Twenty years ago, Gerry McNamara went on his magical MSG run to save a Syracuse Orange basketball season that was speeding towards the NIT. Now, the former Orange legend is being brought back to restore his alma mater’s program to one that can capture the attention of the nation.
Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello from ESPN reported that a deal is in the works:
McNamara is coming back to Syracuse after two years at Siena where he had an overall record of 37-30 and led the Saints to the MAAC Tournament Championship and NCAA bid this season. The Saints took an 11-point halftime lead against Duke as the college basketball world watched. Even though Duke held off Siena at the end, Jon Scheyer showed McNamara a ton of respect.
Siena was led by Fulton native Gavin Doty, so immediate speculation will turn to the possibility of Doty and 2026 commit Ryan Moesch from Chittenango following Gerry to the 315.
The Scranton native ranks 4th all-time in scoring, 3rd in assists, 3rd in steals and is the Syracuse leader in 3-pointers made with and free throw percentage. He’s one of the most popular players in program history and the Orange fanbase will be excited to see his return….and will expect him to bring the program back to the NCAA Tournament.
We’ll have to see if McNamara brings any staff members with him from Siena, where he had former Syracuse players Arinze Onuaku and Ryan Blackwell, along with former GA Ryan Beaudry on his staff.
This is the move many fans wanted three years ago and while McNamara doesn’t have the deepest resume, his legacy at Syracuse should bring a renewed interest in the Orange.
