The coaching candidate carousel for Boston College Men’s Basketball continues. Reports are showing the school is looking to conclude its coaching search by the end of the week, and one name popped up that raises eyebrows to many: Gerry McNamara.
McNamara, 42, is the current coach of the Sienna Saints. He was hired in March 2024 after spending time as an associate coach with his alma mater Syracuse. As a coach he brings high energy with a “100 percent all in” mentality and an extremely competitive
work ethic. It makes sense given his legendary status at Syracuse where many remember him as a key leader for the 02-03 National Championship Team. His clutch performances in the NCAA Tournament has earned him the right to be known as a tough and competitive personality, something he translates now as a coach.
Right now, he’s tied to the Oranges’ head coaching vacancy at the moment. But even with the rumors swirling about him returning there, it’s worth mentioning about his ties to Boston College based on reports.
Why he’d be interested
Reinvigorating a program sounds nice, right? Why not start off with a clean slate with a program hungry for relevance again? For someone like McNamara, establishing a tough, hard working culture and overall foundation to his liking may be in his best interests. Then again, maybe they’re not, and he could take his coaching acumen elsewhere to a more entrenched team.
Why it could work
A great majority of what plagued the Eagles this season comes from coaching decisions, roster mismanagement, and being unable to close out games. Remember, a lot of BC’s losses came from them losing focus and allowing their opponents, even some superior ones, to take over and steal wins. McNamara’s coaching philosophy and culture could theoretically translate those tough losses into wins. It’s something to think about. Not to mention his ACC experience both as a player and coach provides BC with someone who’s been there before, and understands the challenges of the conference at hand.
Why it wouldn’t work
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where McNamara serving as the head coach doesn’t generate some positive impact. And yet, we’ve seen plenty of home run hires that don’t pan out, even beyond Boston College. There’s also the possibility that McNamara rebuilding the Men’s basketball program to contention could take multiple years – and the fans are already antsy enough.
How likely is the hire?
Given the report that McNamara’s interviewed for the position indicates he’s interested in it. What concerns me is the rumored interest between him and Syracuse. He’d be an excellent hire from BC’s perspective – but I do think the ball would be in McNamara’s court in some ways.
