South Florida's Bryan Hodgson and Saint Louis' Josh Schertz are off the Syracuse basketball head coach big board, with Siena's Gerry McNamara likely the front-runner for the Orange's vacancy, at least for the time being.
GMac has done a remarkable job turning the Saints' program around, leading the team to this spring's NCAA Tournament in just his second season at the team's helm. The year before McNamara was hired to lead Siena, the Saints won a mere four games.
As such, with Siena, a No. 16 seed, set to face No. 1 seed Duke in the Big Dance's East Region on Thursday afternoon in a round-of-64 meeting from Greenville, S.C., GMac is getting some buzz for the Syracuse basketball job and potentially other high-major openings.
If SU leaders ultimately hire McNamara, that's cool. I'd prefer if 'Cuse brass go in a different direction, but I'll support GMac like it's nobody's business.
But here are 3 candidates Syracuse should consider before rushing on Gerry McNamara.
One thing to note: I do not know if there is mutual interest among SU officials and these coaches noted below. I'm simply giving my opinion on three guys who could be solid candidates for Syracuse leaders to consider.
Akron head coach John Groce
Akron (29-5 overall) won the Mid-American Conference ("MAC") Tournament to land an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Zips are a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region and will battle No. 5 seed Texas Tech in the first round on Friday afternoon. Groce, in his nine seasons leading Akron, is 197-93. He also tallied 95 victories over five campaigns as Illinois' head coach and 85 triumphs over four terms guiding Ohio.
Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway
Perhaps I'm just nostalgic about the Big East Conference (sigh). Holloway was great in the 2025-26 stanza, as the Pirates went 21-12 overall after sporting a woeful 7-25 mark in 2024-25. For his efforts in the recently concluded campaign, Holloway was named the Big East's coach of the year. He led Saint Peter's, as a No. 15 seed, on a magical run in the Elite Eight of the 2022 March Madness. Holloway was born in Queens, N.Y., and played his high school ball in New Jersey, so he's familiar with the Northeast corridor from a recruiting perspective.
VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr.
In his first season as VCU's head coach, Martelli has led the Rams to a 27-7 overall record, the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament crown and a No. 11 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament's South Region. VCU will face off against No. 6 seed North Carolina on Thursday night. Martelli is another rising star in the head coaching ranks. He took Bryant to the 2025 Big Dance and had a 43-25 record over two seasons with the Bulldogs. Martelli is the son of former long-time Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli.