He’s not the safe choice, but Gerry McNamara is the sensible choice for Syracuse

Gerry McNamara is coming home. Once a four-year starter under Jim Boeheim and a longtime assistant under Boeheim, McNamara has been tapped to be the next Syracuse men’s basketball coach. He now has the monumental task of reviving the program he once led to a national championship and back-to-back Big East Tournament titles.

It’s been surprising to see the Syracuse fanbase somewhat divided on one of its favorite sons coming home to be the new head coach. In fairness, there are some reasons to be skeptical about the hire. McNamara by no means comes with a guarantee of success. However, he is a sensible choice and the right choice for Syracuse right now.

McNamara Comes with Risk

For Syracuse fans who witnessed McNamara winning a national title for the Orange or carrying them to an unlikely Big East crown in 2006, it might feel like a dream to have him return as the head coach. But it’s still fair to ask if the timing is right and if he’s ready. McNamara has just two years of head coaching experience, and it came at Sienna, a team in a small conference. There’s a wide gap between leading a team to the MAAC championship and being able to compete consistently in the ACC.

In a perfect world, McNamara would have more experience under his belt before taking on the challenge of being the Syracuse head coach. He’s still young enough to have plenty of growing pains as a head coach, much like those that plagued Adrian Autry throughout his three years as the Orange head coach. If McNamara isn’t ready for such a high-profile job, the results may not be much different from the last three seasons. Worse, his legacy could be tarnished if Syracuse ends up firing him.

There is No Safe Choice

While McNamara isn’t the safest choice, the reality is that there is no safe choice for Syracuse basketball. Unless the Orange can poach a proven coach from another power-conference program, there is nobody who can guarantee the program will get things turned around. After Syracuse had Bryan Hodgson choose Providence over the Orange, it’s obvious that convincing another power conference head coach to come to Syracuse was not an option.

Like it or not, the Syracuse job is not as appealing as some fans like to think it is. Granted, the upside remains high. We all know there are few venues in college basketball that can replicate the atmosphere of the JMA Wireless Dome with 30,000-plus fans in attendance. But getting to that point requires winning, and winning at Syracuse has become easier said than done for a variety of reasons. At this point, the caliber of coach who could offer assurance that the Orange will return to its glory days doesn’t want to come to Syracuse, meaning any hire comes with risk.

Bet on the One You Know (and Love)

If there is no safe choice for Syracuse basketball, McNamara becomes the sensible choice. Syracuse has always been the kind of place to embrace former players and welcome them as part of the Orange family forever. It’s also the kind of place that has preferred to have former players serve as the head coach, because it works. Former Orange players understand what makes Syracuse special and how to attract the talent needed to succeed. They also care more about succeeding than a coach who’s been plucked from elsewhere and has no connection to Syracuse.

This approach has long worked for both the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs. We’re in the process of seeing it work with Felisha Legette-Jack coaching the women’s basketball team. It’s also no coincidence that the most successful Syracuse football coach of the current century (Doug Marrone) was a former Orange player. While this approach didn’t work with Autry, that’s not a reason to reject McNamara on that basis.

Keep in mind that being a former Syracuse player isn’t the only reason McNamara was a candidate for the job. In fact, it wasn’t even the biggest reason. The job McNamara did at Sienna across two seasons was arguably the most impressive performance by any college basketball coach during that span. He inherited a team that went 4-28 during the 2023-24 season and won a MAAC championship in just his second season. There are hundreds of small-conference and mid-major coaches, and most don’t come close to replicating that level of success in such a short period of time.

Of course, those two seasons at Sienna don't guarantee similar success as the head coach at Syracuse. However, those two seasons put McNamara’s credentials on par with most other coaches whom the Orange could realistically attract right now. The fact that he’s loved by the fanbase and well-known and liked by other former players is what makes him the sensible choice.

Obviously, Syracuse needs to get this hire right. Otherwise, the program appears doomed to fall into a state of permanent mediocrity and obscurity. But if there is no safe choice, the best option is the candidate that you know (and love). That is what makes McNamara the right person for the job. The program needs saving, and the best choice is to put it in the hands of one of its own.