The Daily Orange’s top stories on Gerry McNamara
As McNamara is set to become SU’s next head coach, here are The Daily Orange’s top stories on McNamara over the years. Meghan Hendricks | Daily Orange File Photo
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Syracuse hired program legend Gerry McNamara as its ninth-ever men’s basketball head coach on Tuesday. McNamara spent the last two seasons as Siena’s head coach, where he led the Saints to the NCAA Tournament this year.
Before Siena, McNamara helped the Orange to their only NCAA title as a freshman in 2003 and served on SU’s coaching staff from 2009-2024.
Here are the top stories from The Daily Orange on McNamara’s playing and coaching career:
2003 Run
McNamara’s 3-point stroke develops from practice with father
McNamara burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2003, leading Syracuse alongside fellow freshman Carmelo Anthony. The Scranton, Pennsylvania, native’s 3-point shooting stroke was developed back home with his father. He tallied 400 total 3s across four years with the Orange, leading the Big East as a sophomore (105) and junior (107).
McNamara is SU’s freeloader
As a freshman, McNamara averaged 13.3 points per game. He tallied 90 points off free throws, making a Big East-best 90.9% of attempts from the charity stripe. “There’s not a thing I hate more than missing a free throw,” McNamara said. The Orange ranked 361st in the country during the 2025-26 season with a 64.8% mark.
McNamara’s game-winning 3 lifts SU to win over Notre Dame
As Syracuse surged closer toward March Madness, it fell to UConn by 14 points on Feb. 10. In need of a bounce-back five days later, McNamara found himself wide open with under a minute to go against Notre Dame. He drained a 3 to put the Orange ahead in the end.
Legacy
McNamara earns permanent place in Scranton’s heart
While McNamara played for the Orange, he had an avid rooting base in his hometown of Scranton. He developed his game in his backyard on a small elevated stage of pavement and grew into a local celebrity. That notoriety and hometown support followed him when he played for Syracuse.
15 years after arriving at Syracuse, Gerry McNamara still beloved in hometown
McNamara put Scranton on the college basketball map by starring for the Orange in March Madness. Years after he left his hometown for Syracuse, he’s still renowned as an icon back home. During and after he starred for SU, The D.O. went to Scranton to check out McNamara’s childhood home, and the places he’s honored with framed jerseys and more.
‘THE MAYOR OF SCRANTON’: Gerry McNamara’s illustrious Syracuse career is finally honored with jersey retirement
Seventeen years after his playing career at SU ended, the university honored McNamara by retiring his jersey in 2023. As an assistant on the staff at the time, McNamara shared the moment with his players. Quadir Copeland told McNamara to “stay gangsta” and to hold back tears.
Is Gerry Overrated?
Is Gerry Overrated?: Ramsey: Weaknesses there all along
Is Gerry Overrated?: Berman: Intangibles make him invaluable
The debate caused controversy, to say the least. Late in McNamara’s senior season, as his 3-point percentage dipped drastically from his junior campaign, The D.O. ran dueling columns to ask whether McNamara is overrated.
D.O. writer Ethan Ramsey argued that McNamara is overrated, citing his decline and weaknesses that don’t allow him to be a dominant player. D.O. writer Zach Berman said McNamara isn’t overrated, even adding that he’s invaluable to Syracuse’s success.
Boeheim refutes media claims McNamara is overrated
The columns ran toward the end of the regular season. Ahead of the Big East Tournament, syracuse.com — The Post Standard ran a poll of assistant coaches around the league. They voted McNamara as the most overrated player in the conference. McNamara sported an orange T-shirt with the phrase “overrated?!!” on it. After SU beat Cincinnati in the tournament’s first round, Jim Boeheim supported McNamara.
“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,” Boeheim said.
MAGIC IN MANHATTAN: An oral history: 10 years ago, Gerry McNamara pioneered Syracuse to history in the 2006 Big East tournament
What followed Boeheim’s tirade was an improbable Big East Tournament run. As the No. 9 seed, Syracuse won the whole thing. One of McNamara’s signature moments that week at Madison Square Garden was a game-winner to take down No. 1 seed UConn. Ten years after the improbable running 3-pointer and four-straight wins, The D.O. gathered all the perspectives on the entire saga.
Other senior season notes
SENIOR CITIZEN: Gerry McNamara is Syracuse’s lone senior starter in a Big East stacked with veteran contributors
Most of Syracuse’s 2003 national championship team didn’t have to face the burden that followed. Anthony moved on to the NBA, and other key contributors were already upperclassmen. McNamara played three more years for the Orange after the national title and was SU’s only senior to play all four years on the 2005-06 roster. Today, it’s a rarity to have any player in a program for all four seasons.
On Sunday, Gerry McNamara will play his final home game in the Carrier Dome — one last time for Syracuse fans to pay homage to the culture Gerry McNamara’s created
McNamara raised his framed jersey skyward in the Carrier Dome as tears poured down his face. It was senior day, and McNamara took in a hero’s welcome for his final game at the then-Carrier Dome. Ahead of the game, The D.O. analyzed McNamara’s moment and why the guard earned it.
Coaching move:
Syracuse legend McNamara returns as graduate manager
McNamara’s post-college playing career took him to the NBA’s developmental league and overseas. When the well ran dry, McNamara jumped into coaching. What better place than at his alma mater? He joined Syracuse’s staff as a graduate assistant in 2009.
‘A dream scenario’: 5 years after magical run, McNamara happy in quiet spotlight as coach
McNamara continued to drive up the coaching ranks over the years as the Orange consistently found themselves in March Madness. He stayed out of the spotlight despite just a few years earlier being at the center of it. McNamara knew what was to come.
“To me, the spotlight is never me. The spotlight is Syracuse,” McNamara said. “To me, the spotlight is Syracuse, and I feel like I am in the spotlight. The reason I love what I’m doing is because I am doing it where I love to be. Because I care so much about this.”
16 years after national title win with Syracuse, Gerry McNamara can still shoot
McNamara was way out of his playing days in 2019. Yet as an assistant coach, McNamara often found ways to get involved in the Carmelo K. Anthony Center, whether from shooting competitions to full-court runs with student managers.
STILL HERE: Gerry McNamara has remained consistent through promotion to associate head coach
Once Boeheim retired and Adrian Autry took over as head coach, it became inevitable that McNamara would soon be on the way out for his own head coaching opportunity. He was elevated to associate head coach for the 2023-24 season, taking on added responsibilities and preparing him for the eventual move to Siena.
Gerry McNamara named head coach at Siena College
McNamara didn’t have to go too far for his first head coaching opportunity. He went just a few hours away to lead the Saints. He replaced Carmen Maciariello after Siena went 4-28.
“(McNamara’s) appointment is not just about restoring championship success – a standard our fans rightly anticipate – but it also symbolizes Siena’s ascent in the broader collegiate landscape,” Siena College President Dr. Charles Seifert said in a statement after McNamara’s hiring.
Gerry McNamara forges new path at Siena after 19 seasons with SU
Leaving Syracuse after 15 years as a coach and four others as a player wasn’t easy for McNamara. But if he wanted to reach his full potential as a coach, it’s what he needed to do.
“There’s a small window for you individually to challenge yourself professionally, and I had a small window that I needed to capitalize on,” McNamara said of taking the job at Siena.
