Siena head coach Gerry McNamara during a game against Marist on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Chants of “G-Mac” filled Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall as Siena men’s basketball coach Gerry McNamara cut down the net after winning a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship earlier this month.
After that, McNamara and his players captivated the college basketball world last Thursday, almost slaying goliath Duke in the NCAA Tournament.
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Gavin Doty of Siena with a dunk against Quinnipiac at MVP Arena in Albany, NY on Friday, February 13, 2026. Stephen Weaver/For the Times Union
Stephen Weaver
Siena men’s basketball coach Gerry McNamara speaks during the annual “Sneak Preview” of the basketball programs on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
How quickly things change with the college coaching carousel.
Now, McNamara is going home to Syracuse to try to revive his alma mater’s program and Siena is looking for its next head coach. Syracuse University officially named McNamara as its head coach on Tuesday morning, bringing the Orange legend back after he turned around the Saints in two seasons.
McNamara improved the Saints from 4-28 the year before he arrived to 23-12 this season. He nearly orchestrated a gigantic upset of top-seeded Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing 71-65 in Greenville, S.C.
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McNamara returns to Syracuse, where he won a national championship as a player in 2003, scored more than 2,000 career points from 2002 to 2006, and spent 15 years on the coaching staff before taking the Siena job.
“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 news release. “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 replaces Adrian Autry, who was fired after going 49-48 over three seasons at Syracuse.
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Siena said in a prepared statement it would begin “an immediate, nationwide search” for the 20th head coach in program history.
“We are extremely grateful for all of the contributions that Gerry made to Siena University and our men’s basketball program the past two seasons,” the statement read. “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.
“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,” the statement continued. “Gerry, Katie, and their entire family will forever be a part of our Siena family, and we wish them all the best in the next chapter of their journey. Siena and its leadership are committed to building upon the momentum Gerry created.”
McNamara expressed his thanks to Siena in an Instagram post.
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“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to be the Head Basketball Coach at Siena University the past two years,” McNamara wrote. “This community welcomed in myself, my wife, and our children with open arms from the day that I was named head coach. My family is forever grateful for the love and support that we received from not only Siena, but the entire Loudonville and Capital Region.”
McNamara thanked Siena president Chuck Seifert, the athletic administration, the fans and his players “that entrusted me with the opportunity to coach you, you are the heart and soul of this program.”
“Leaving Siena is incredibly difficult, and I do so with a heavy, yet full heart,” McNamara wrote.
With McNamara gone, Siena will see which players it retains from this year’s roster. Redshirt sophomore guard Reid Ducharme, who sat out this season because of a shoulder injury, became the first Saint to declare on Tuesday he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
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Sophomore guard Gavin Doty, the first-team all-MAAC selection and MAAC Tournament MVP, could follow McNamara to Syracuse.
“I plan on playing for G-Mac through my whole career,” Doty said after the Duke loss.
Freshman forward Francis Folefac, a MAAC All-Rookie selection, is also possible to enter the NCAA transfer portal and seek an opportunity at Syracuse or elsewhere. Both he and Doty could receive significant name, image and likeness money at a higher-level program.
The portal officially opens on April 7, the day after the national championship game.
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At least one member of Siena’s four-man incoming recruiting class won’t be coming. Pearl River Community College’s Christian Gilliland, a 6-2 guard from Memphis, Tenn., said he decided to go elsewhere after a good conversation with Siena assistant coach Ben Lee.
“It’s all love for Siena,” Gilliland wrote in a text message. “I just feel like for me it would the best decision for me to move on and find another school.”
Gilliland said Lee “did mention he’s trying to get” the Siena head-coaching job.
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Meanwhile, McNamara will try to lead Syracuse back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
“Gerry McNamara is who our storied basketball program needs at this important moment,” new Syracuse athletic director Bryan Blair said in the school’s news release. “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.”