Gerry McNamara needs to be the next coach

[PoppyHart]

Well, the stats say they were around 120th nationally in offense, so they weren't great, but I think it was their defense that was worse. The 2-3 zone hasn't aged well in an era when everyone can seem to make the three.

I would trade Red's first two years for Mike's in a heartbeat. Mike averaged 24 wins his first two years. That would have gotten us into the tournament.

They won the P12 (15-3 or 16-2 I believe) and were an 8/9 seed. That is the respect that Conference USA gets.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Well, the stats say they were around 120th nationally in offense, so they weren't great, but I think it was their defense that was worse. The 2-3 zone hasn't aged well in an era when everyone can seem to make the three.

I would trade Red's first two years for Mike's in a heartbeat. Mike averaged 24 wins his first two years. That would have gotten us into the tournament.

He had a losing record with 2 top 10 recruits on his roster and 5 top 100 guys. You realize how hard that is to do?

He had another year he went 5-21 with 5 top 100 guys there. He got talent and he did nothing with it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Very much like Red he could not coach offense at all. Amongst the worst shooting teams in the power conferences his entire time there.

They shot 52% from two and 35% from three in his first 2 years.

Syracuse is currently shooting 31% from three and 56% from two this season.

The last two years, our numbers were 33% from three, and 52% from two last year, and 34% from three and 53% from two (rounding off all numbers) in Judah's year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

He had a losing record with 2 top 10 recruits on his roster and 5 top 100 guys. You realize how hard that is to do?

He had another year he went 5-21 with 5 top 100 guys there. He got talent and he did nothing with it.

We're seeing it again right now with Red.
In Mike's defense, he lost his PG when he went 5-21 - Quade Green.

How many games would we have won if Judah Mintz was hurt and missed his season Red's first year? Probably not many more than the 5 that Washington won.

 

[Cusefan0307]

They shot 52% from two and 35% from three in his first 2 years.

Syracuse is currently shooting 31% from three and 56% from two this season.

The last two years, our numbers were 33% from three, and 52% from two last year, and 34% from three and 53% from two (rounding off all numbers) in Judah's year.

I watched his teams. It was all ISO like us. They broke over 70 ppg once in his first year.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We're seeing it again right now.

I don’t disagree.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not to keep harping on this, but can you win there? BC hasn't made the tourney since 2009! 16 years.

Unless there's a well-heeled booster that hasn't committed to funding the hoops program as of yet, I don't see how they'd ever assemble a good roster and good staff with the way they penny-pinch athletics at BC.

BC's a terrible job, No way Gerry should go there. Career suicide.

 

[Day2]

Well, this has been a fun thread, hasn’t it?

I want to reassure all the people who like me that I am not one bit devastated by disagreement. A friend dared me to post this and so I did, knowing most of you would say “WHAT TH??” I was interested in your responses and laughed out loud at several. I am not a basketball expert. That is clear. But I am a huge bball fan and I am so sad that it seems like this year will be a bust. I feel for Red, but he does have to go. I hope the next coach we get will stay with us for 20 years, not 4 or 5.

I love you guys.

 

[WoadBlue]

Other recent Siena coaches who increased the previous years win total by ~10 games;

Jamion Christian (2019)
Jimmy Patsos (2014)
Fran McCaffrey (2006)

So we should give these guys the SU gig too.

McCaffrey ,yes.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Not to keep harping on this, but can you win there? BC hasn't made the tourney since 2009! 16 years.

Unless there's a well-heeled booster that hasn't committed to funding the hoops program as of yet, I don't see how they'd ever assemble a good roster and good staff with the way they penny-pinch athletics at BC.

I mean, Holy Cross made a miracle run to the tourney in 2016.

 

[elimunelson]

Had a lot to do with herron as well. Yes, B.C. will pay more than Siena and is a higher ranked job. But I don't believe that you can get the job done there at this time. The school just doesn't care enough. Because of the Nil era and what other schools are willing to do, I would advice any coach to pass on it.

Herren had zero to do with it. You don’t know what you are talking about. Herren was actually not an idiot. Lazy yes, but got in. Had he not broken his hand who knows what happens.

Chrissy was his own worst enemy once things got hard.

He left because he had every single Fall River bozo in his dorm doing blow while he was rehabbing.

O’Brien was on the cusp there.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[CuseFaninVT]

So sixth in the ACC. Makes us outside the top 15 jobs from the jump I’d guess.

 

[Eric15]

I find us being behind NC State extremely depressing.

Duke and UNC are obviously 1 and 2. I'm OK with Louisville being 3. I would have us tied with Virginia at 4 at absolute worst.

 

[Cheriehoop]

And you notice the recruiting went backwards after he left.

