Siena coach Gerry McNamara: Focus on tournament, not Syracuse
GREENVILLE, SC — Sienna head coach Gerry McNamara referred to as rumors tying him to the vacant Syracuse job “inevitable,” however he insisted his solely focus this week is on the Saints’ opening-round matchup in opposition to No. 1 Duke within the NCAA match.
“My situation with that right now is I’m here at the NCAA tournament for the first time as a head coach, and I get an opportunity to coach Siena University, and the kids in that locker room deserve that opportunity,” McNamara stated Wednesday. “That’s where my focus is. These kids have given me everything they’ve got every day this season, and they deserve my full attention, and they’ve got it.”
McNamara, a Syracuse alum and member of the 2003 nationwide championship workforce, spent 15 years working as an assistant coach with the Orange earlier than touchdown the Siena job final 12 months. He has led the Saints to a 23-11 document this season, together with profitable the MAAC match championship.
That success at Siena, alongside along with his shut ties to Syracuse’s program, put McNamara’s title on the quick record of logical candidates to replace Adrian Autrywho was fired after a second straight shedding season.
“The reality is because of [Siena’s success]my name is coming up,” McNamara stated. “That’s the way I look at this. You get good players, you coach them right, you win, everyone gets recognition. I think about the situation with the job opening and what we’ve done in the last week, there was obviously going to be some speculation.”
Syracuse has not been to the NCAA match since 2021 — a steep fall from this system’s heyday with McNamara working level for Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick & Co. within the 2000s. McNamara was a four-year starter, main the Orange to 4 straight match appearances.
He adopted his enjoying profession with greater than a decade along side his former coach, Jim Boeheim — first as a graduate assistant and, in the end, as assistant head coach.
McNamara stated the teachings realized from Boeheim will inform his strategy to Thursday’s recreation in opposition to Duke, as Siena appears to be like to change into the third No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in match historical past.
“When I was at Syracuse with Coach Boeheim, we always prepared the same way,” McNamara stated.
“I’ve talked about what’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from him all these years is how consistent every day was. There was a lot of the same things every day, repetitive, over and over and over. That’s what I’ve done quite a bit. Now, in a different way, I do it in my own way, but very, very normal this week to prepare them just like we did for [MAAC tournament]”
Of be aware: McNamara confirmed, the Saints must do with out Antonio Chandlerwho was dominated ineligible by the NCAA over an “institutional mistake” by the college.
