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He’s back.

After a successful two-year stint coaching Siena, Gerry McNamara has been hired as Syracuse’s new head coach, returning to the program he once starred for as a player.

McNamara reentered the spotlight this season, leading the Saints to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament title and earning an NCAA Tournament bid. Those were the finishing touches that led SU to hand McNamara the keys to its basketball program — one in need of significant restoration.

Before McNamara builds a new-look staff and roster, here’s a look at his basketball journey so far:

2002: McNamara helps form star freshman class

The 10-by-20-foot pavement in the McNamara family’s backyard was intended to be a patio with a roof on top. But Gerard McNamara instead decided to “get the boys a basket.” There, his son Gerry began honing his craft.

By the time McNamara reached high school, he was already a star at Bishop Hannan High School and established himself as a Scranton, Pennsylvania, legend. The scrappy 6-foot-2 point guard was heavily recruited by Duke, North Carolina, Seton Hall and Florida. But in the end, he chose Syracuse.

“I think that when I decided on Syracuse, there was a little relief throughout the family,” McNamara told The Daily Orange in 2002. “They knew it was the best school for me.”

When he arrived on campus in 2002, McNamara was part of a five-player freshman class for the Orange alongside Carmelo Anthony, Billy Edelin, Matt Gorman and Xzavier Gaines.

April 2003: McNamara helps SU capture 1st national title

McNamara scored all 18 of his points in the first half of the 2003 National Championship against Kansas, helping Syracuse lead by as many as 18 points. While McNamara was silenced in the second half, a double-double from Anthony and a game-winning block from sophomore Hakim Warrick helped SU down the Jayhawks 81-78 for the program’s elusive first title.

On the season, McNamara averaged 13.3 points, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game and started all 35 of the Orange’s games. The point guard was a unanimous pick for the Big East All-Rookie Team, while he was also named to the All-Final Four Team.

After failing to reach the 2002 NCAA Tournament, SU’s two leading scorers didn’t return to the program. A year later, following Anthony and McNamara’s arrivals, the Orange were national champions.

“Even though we were, I think, the youngest team in the NCAA tournament that year, we never used age as an excuse,” McNamara told The D.O. in a September 2025 interview. “I think our biggest strength was that we all complemented one another, played for each other and wanted to win above all else. We were willing to sacrifice anything we needed to to accomplish that.”

Gerry McNamara signs a copy of the Syracuse Post-Standard following the 2003 National Championship. McNamara started as a freshman that year, averaging 13.3 points per game. Daily Orange Archive

2003-05: Leads Big East in 3s during sophomore, junior years

McNamara’s role in Syracuse’s offense increased significantly after Anthony departed for the NBA after one season. Throughout his sophomore season, which culminated in a Second-Team All-Big East selection, McNamara averaged a career-best 17.2 points per game while breaking SU’s single-season 3-point record and leading the conference with 105 triples. While the Orange won 23 games, they fell in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.

While McNamara’s 3-point percentage dipped as a junior, he launched a career-high 9.3 triples and set a new program record with 107 makes from deep, again leading the Big East. The point guard earned his first All-Big East First Team selection, helping lead the Orange to their fourth Big East Tournament title and 27 wins. However, SU was upset by Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

March 2006: Senior year Big East Tournament run

McNamara was already a Syracuse legend before the 2005-06 postseason. He received a massive ovation on senior day and even shed a tear. But, as the Orange entered Madison Square Garden, they were the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament and needed a few wins to make the NCAA Tournament.

What ensued was a legacy-defining four-day slate, where McNamara hit multiple game-winners and led SU all the way to the Big East title. Throughout the week, a narrative that McNamara was overrated gained traction after dueling columns from The D.O. and an assistant coaches poll from The Post-Standard. McNamara quieted the doubters and delivered.

“Without Gerry McNamara, we wouldn’t have won 10 f—ing games this year. OK? Not 10. These other guys just aren’t ready. They needed him. Without him there, not 10,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after SU’s Big East Tournament-opening win over Cincinnati.

Gerry McNamara dribbles a basketball, defended by an opposing player. McNamara spent four years as Syracuse’s starting point guard, and earned three All-Big East selections. Daily Orange Archive

July 2009: Becomes Syracuse graduate manager

McNamara’s coaching career began just ahead of the 2009-10 season as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. After his four years starring for Syracuse as a player, McNamara went undrafted and didn’t earn a contract from the Orlando Magic’s summer program. He played overseas for a few stints and nearly made the Utah Jazz roster in 2008.

