Gerry McNamara, the new Syracuse basketball head coach and former legendary Orange player, is ultra-competitive, and in a good way. That will serve the 'Cuse quite well during his tenure on the Hill as SU's boss.
Dating back to his playing days with the Orange, McNamara has shown a propensity to always give his maximum effort. He doesn't back down to anyone or any challenge.
Sure, GMac was huge in leading Syracuse basketball to the program's first and only national championship in 2003. His six 3-pointers in the first half of the NCAA Tournament's title game against Kansas propelled him to SU stardom as a freshman, but McNamara's full tenure in Central New York encompassed so much more.
He's a winner, for sure. GMac made four Big Dances in four years. He miraculously willed the Orange to one Big East Conference Tournament championship and also helped SU secure a second league tourney grand prize.
McNamara is one of Syracuse basketball's all-time career leaders in points scored, assists and steals, among other categories. When his playing days ended, the Orange program records he held included career minutes played, average minutes played per game, career 3-point field goals, free-throw shooting percentage in a season and free-throw shooting percentage in a career.
Gerry McNamara has a fiery competitive spirit that is needed at the 'Cuse.
As the head coach at Siena for the past two seasons, according to media reports, he ran intense practices that focused on skill development. GMac is big on his players giving their maximum effort in practices and in games.
After he was named the Orange's new head coach, in a radio interview, McNamara noted that SU's roster will be extremely tight and connected. Character, loyalty and trust are important to him. Guys won't see the court if they aren't hustling all the time.
In the 2025-26 campaign, when Syracuse basketball went just 15-17 overall, one frustration I had with the squad was that I didn't always think the players were putting in max efforts. In a few games, when SU was getting blown out, players on the opposing teams were diving on the floor more, getting to 50/50 balls better and seemed to be more engaged.
I don't think that will prove an issue with GMac's roster in the upcoming 2026-27 stanza and beyond. Joe Gallo, the head coach at fellow Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ("MAAC") school Merrimack, said of McNamara to Syracuse.com: "He’s such a competitor, and it’s translated to how his teams play. The edge they play with, the energy they have about them. You have to show up and compete when you play a Gerry team."
Siena graduate student center Riley Mulvey, who was recruited by SU several years ago, said of his former Saints' head coach, "He throws himself into his craft in the best way possible and it gets great outcomes."