Syracuse announces Gerry McNamara as its next head basketball coach

Syracuse officially announced Gerry McNamara as their ninth head coach in school history on Tuesday morning.

McNamara arrives back at Syracuse following two seasons leading Siena. In his second season, he led the Saints to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, and his 16th-seeded team nearly upset No. 1 Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

McNamara is one of the most celebrated players of all time, having played at SU from 2002-06. He was also on Syracuse's coaching staff from 2009-2024, serving under Jim Boeheim and Red Autry. Autry was fired earlier in March following three uneven seasons at Syracuse.

"I love this place. I love what Syracuse means: to the fans, to the players who have worn this jersey, to the people of Central New York. This program has given me everything, and I am ready to give everything back to it," McNamara said in a release. "College basketball has changed. How you build a program, recruit talent, compete for resources and win looks different than it did even five years ago. I know that. I'm ready for it. What hasn't changed is what Orange Nation expects, and what this place deserves. We are going to build something special here."

Syracuse has had big changes in the past month

The move comes following a flurry of activity from the Syracuse administration. In March, the University announced a new chancellor (Michael Haynie), a new athletics director (Bryan Blair) and now McNamara, its new head basketball coach.

"Gerry McNamara is who our storied basketball program needs at this important moment," Blair said in a release. "In every conversation, his competitive fire and passion was undeniable—it's simply part of his DNA. He returns to Syracuse as a proven Division I head coach who led a program through a turnaround and back to the NCAA Tournament. At every stop in his playing and coaching journey, he has elevated those around him—student-athletes, staff and the broader community—through his energy, his standards and his ability to connect. While Gerry's deep connection to Syracuse is meaningful, it's simply a bonus to what he brings as a coach and leader. He honors our past, but he is driven to build for the future. This is a critical moment for Syracuse basketball, and it will take all of us—everyone connected to Syracuse University, Syracuse Athletics and Central New York—locking arms and supporting this program like never before. We welcome Gerry home and can't wait to see where he takes our program."

McNamara is the program's all-time career leader in made 3-pointers (400), free throw percentage (.888) and minutes played (4,799) and ranks among the all-time leaders in assists, steals and scoring. He was part of the 2003 National Championship team, earning All-Final Four honors after hitting six 3-pointers against Kansas in the title game as a freshman.

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