If it wasn’t obvious already, it is now: Syracuse needs to hire Gerry McNamara as their next head coach. Yes, the same Gerry McNamara that was drilling 3-pointers all over the then-named Carrier Dome in the early 2000s. McNamara led Siena to the NCAA Tournament and nearly won one of the greatest upsets in March Madness history. His No. 16 seed Saints valiantly fell to No. 1 overall seed Duke 71-65 on Thursday and Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer had the biggest endorsement for McNamara.
“G-Mac, he outcoached me,” Scheyer told CBS after the win.
"G-Mac, he outcoached me."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 19, 2026
Jon Scheyer told @TracyWolfson that there's a lot Duke can learn from this game. pic.twitter.com/DHUzWEkMRM
Bryan Blair if you’re listening, this is your sign to turn your attention to a former player. I’m always skeptical of former players coming back to play for their school, but in this case, McNamara has proved exactly why Syracuse would be foolish to pass up on him.
Why Gerry McNamara would be the best hire for Syracuse basketball
There might not be a better option for a coach to get Syracuse back to its roots like McNamara. Jim Boeheim had Syracuse as the pinnacle of basketball in the Big East and ACC. McNamara played under Boeheim during Syracuse’s heyday, which is exactly the mentality Syracuse needs again. They haven’t been relevant for years and McNamara feels like the only person that can get the Orange back to their peak.
That’s the positive to bringing in a former player to coach. He knows the culture he played in and how to bring that back out. The same life Penny Hardaway instilled in Memphis when he arrived, McNamara can do the same for Syracuse. He’s beloved in the city and would get a longer leash than most coaches to turn things around.
Because Syracuse is in such a bad position, it makes hiring a former player that much more enticing. After all, if he could lead Siena back to the NCAA Tournament and even nearly pull off the big upset, it’s more reason why the Orange shouldn’t hesitate with what seems to be inevitable.
Jon Scheyer’s glowing endorsement for Gerry McNamara is the only sign Syracuse needs
McNamara’s NCAA Tournament debut as a coach was everything it needed to be, considering he was coaching a 16 seeded team with only seven available scholarship players. Sure, he didn’t get the win, but he took five starters who played all 40 minutes and kept them toe-to-toe with Duke. The fact that Scheyer feels he was outcoached by McNamara (and to be clear, he was) is proof he’s good enough as a coach to take on a bigger program.
Usually a coach like McNamara probably wouldn’t make the jump from mid-major to a former powerhouse, but this situation is different. And the fact that Syracuse needs something to be excited for is all the reason they should hire him.
This past season, the Saints won the Mid Atlantic Athletic Conference title for the time since their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010. In two seasons, McNamara turned Siena into an NCAA Tournament team. He left his post as an assistant coach at his alma mater to prove he deserves to be a head coach. After Thursday, he proved he’s ready to lead the team he used to play for.
Syracuse didn’t need to hear Scheyer’s comments after the game to know that McNamara was their guy. But just in case they did, now they have no reason not to give the former player and assistant a chance as the head coach.