The Syracuse Orange are off to a rocky start this men’s basketball season, sitting at 6-4 after a tough loss to Hofstra. It’s not the kind of early-season performance that inspires confidence, especially for a program still trying to regain its footing after the end of the Jim Boeheim era.
Meanwhile, just a couple hours down the Thruway, Siena is turning heads - and not just because of their 9-2 record, the program’s best 11-game start in 75 years. The buzz in Loudonville is real, and a big reason for it is the man on the sidelines: Gerry McNamara.
Yes, that Gerry McNamara - the Syracuse legend, the heart and soul of those early-2000s Orange teams, and a name that still carries weight in Central New York. Now in his second season as Siena’s head coach, McNamara is proving he’s more than just a fan favorite - he’s a rising star in the coaching ranks.
It’s a tale of two programs heading in different directions, and that contrast isn’t lost on Orange fans. The transition from Boeheim to Adrian “Red” Autry was always going to be a challenge, but ten games into Year Two, the growing pains are still very real. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has lacked consistency, and the identity that once defined Syracuse basketball feels a bit murky.
Autry wasn’t a surprising choice to take the reins - he was a longtime assistant, a former player, and someone who knew the program inside and out. In fact, he had more bench experience than McNamara at the time of Boeheim’s retirement. But as results go, the early returns have been uneven.
And that’s where the McNamara conversation heats up.
From the moment he stepped into coaching, McNamara was seen as a natural - a sharp basketball mind, a relentless recruiter, and someone who just got the game. Siena saw that potential and took a chance. Now, with the Saints playing inspired, disciplined basketball and stacking wins, that gamble is paying off in a big way.
It’s easy to play the hindsight game and wonder what might’ve been had Syracuse gone with G-Mac instead. But this isn’t just about second-guessing. It’s about recognizing that one of the program’s own is thriving - just not in Orange.
Would McNamara return to Syracuse someday? That’s a question with a lot of layers.
It would depend on timing, fit, and whether the program would consider going outside its current coaching tree. But what’s not up for debate is this: Siena landed a good one.
And for Syracuse fans watching from afar, it’s hard not to wonder if the path forward might eventually lead back to a familiar face with a proven touch.
For now, though, McNamara’s building something special in the MAAC. And Syracuse? They’re still searching for answers.