Syracuse men’s basketball will open its season Monday night against New Haven, and Gerry McNamara plans to be on the sideline despite a painful loss in his family.
His father, Gerard McNamara, died Saturday at 78 after a battle with cancer, according to a report from Mike Waters of Syracuse.com. He had previously survived cancer twice.
Waters reported that Gerry McNamara intends to coach the Orange in the opener at 7 p.m. ET, which will be his first game since taking over his alma mater this offseason.
Gerard McNamara was a constant presence around the program. He attended all 135 of Gerry’s collegiate games at Syracuse, including the 2003 national championship game, which remains the most important game in program history.
McNamara’s path back to Syracuse has been a long one. A native of Scranton, Pa., he became one of the defining players in school history as a four-year standout and helped the Orange win that title with Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony. After his playing career, he spent 10 years as an assistant coach at Syracuse before taking over at Siena for two seasons, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
At Siena, he guided the Saints to the NCAA Tournament in 2026 and came close to knocking off No. 1 Duke in the Round of 64. Gerard McNamara was there for the MAAC title game.
McNamara returned to Syracuse this March after Adrian Autry was fired, and he now faces the challenge of lifting a program that has slipped in recent years. The Orange have missed the NCAA Tournament for the last five seasons and were picked No. 11 in the ACC Preseason Poll.
He has already started reshaping the roster, bringing in an entirely new starting five through the transfer portal while keeping only three returners from last year’s team. Syracuse opens with New Haven, and the season begins with a new coach, a rebuilt roster and a heavy personal burden McNamara will carry into the JMA Wireless Dome.
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