Hop slowed down his recruiting himself at the end of his tenure here too.

 

[Orangezoo]

I love GMac and he is undisputed SU royalty. I’m also originally from just 25 mins north of Scranton and was in the same class and played against him in HS. Tangentially I know the family as well( absolutely wonderful people). So on that note it would be awesome to see a local from my roots be both a beloved legend of SU, a champion in every form of the word and end up as coach here and continue that legend.

The reality is Gerry is at best Hop 2.0 as a coach at this level. He needs a good 3-5 years minimum to showcase he has what it takes to be a P4 coach. He leans on that same underdog tenacity like Hop did and has good relationships with his players. He isn’t the recruiter Hop was yet. He also has the same limitations when effort and talent can’t overcome and coaching is the difference. I hope one day he gets his shot to excel in P4 maybe even a step in between. Maybe someday he lands back here depending on our next coaching move. That said with everything we know and setting the heart aside he just is not the guy for this job right now nor even over the next 5-7 years if not longer.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Hop slowed down his recruiting himself at the end of his tenure here too.

For very different reasons I believe

 

[Cusefan0307]

All of the recruiting problems at the end of JB’s tenure were on JB. They weren’t on Hopkins, Gmac or anyone else…

 

[Dcuse]

I’m sure SMU is up there because of their unmatched historical relevance. You can’t tell the story of College basketball without SMU.

 

[Cappy3]

I’m sure SMU is up there because of their unmatched historical relevance. You can’t tell the story of College basketball without SMU.

Or maybe because they’re good enough to have just beaten UNC? Historical relevance hasn’t done much for us lately, has it?

 

[Orangezoo]

Or maybe because they’re good enough to have just beaten UNC? Historical relevance hasn’t done much for us lately, has it?

Historical relevance gives us the platform to stand on and rebuild quickly. The decision to choose Red, politics and all, didn’t use that platform properly essentially wasting 3 yrs of opportunity. That platform is still there and can be revived if we make the right decision for next year. A new coach can bank the legacy and history by honoring it and show gratitude while then committing to honoring it by winning in a new era.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Historical relevance gives us the platform to stand on and rebuild quickly. The decision to choose Red, politics and all, didn’t use that platform properly essentially wasting 3 yrs of opportunity. That platform is still there and can be revived if we make the right decision for next year. A new coach can bank the legacy and history by honoring it and show gratitude while then committing to honoring it by winning in a new era.

I don’t think I believe this is true. We’re in a completely new era and legacy just doesn’t mean that much anymore. Unless we find a donor willing to do much more than we’ve got now, I predict we’ll continue down this path, with maybe a fair to middling improvement.

Syracuse’s one title happened 23 years ago. We aren’t trying to recruit 30 year olds who remember that.

 

[swish7]

Hear me out. Gerry knows how to be a coach. He has proven his chops at Siena. In two years he has taken them from a 4 win season to a winning season with a team that might make the tourney. He should have been chosen over Red but politics forced him out. As far as I know, he went graciously and left the town that he and his family truly loved.

I know many here think we should get some kind of established coach from a major program. But taking a coach from a mid-major, one who is hungry and has the coaching chops, has proven to be quite successful in college basketball. Or even football. Look at Indiana!

Gerry is an outstanding person who is uniquely qualified to be the head of our faltering program. He inspires loyalty and confidence. He bleeds Orange. He is beloved. And I believe he has what it takes to lead our program back to real gosh-darned good-ness, if not greatness. Let’s go, Orange!

Happy New Year.

100% agree

 

[Todoubled23]

Syracuse’s one title happened 23 years ago. We aren’t trying to recruit 30 year olds who remember that.

I will say given the landscape of college athletics today this could become part of the game we love(d).

They're letting G-league players come back, why not 30 year olds?

 

[Orangezoo]

I don’t think I believe this is true. We’re in a completely new era and legacy just doesn’t mean that much anymore. Unless we find a donor willing to do much more than we’ve got now, I predict we’ll continue down this path, with maybe a fair to middling improvement.

Syracuse’s one title happened 23 years ago. We aren’t trying to recruit 30 year olds who remember that.

So I don’t think we can lean on it to save us just that it gives us something to lean into when finding a legitimately good option for the next HC. It’s not going to produce success but can certainly assist with getting someone we need who can ( and can be a catalyst to maximize the needed financial resources). Hence the rankings make sense respective of the history here. Had we not had JB and the (5 yrs too many to be fair) 35 years of proven success and a top 20 program then this job is down there with BC. There are no guarantees and without using that history to help make the right decision we certainly will continue on this current path until there is too much apathy at both the fan base and donor/NIL level to even bother.