As a graduate manager, McNamara learned under Boeheim and Mike Hopkins while mentoring players himself. It was his first official position with SU.

“It’s kind of funny, the day I came back, I felt more comfortable,” McNamara said at the time. “You kind of fall into your old mold and the only difference is, I live off-campus now instead of on-campus. I feel comfortable here and I’m happy here, and the reason I came back is because I love Syracuse basketball.”

November 2011: Joins Syracuse coaching staff as assistant

In November 2011, McNamara was elevated to an assistant coaching role when then-assistant coach Bernie Fine was placed on administrative leave after sexual assault allegations.

As an assistant from 2011-23, McNamara recruited SU’s guards and contributed to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. His role only grew when Hopkins left for Washington in 2016.

“His goal is to be the best coach that ever coached that game,” his father, Gerard, told The D.O. a few months before his elevation to assistant coach. “That’s who he is. That’s what he does.”

March 2023: Jersey retirement, named SU’s associate head coach

When his 14th season on the coaching staff neared an end, Syracuse retired McNamara’s No. 3 on March 4, 2023 — 20 years after helping the Orange win the national championship.

“It was never on my mind as a player,” McNamara said about getting his jersey retired. “It was just always about winning, and I’m proud of my career because that’s all I stood for.”

Eleven days later, in the aftermath of Boeheim’s retirement and Adrian Autry’s elevation to head coach, McNamara was named Syracuse’s associate head coach. The original plan was for Hopkins — one of McNamara’s mentors — to succeed Boeheim in 2018, but he instead became Washington’s head coach in 2017, and Autry was elevated to associate head coach.

With Autry leading the Orange and McNamara as his right-hand man, the program won 20 games for the first time in five years during the 2023-24 campaign but missed its third straight March Madness.

Gerry McNamara, donning a black tracksuit, coaches his Siena squad from the sidelines. McNamara spent two years with the Saints, leading Siena to its first NCAA Tournament apperance in sixteen years. Courtesy of Josh Miller | Siena University

March 2024: Becomes Siena head coach

After one season as Syracuse’s associate head coach, McNamara earned his first-ever head coaching gig with Siena University in 2024. Following 19 years at Syracuse, McNamara traveled a bit east to guide the in-state, mid-major university — one that needed a major revival after the Saints finished 4-28 under former coach Carmen Maciariello.

In a December 2024 interview with The D.O., McNamara said he chose to take over Siena’s program because it was a necessary building block for his coaching career.

“Everybody gets to a point as an assistant where you feel you learned what you need to do and you just got to get the opportunity (to become a head coach),” Boeheim said of McNamara’s move to Siena.

March 2026: Leads Siena to MAAC title, near Duke upset

McNamara’s feisty No. 16 seed Saints may have lost their upset bid to No. 1 seed Duke in this year’s NCAA Tournament round of 64, but the feat emphatically reintroduced him to the college basketball world.

After Siena completed a stunning turnaround in 2025-26, winning 23 games and capturing the MAAC title in its second season under McNamara, it faced off against Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils to begin March Madness. Duke was the tournament’s top overall seed, but by game’s end, Scheyer admitted defeat to McNamara.

“G-Mac, he outcoached me,” Scheyer said. “They were more ready to play, and the readiness and toughness by our guys to weather that storm in the second half, I’m proud of them.”

Despite beating Siena 71-65, Scheyer felt the Saints — who led by 11 points at halftime — were more prepared than his guys. Duke escaped round one, though not without a major scare in McNamara’s final act as Siena head coach.

March 2026: Returns to Syracuse, hired as head coach

Two days after McNamara’s most recent March Madness moment, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Syracuse had hired him as its next head coach. The Orange fired their previous head coach, Autry, on March 11, following three years at the helm and zero NCAA Tournament appearances. The university ultimately turned to another basketball alumnus, bringing back to lead the program.

McNamara logged a 37-30 record as Siena’s head coach to go with an NCAA Tournament appearance and MAAC championship. Autry’s Syracuse team was often ridiculed for being behind on name, image and likeness funding. In McNamara’s first statement after being hired, he expressed confidence that he can thrive in college basketball’s modern landscape at SU.

“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,” McNamara said in a press release. “What hasn’t changed is what Orange Nation expects, and what this place deserves. We are going to build something special here.”

Published on March 26, 2026 at 1:09 am