With news breaking on Wednesday morning that SU officials will part ways with Syracuse basketball third-year head coach Adrian Autry, the chatter and speculation are already heating up about who the next 'Cuse boss might end up being.
In speaking with some sources, as well as media reports from industry observers, what follows below is a list of potential candidates for the Syracuse basketball head coaching vacancy. How quickly a new head coach might be named is unclear, particularly since SU will likely want to announce its next athletics director first, before getting heavily into its head coaching search.
SU has already done some diligence on candidates. Unclear how fast this search will go. Names already under consideration, per sources: Josh Schertz, Bryan Hodgson, Luke Murray, Joe Gallo and two Cuse guys—Mike Hopkins + Gerry McNamara, who will be coaching Siena in the NCAAs. https://t.co/q7qE3I6lgG
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 11, 2026
Potential candidates to be the next Syracuse basketball head coach.
Bryan Hodgson, head coach at South Florida
Per sources, Hodgson could be among the leading candidates. He's from New York state and is an excellent recruiter, having served as an assistant coach under Nate Oats at both Buffalo and then Alabama. In his first season leading South Florida (23-8 overall), the Bulls won the American Conference's regular-season title.
Josh Schertz, head coach at Saint Louis
Schertz, in 2025-26, led the Billikens to a 27-4 overall record and a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship. He also went 66–40 as Indiana State's head coach. Schertz will likely be the most sought-after candidate in this offseason's head-coaching carousel.
Mike Hopkins, former head coach at Washington
Understandably, some Syracuse basketball fans would love to see Hop get the gig. He was supposed to succeed Jim Boeheim as the Orange's head coach, but then Hopkins went to lead Washington, where he was solid in his first two seasons, but it went downhill from there, with him going a combined 118–106 in seven terms guiding the Huskies. It would be no surprise at all if Hopkins is interviewed for the 'Cuse vacancy, although I'm hearing from some sources that Hop might not necessarily be significantly in the running. We shall see.
Gerry McNamara, head coach at Siena
GMac, beloved in Orange Nation, is taking Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ("MAAC") school Siena to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, after the Saints won the league's post-season tournament on Tuesday night. The year before he arrived at Siena, the Saints won four games. In 2024-25, Siena went 14-18 overall and, this season, the team is 23-11 and going dancing. Similar to Hopkins, some 'Cuse fans would be thrilled with GMac as the next Syracuse basketball head coach; however, I'm hearing that it may possibly be too soon for McNamara to lead the Orange. Stay tuned.
Hi. Gerry McNamara and his Siena Saints have punched their ticket to the Big Dance. Enjoy your Tuesday night. 🧡💚
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) March 11, 2026
Joe Gallo, head coach at Merrimack
Gallo is from New Jersey and has roots in the Northeast. He's done a solid job as the Warriors' head coach, although that includes several seasons at the Division II level. Merrimack (23-11 overall) won the MAAC regular-season crown, but the Warriors fell to Siena on Tuesday evening in the conference tournament title game.
Tony Skinn, head coach at George Mason
In his three seasons as the Patriots' head coach, Skinn is 70-29 overall, including a 23-8 mark in 2025-26. A former assistant coach at Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland, Skinn has deep recruiting ties to the talent-rich DMV, a key market for the Orange. That makes him an intriguing possible candidate at SU.
Jerrod Calhoun, head coach at Utah State
Calhoun will be another popular name in the offseason coaching carousel. The Aggies (25-6 overall) won the Mountain West Conference regular-season title, after Utah State tallied 26 victories in 2024-25, Calhoun's first season as the team's head coach.
Travis Steele, head coach at Miami (Ohio)
Steele went 70–50 overall in four seasons as the head coach at Big East Conference member Xavier. Now in his fourth term at Mid-American Conference member Miami (Ohio), Steele is a combined 83–46 with the RedHawks, a squad that went 31-0 in the regular season, won the MAC regular-season championship and is No. 20 in the latest Associated Press top 25.
Kimani Young, associate head coach at UConn
The buzz from national observers is that Young and Luke Murray (see below) are both expected to be considered for high-major head coaching jobs this offseason. Young is a New York City guy, having played high school basketball in Queens, N.Y. He's been instrumental to the Huskies winning back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Young began his coaching career as the athletics director at New Heights Youth in New York City, a prominent AAU program.
Luke Murray, assistant coach at UConn
Murray, the son of actor Bill Murray, grew up in Connecticut. Besides his role at UConn, Luke Murray has served as an assistant coach at schools such as Rhode Island, Xavier and Louisville. Murray is a terrific recruiter and Xs-and-Os strategist.