Gerry McNamara needs to be the next coach

[bballbeadle]

I believe OP is going to be chancellor, he's just pulsing the Syracusefan message boards.

Gee, I don’t think you really know me.

 

[elimunelson]

Obviously if BC offered McNamara a job he'd take it and never look back.

But BC cannot win like UConn. I know both well. I was a huge BC fan in my younger days, and my best friend's father was in the administration there. I have childhood friends who went there and know the current dynamic well. I live in CT and have several friends who are Huskies boosters.

The culture of the two schools couldn't be more different.

For all the grief UConn gets here, they are VERY serious about competing at the highest level of every sport. That they've been shut out of a power conference, largely for circumstances beyond their control, hasn't prevented them from fielding championship-winning hoops teams and a surprisingly competitive football team.

BC mostly wants to project an illusion of caring about sports, but does not fund them in any way close to what's necessary (other than hockey) and not close to UConn, that's for certain.

BC would need a RADICAL change of culture to ever support the kind of athletic department that UConn has.

**edit** BC could hire Dan Hurley. But BC would never have paid Dan Hurley to keep him from going to the Lakers like UConn did.

All fair points. I think BC can win at a higher level. UConn is obviously a 30 year reclamation. They were nothing until they were something. Around 93ish UConn and Umass were the same.

I agree w u that UConn is now THE beast of the east. Doesn’t mean BC wouldn’t or couldn’t invest more or get a taste of success.

My bigger point is GMAC will take the job and may do decent there.

 

[Scooch]

All fair points. I think BC can win at a higher level. UConn is obviously a 30 year reclamation. They were nothing until they were something. Around 93ish UConn and Umass were the same.

I agree w u that UConn is now THE beast of the east. Doesn’t mean BC wouldn’t or couldn’t invest more or get a taste of success.

My bigger point is GMAC will take the job and may do decent there.

Agree that GMac would do well if BC invested in his program like they're serious about winning. They've really never done that for hoops, going back to losing Tom Davis in the 80s.

 

[IthacaMatt]

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.

I understand your thinking. Gerry is getting there, but he's not ready yet. Gerry might be the coach after the next one. But I agree with the majority that the next coach should be a proven coach with. 5-10 year history, at least at a mid-major level.

After the next guy comes & goes, Gerry will have had another 3-4+ years of experience at a school in maybe the Atlantic 10 or the MAC, something like that. THEN, he would be well prepared enough to be a serious candidate for the Syracuse job.

But it's too early in his career. If he failed, our program would be toast. Hiring Gerry would be like a "hail mary" to please the fans, and if he wasn't up to the job, our fans might never come back.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Can one earn his "chops" by playing in a garbage conference?

How about he wins a few MAAC titles or maybe even an NCAAT game first.

NET	School	Record
141	Quinnipiac	9-4	MAAC
155	Marist	7-4	MAAC
166	Iona	9-5	MAAC
172	Siena	9-4	MAAC
247	Fairfield	7-6	MAAC
253	Merrimack	7-7	MAAC
285	Sacred Heart	4-9	MAAC
289	Saint Peter's	5-5	MAAC
307	Manhattan	5-8	MAAC
315	Mount St. Mary's	4-9	MAAC
337	Canisius	4-8	MAAC
355	Niagara	2-9	MAAC
359	Rider	0-11	MAAC

Coaching is independent of the talent level. A guy who wins titles at a lower level still knows how to coach. He might not be able to recruit at a higher level, or he might not be ready to handle national press, but he would know how to coach from an x's and o's perspective.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Gerry couldn't recruit at an ACC level.

Probably not. His personality is kind of flat. He's not a salesman.

 

[IthacaMatt]

we are soon going to have a thread suggesting Devo as the next coach.

Somebody already posted that thought the other day.
Of course, no. But he's a guy I wouldn't mind having on a staff.

 

[Blanko97]

Gerry loves Gerry. He’s not that likable. People like him because he was a good player. But I can’t think of many people who have a bigger ego than him if I’m being honest. Smartest guy in the room just ask him

He could be the biggest dick in the world. If you win, I don’t think people care about personality. Not saying he is a good candidate but people put way too much stock into the good guy schtick, reds a great guy and he has no business on the sideline

 

[IthacaMatt]

I’d take a young Jim Boeheim

I could do without the plaid jackets again.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The BC job is suicide for any coach. No one who has big aspirations should take it.

