It was only a matter of time.
After two seasons serving as Siena’s head coach, Gerry McNamara is returning to his alma mater to replace Adrian Autry as Syracuse’s new head basketball coach.
“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 press release from the school Tuesday morning. “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.”
McNamara is one of this storied program’s most legendary players. He is the Orange’s all-time leader in 3-pointers (400), minutes played (4,799) and free-throw percentage (88.8%).
McNamara also ranks second in career steals (258), third in assists (648) and fourth in points (2,099). His #3 was retired and hoisted into the rafters at the JMA Wireless Dome (formerly known as the Carrier Dome from 1980-2022) in March of 2023.
Along with his fellow freshman Carmelo Anthony, McNamara led Syracuse to an 81-78 win over Kansas in the finals of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. He drained 6-of-10 treys in an 18-point effort for the Orange.
McNamara finished with 19 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds in a 95-84 win over Texas in the Final Four.
After a brief playing career in the professional ranks overseas and in the NBA Development League, McNamara returned to Syracuse as a graduate manager in July of 2009. He was elevated to assistant coach on Jim Boeheim’s staff in November of 2011.
McNamara remained an assistant under Boeheim until the latter’s retirement. He then served as Autry’s top assistant for one season.
In March of 2024, McNamara landed his first head-coaching gig with Siena. After the Saints struggled to a 14-18 record during the 2024-25 campaign, they responded by producing a 23-12 straight-up record and a 21-14 against-the-spread mark.
Siena won the MAAC Tournament to earn a #16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the opening round vs. top-seeded Duke, the Saints led the Blue Devils 43-32 at halftime.
McNamara’s team still had a 61-56 advantage on Duke with 7:20 remaining. From there, however, the Blue Devils outscored Siena 15-4 to win a 71-65 decision.
Nevertheless, Siena easily took the money as a 28.5-point underdog.
“Gerry McNamara’s story is as authentically Syracuse as they come,” said Chancellor-elect J. Michael Haynie. “He came here from Scranton (PA.) with something to prove and became one of the greatest players this program has ever seen and one of the most trusted coaches to sit on our bench. Now he’s coming home with a singular mission: to return Syracuse basketball to where it belongs, among the elite programs in the country. His coaching, recruiting and fundraising prowess, his passion and talent, and his deep belief in what it means to be Orange are exactly what we need. I could not be more excited to welcome Gerry, Katie and their family back to the Hill, and I can’t wait for the tip-off of the 2026-27 season.”
Syracuse has endured back-to-back losing seasons, limping to a 13-25 record in ACC play.