Syracuse’s next head coach might be coaching in the NCAA Tournament this week. After firing Adrian Autry last week, the Syracuse job opening is one of the premier jobs available in this cycle. Here are nine coaches with varying levels of likelihood to be SU’s next head man that will be competing in the NCAA Tournament.
The rumored top names
- Bryan Hodgson (South Florida)
The name that most Syracuse fans should and do want to become the Orange’s head coach. Hodgson led South Florida to its first conference tournament championship since 1990. It won the American
Conference and enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, where the Bulls will play against Louisville. It will be a homecoming game for Hodgson, a Western New Yorker who grew up in Jamestown, coaching in Buffalo, where he was an assistant coach at UB under Nate Oats. Tip-off is at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
- Gerry McNamara (Siena)
20 years on from his graduation at Syracuse as the fourth all-time leading scorer with over 2000 career points, McNamara has built himself into a quality college basketball coach. In his second season at the helm, he led Siena to a third-place finish in the MAAC and a MAAC Tournament title with a win over Merrimack. It returned the Saints to where they are supposed to be — on top of that league. Siena is a No. 16 seed and will face No. 1 Duke on Thursday at 2:50 p.m. in Greenville, S.C.
Assistant Coaches
- Luke Murray and Kimani Young (UConn)
Murray was reported to be a name to watch for the Syracuse job last week by Adam Zagoria and Matt Norlander. He’s the offensive mastermind behind UConn’s back-to-back national championships, helping Dan Hurley’s team evolve from a rock-fight winner into a well-oiled machine. He along with the next name on this list are both two-time national champions with the Huskies.
Young is the associate head coach to Hurley in Storrs, and is one of the top recruiting and culture-building assistants in the country. He’s had a huge hand in the two national championship runs as well, and was going to be the head coach if Hurley left for the Lakers. The Huskies tip off at 10 p.m. on Friday as a No. 2 seed against Furman.
- Jason Hart (Kentucky)
Jason Hart will not be Syracuse’s next head coach, barring something completely unforeseen. The former Syracuse point guard back at the turn of the century is one of the more respected developers of talent in college basketball, and has been an assistant at Kentucky for the last two seasons. The No. 7 seed Wildcats take on Santa Clara on Friday at 12:15 p.m.
Other coaching candidates
- Speedy Claxton (Hofstra)
Coaching at your alma mater is a special thing — just ask Adrian Autry. But making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years as the head coach at y0ur alma mater? That’s the stuff of legends. Claxton was the star PG the last time Hofstra made the tournament, but now, he’s the head coach of a team with two star PGs in CAA Player of the Year Cruz Davis and CAA Rookie of the Year Preston Edmead. I do not believe that Claxton will be in the top chatter to be Cuse’s next coach. The No. 13 seed Pride take on Alabama at 3:15 on Friday in Tampa.
- Phil Martelli Jr (VCU)
Three years as a head coach, two NCAA Tournament appearances for Martelli Jr, who has made the jump already from Bryant to VCU. The son of Philadelphia coaching royalty (PSA to new St. Joe’s AD to name the court after him), Martelli Jr. has gone 29-5 in conference play over the last two seasons between the Bulldogs and Rams. No. 11 seed VCU takes on North Carolina on Thursday at 6:50 p.m. in Greenville, S.C. Perhaps Martelli should get more of a look than he has (I know Kevin thinks so), but I don’t expect him to be Syracuse’s next head coach.
- Travis Steele (Miami)
As I said last week, I personally wouldn’t hire Steele as the next head coach at Syracuse because of his tenure at Xavier, but his work as Miami’s boss is nothing to scoff at. This year, he took them to the tournament for the first time since 1999, doing so as the MAC’s first at-large team since that year as well (caveat that 2019 Buffalo would’ve gotten an at-large if it didn’t win the MAC Tournament. Shouotut Bryan Hodgson). Steele’s 31-1 Redhawks are a No. 11 seed and will play in the First Four in Dayton on Wednesday night at 9:15 p.m. against Syracuse’s ACC “rival” SMU.
- John Groce (Akron)
Like Steele, Groce is out of the candidate pool for me because of his previous failure at a high-major level with Illinois. However, he’s also revitalized his career in the MAC, taking Akron to three straight NCAA Tournaments with three straight MAC titles. Groce wears the vest on the sideline, a unique look for a coach who has uniquely rebranded himself over the last decade. No. 12 seed Akron takes on Texas Tech on Friday at 12:40 p.m.
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Are there any other coaches you’re watching this week?