He's not ready for it, anyway.

 

[kcsu]

I'd take Devo over Gerry. He really knows the game. And he isn't afraid to criticize Red in his podcast, and when he calls the games. Really his knowledge of the game is quite impressive.
Sorry Bball. You may be my best friend on this board, but a solid NO to Gerry.

Lets hire Buddy

 

[IthacaMatt]

Thanks. Why did Gerry stay for Autry's first year? Was it because he couldn't find a HC job or did others (e.g., ADJW, JB, and/or AA) prevail on him to stay? Or maybe both?

I think Gerry got a promotion to Associate HC, and probably a healthy raise to go with it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

So Gerry should turn down Boston College to stay at Siena? Ok.

Gary Williams, Jimmy O'Brien and Al did fine in the past 40 years there. It's a graveyard w a bad coach...kinda like Syracuse right now.

His next job should probably be in the Atlantic 10 - somebody like St. Joe's, LaSalle, George Washington, or Rhode Island.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He's not ready for it, anyway.

Debatable if they could get anyone better. It’s arguably the worst power job available.

 

[IthacaMatt]

All fair points. I think BC can win at a higher level. UConn is obviously a 30 year reclamation. They were nothing until they were something. Around 93ish UConn and Umass were the same.

I agree w u that UConn is now THE beast of the east. Doesn’t mean BC wouldn’t or couldn’t invest more or get a taste of success.

My bigger point is GMAC will take the job and may do decent there.

Think about the Cornell coach who left for the BC job, and bombed. He had way more experience and got Cornell into the tournament twice while he was at Cornell. Steve Donohue, We just went up against his current team in the non-conference. Very good x's and o's coach, but not able to sell at that level.

 

[IthacaMatt]

He could be the biggest dick in the world. If you win, I don’t think people care about personality. Not saying he is a good candidate but people way to ouch stock into the good guy schtick, reds a great guy and he has no business on the sideline

Personality matters in recruiting and media relations. And if you don't do both well, you won't be a P4 coach for very long.

 

[Eric15]

Gee, I don’t think you really know me.

Sir, please calm down.

 

[Brian Orange]

As some posters have finally started to mention, GMac would be the ideal candidate in ten years. He could be someone you give the keys to the program for 25 years and you also would never have to worry about him leaving.

 

[IthacaMatt]

As some posters have finally started to mention, GMac would be the ideal candidate in ten years. He could be someone you give the keys to the program for 25 years and you also would never have to worry about him leaving.

Maybe even 5 years, if he went to someplace like St. Joe's or LaSalle and won the A-10 2 or 3 times.

 

[Blanko97]

Personality matters in recruiting and media relations. And if you don't do both well, you won't be a P4 coach for very long.

Wins matter most. Thats not debatable. If you’re an ass but you win, people will want to play for you and the media will go easy on you.

 

[PoppyHart]

Iona is currently winning 41-36.

Should we be looking at Dan Geriot if the Gaels prevail?

 

[baggerbob]

Uses analytics and has An offense. I am sold. Would just like to know some system is in place rather than what I have been watching for the past few years.

And maybe find a PG who can handle the ball well and consider passing rather than jacking up his own shot as option #1.

Someone like Billy was in 2003. But when he needed to score, like Oklahoma St. Just said my ball and we aren't losing, down 18 first half Melo on bench in foul trouble and we ended up blowing them out.

 

[baggerbob]

Probably not. His personality is kind of flat. He's not a salesman.

Good coach hires recruiters, like JB had hop all those years.

 

[Dave]

Probably not. His personality is kind of flat. He's not a salesman.

Correct! Everything at Syracuse was Gerry’s fault before it was JB’s.

 

[Brooky03]

Probably not. His personality is kind of flat. He's not a salesman.

Which could be overcome by assistants strong in that area. JB leaned heavily on his assistants for recruiting, didn’t he?