons at Siena.

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Siena Saints head coach Gerry McNamara answers questions during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Syracuse's basketball coaching search has come to a close.

According to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Orange is expected to announce Siena coach Gerry McNamara has its next head coach.

McNamara is coming off his second season leading Siena. He took the Saints to the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a 23-12 record, and 13-7 in the MAAC in the 2025-26 season.

McNamara's 16th-seeded Saints nearly upset No. 1 Duke

Despite being seeded 16th and facing No. 1 Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, McNamara's team lead for a majority of the game before the Blue Devils ultimately pulled away for a 71-65 victory.

He finishes with a 37-30 record at Siena after taking a program over that had won just four games in the season prior to his arrival.

It was Siena's first NCAA Tournament apperance since the 2010 season.

McNamara has a long history with Syracuse

McNamara's history with Syracuse is unquestioned. During his playing career from 2002-06, he was named to the All-Big East team three times, and finished fourth in points scored (2,099), first in minutes played (4781), second in steals (258), and third in assists (648) in SU history.

He finished with averages of 15.5 point and 4.8 assists in 135 games. In the 2003 national championship game against Kansas, his six first half 3-pointers set the tone in a 81-78 win over the Jayhawks.

After a brief professional stint, McNamara returned to the Orange coaching staff in 2009. He was first a graduate manager under Jim Boeheim before being promoted to an assistant coach in 2011 and the associate head coach under Adrian Autry in 2023.

He spent one season under Autry before deciding to leave for the head coaching position at Siena.

McNamara replaces Autry

Autry was fired on March 11 following three uneven seasons at Syracuse.

Autry finished his head coaching career at his alma mater with a record of 49-48, and 15-17 in the 2025-26 season. It was a disappointing season for the Orange, who finished 14th in the ACC standings at 6-12 despite being picked ninth in the preseason. 

Syracuse’s season ended with a first-round loss to SMU in the ACC Tournament. They have now missed the NCAA Tournament every season since 2021, and have posted back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1969.

McNamara will be charged with getting Syracuse back to being a consistent winner.

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