In a move that brings a program legend home, Syracuse University is finalizing a deal to hire Gerry McNamara as its next men’s basketball head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The announcement comes just days after McNamara, 42, nearly engineered one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tournament history with Siena.
McNamara, who spent 19 years at Syracuse as a player and assistant coach, leaves Siena after two seasons. He was officially named the 19th head coach in Siena program history on March 29, 2024. In his second year, he led the Saints to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010, where as a No. 16 seed they took top-seeded Duke to the wire before falling 72-68 on Thursday, March 19.
“He outcoached me,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer admitted after the game, according to multiple reports. McNamara, who was seen wheeling himself out of the arena after the loss due to an apparent leg injury, received widespread praise for his tactical game plan. He played his starters almost the entire contest, making only one substitution in the final seconds.
The speculation about McNamara’s return to Syracuse intensified throughout the tournament. Before the Duke game, he addressed the rumors as “inevitable” but insisted his focus was solely on Siena’s challenge. His performance against a national powerhouse, however, solidified his candidacy. Jim Boeheim, his former coach and boss, stated McNamara “did everything he could do to win” in the near-upset.
McNamara’s deep roots at Syracuse are undeniable. He arrived as a freshman in 2002 and became a star, finishing his playing career as the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers, games started, minutes played, and free-throw percentage. After a brief professional career, he returned to the program in 2009 as a graduate assistant, rising to a full-time assistant role under Boeheim from 2011 until his departure for Siena in 2024.
At Siena, he inherited a program coming off its worst season and instilled a winning mentality, culminating in this year’s March Madness berth. His coaching staff in Loudonville was notably Syracuse-centric, featuring former Orange players Arinze Onuaku and Scoop Jardine.
The hiring marks a new chapter for Syracuse basketball, turning to a beloved alumnus whose coaching stock soared on the national stage just this week. The official announcement from Syracuse University is expected imminently.