‘I came back to change that’: McNamara addresses 5-year March Madness drought
At his introductory press conference Monday, Gerry McNamara addressed SU’s five-year NCAA Tournament drought and his desire to break it. Zoey Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Gerry McNamara spent 19 seasons as either a player or assistant coach Syracuse men’s basketball seasons. The Orange made the NCAA Tournament in 13 of those years.
McNamara takes over a program amid a five-year March Madness drought — SU’s longest since a six-year slip from the 1966-67 season through the 1971-72 campaign.
“That’s a shame. I came back to change that,” McNamara said of the drought. “Part of being in college at Syracuse as a student is that the basketball team needs to be good. That should be a non-negotiable. That should be part of your journey as a student.”
When asked about the pressure that comes with being the “savior” of Syracuse’s program, McNamara said it’s no more pressure than he already puts on himself. He understands the pressure, he said, and has high expectations for his team because he knows what SU is capable of being.
McNamara sees the student experience as part of that.
“It should be so much fun, because the basketball team is so good,” McNamara said. “I was a player when we were, and I’m telling you right now, this place was jumping.”
After helping the Orange to a national title alongside Carmelo Anthony as a freshman, McNamara helped them to three more March Madness appearances and two Big East Tournament titles.
"I came back to change that."
A student reporter who is graduating in May told Gerry McNamara he never saw Syracuse play an NCAA tournament game. His response is exactly what Cuse fans want to hear 🍊🔥 pic.twitter.com/SljpakrpzA
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 30, 2026
When he walked into the Miron Victory Court, which was filled with 2,000 fans to welcome him, McNamara joked that it was like an old Syracuse vs. Georgetown game at the Carrier Dome, flooded with so many fans that they couldn’t even see parts of the court from certain vantage points.
McNamara reminisced further on the first time he visited Syracuse in the summer of 2000. He saw the Dome during a summer camp and knew right away he’d join the Orange if he was offered. McNamara went home and imagined a “packed house, championships and making 3s.” All three happened. He’s trying to return SU to that success.
The Daily Orange asked incoming Director of Athletics Bryan Blair at his introductory press conference on March 19 about his message to the student body amid the NCAA Tournament drought. The Orange hadn’t yet hired a men’s basketball coach, but Blair was confident they’d get things right.
“I’d invite them to come be a part of it. Don’t sit on the sidelines and just watch,” Blair said of students. “I talk about weaponizing the Dome. Those students are a big part of making that experience unforgettable for our opponents and making sure they don’t walk in here and have success.”
McNamara pointed to an impressive statistic for Syracuse’s program that is on the edge of collapsing. The Orange have made the Final Four in each decade since the 1970s, when Jim Lee and Rudy Hackett led the Orange to San Diego in the 1974-75 season. McNamara acknowledged SU is running thin on time in the 2020s.
It only took the head coach two years to flip Siena from a four-win program to the NCAA Tournament, but McNamara sees what’s at stake for the SU’s historic pedigree. The Saints improved their record by 10 wins from 2023-24 to 2024-25. They jumped another nine wins from 2024-25 to 2025-26.
McNamara said he obviously wants to get SU totally turned around in his first year, but there at least needs to be some positive signs,” McNamara said. “The trajectory must be upward. And then momentum can take over.
“It needs to change,” McNamara said. “I know that, and I’m going to do my best to work my rear end off to change it.”
