Gerry McNamara, who led Syracuse to its lone national title in 2003 as the point guard, was named the school’s head coach on Tuesday.
McNamara, 42, was the head coach at Siena the past two seasons, guiding the Saints to the NCAA Tournament this season after winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. As a No. 16 seed, Siena gave top-seeded Duke a scare in the first round on Thursday before losing 71-65.
Before taking over at Siena, McNamara served as an assistant coach under Jim Boeheim and Adrian Autry for 15 seasons.
“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. “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.”
Along with helping Syracuse win the national title during his freshman season alongside Carmelo Anthony, McNamara holds the program records for 3-pointers (400), 3-point attempts (1,131), free-throw percentage (88.8%) and minutes played (4,799). An All-Big East honoree three times, he started all 135 games of his career from 2002-06. The school retired his No. 3 jersey in 2023.
McNamara returned to his alma mater in 2009 as a graduate assistant, then was elevated to an assistant in 2011 under Boeheim. He received another promotion, to associate head coach, when Autry was named Boeheim’s successor in 2023.
McNamara left for Siena in 2024, posting a 37-30 record in two seasons. Before this spring, the Saints had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2010. The team was 4-23 in the season before McNamara’s arrival.
“Gerry McNamara is who our storied basketball program needs at this important moment,” says Bryan B. Blair, incoming director of athletics. “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.”
Autry, also a former star player at Syracuse, was fired earlier this month after the Orange missed out on the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons at the helm.
Syracuse did not qualify for each of the last five NCAA Tournaments, which represents the school’s longest dry spell since 1967-72. From 1973 to 2021, the Orange participated in 39 of the 48 tournaments.
Siena praised McNamara in a statement issued Tuesday and said a national search for his successor would begin immediately.
“Gerry led our Saints with character, grace, and integrity, and built a basketball program that our community was proud of, while reinvigorating our fan base.” the statement read.
“While we would have loved for him to stay at Siena and build upon the success he created, we recognize the unique opportunity for Gerry to return to his alma mater, where he won a National Championship.”
