Gerry McNamara Explains Urgent Blueprint to Revive Syracuse Basketball

“I feel the need. The need for speed.” Tom Cruise said it best. Even if Top Gun is inexplicably 40 years old, it is an excellent explanation of what we all want. We want things done fast. We are impatient. Especially in an age of technology where information can be found in a second, everything is available for delivery and social media provides reactions in real time.

The same applies to our college sports teams. With the advent of NIL and the expansion of the transfer portal, nothing is off the table. There is no time for a rebuild. Rosters can be turned over in a single offseason. Results can be demanded immediately, fair or not.

Gerry McNamara recognizes it. He actually seems to embrace it. The new Syracuse men’s basketball coach made waves on Wednesday with his breakdown of how to turn around a program “fast.”

McNamara, like the fan base, is impatient

The whole clip is worth a watch, but I found his expectations to be the most telling. McNamara said, “My demand is to win right away.... I'm impatient.” He understands the expectation for Syracuse to turn things around right away. The Orange is currently in its longest postseason drought since the early 70s. ‘Cuse last made the NCAA tournament in 2021.

Getting back to March Madness is a major priority for this squad. For a program with as much storied history as Syracuse, missing the tournament five straight years is simply unacceptable.

Despite his willingness to embrace the pressure to succeed immediately, McNamara did provide a slightly longer-term viewpoint as well. He pointed out that Siena, his former team, didn’t have the best record in his first season, but that they were very competitive in every game. He explained that it laid the foundation for the team’s major surge in his second season, which resulted in a MAAC tournament title, a trip to the NCAA tournament and a near upset of top-seeded Duke.

The juxtaposition is obvious

While none of that truly matters for the Orange until McNamara shows he can accomplish the same things at Syracuse, it is amazing to see the juxtaposition of McNamara with former head coach Adrian Autry. The latter had never been a head coach prior to taking the top job for ‘Cuse. McNamara has head-coaching experience, even though it was only two years at a mid-major. His understanding of the transfer portal, building a team culture and establishing a foundation - he called it a “core,” already gives him a massive leg up from where Autry was ahead of his first year.

McNamara is attempting to find the balance between building a sustainable program and immediate improvement. The coach also doubled down on making Syracuse “nationally relevant” again. It’s a lofty and subjective goal, but one that McNamara clearly feels is worth repeating to fans. Given the state of the roster and the ACC, that one feels a lot less likely to occur this season, but it feels viable long term.

While he still has to prove it on the court, it is reassuring to see McNamara aiming for bigger goals in the near future. Patience is required, but hopefully not for long.

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