Gerry McNamara needs to be the next coach

[dwilmont44]

Season tickets would go crazy if he was named HC

I hope the higher ups don't take that into account

 

[llandz]

Here is what I did see tonight. And this is not because it is Gerry. But I saw a coach that was incredibly engaged every second of that game. Who was constantly directing plays and instructions into his players. He even walked onto the floor a few times (we know we hated that guy at Notre Dame doing that) but still did it to relay important info to the players. I also saw the players going over to the coaches family and hugging them, his parents and wife after they won the MAC.
So in comparison, I do not see the family engagement from our current coach, but remember how Julie was like the team mom. Gerry's wife is that team mom. Our coach is not nearly engaged.
Now to further the comparison, I watched S. Florida the other night, and Hodgson was shouting instructions into his players, and using set hand signals to call in plays. Also something I do not see from our current coach.
Bottom line is I watched two games with coaches who are constantly involved, engaged and LEADING their team.
I see a very bright future for Gerry, which I did not before. I know he might not be ready yet for SU, but I might say that we picked the wrong guy 3 years ago. And that is a huge admission for me.
I also see what we will get in many of the candidates that we have discussed. I forgot what a real coach looks like, and was reminded in both the Siena and the S. Florida games.

 

[hungrychuck]

Really, really happy for Gerry.

But let’s move outside the JB shrub.

 

[bballbeadle]

Season tickets would go crazy if he was named HC

I hope the higher ups don't take that into account

By the way, my two season tickets are. $500 less next season.

 

[Sherman20]

Here is what I did see tonight. And this is not because it is Gerry. But I saw a coach that was incredibly engaged every second of that game. Who was constantly directing plays and instructions into his players. He even walked onto the floor a few times (we know we hated that guy at Notre Dame doing that) but still did it to relay important info to the players. I also saw the players going over to the coaches family and hugging them, his parents and wife after they won the MAC.
So in comparison, I do not see the family engagement from our current coach, but remember how Julie was like the team mom. Gerry's wife is that team mom. Our coach is not nearly engaged.
Now to further the comparison, I watched S. Florida the other night, and Hodgson was shouting instructions into his players, and using set hand signals to call in plays. Also something I do not see from our current coach.
Bottom line is I watched two games with coaches who are constantly involved, engaged and LEADING their team.
I see a very bright future for Gerry, which I did not before. I know he might not be ready yet for SU, but I might say that we picked the wrong guy 3 years ago. And that is a huge admission for me.
I also see what we will get in many of the candidates that we have discussed. I forgot what a real coach looks like, and was reminded in both the Siena and the S. Florida games.

Great points! I’ve been saying for awhile that Red is a poor communicator and not a dynamic force and seems overwhelmed at times during games. If you’re a poor communicator to the media and offer up word salad, it’s probably gonna be the same thing with your team in a lot of instances when you’re coaching. I think it starts with not having a strong vision and schemes but also not being able to communicate those concepts either. Red’s a good guy but he doesn’t have Hop or Gmac’s communication and engagement skills.

 

[OttosShoes]

Siena is a side team for me now. I'm invested in Gerry's career and that was a fun game. He's (still) going places.

And yet. I do not want nor expect Gerry to come here. It's not a fit for anyone, not right now.

 

[OttosShoes]

Great points! I’ve been saying for awhile that Red is a poor communicator and not a dynamic force and seems overwhelmed at times during games. If you’re a poor communicator to the media and offer up word salad, it’s probably gonna be the same thing with your team in a lot of instances when you’re coaching. I think it starts with not having a strong vision and schemes but also not being able to communicate those concepts either. Red’s a good guy but he doesn’t have Hop or Gmac’s communication and engagement skills.

Super insightful.

It's one thing to have the right thoughts. It's hard to make thoughts concise, and it's *extremely* difficult to make thoughts concise and convey them verbally in a way that someone can quickly unpack and act on.

Also. Adjustments at the half. Over and over and over we're in it at the half and let the other team go on a run straight out of the locker room.

 

[rocfan44]

What makes him qualified and why he should be our next coach if he wants to come here, is in year one he improved Siena’s win total by 10. Year two he improved on year one by 9 wins and a conference championship. Oh and he did all of this with seven scholarship players. Their defense has been top 25 all year. He also has that determination and drive that is not seen in many people. I’m so tired of the lame ass excuse not to hire him because we need to get away from Boeheim shadow. He needs to be seriously looked at and hired cause he has proven he’s a man of his word and WILL turn this train wreck of a program around.

 

[CooperCuse]

Nobody is saying there’s no chance of him being successful. They are saying Hodgson has a significantly better chance.

Why? He's been a head coach for only a year longer than Gerry. Same amount of time as assistant coaches with various titles. The Sun Belt and the American conference aren't anything special. Gerry's team is dancing after a significant two year turnaround, first time in the tourney in sixteen years. I don't see how this Hodgson guy is the hands-on favorite over McNamara. Because he recruited for Nate Oats at Alabama? So what?

 

[JJReddawg]

Preseason polls had Siena finishing 2nd in the MAAC (w/ 3 first place votes). They ended up finishing 3rd. Yes, they won the MAAC tourney and got the bid, but technically finished lower than predicted. It’s not like they were predicted to finish in the lower half and overachieved. If GMac was just a John Doe at Siena with no Syracuse ties, not one person would be clamoring for him to come here.

Strength of Schedule
South Florida - #106
Siena - #359
Syracuse - #53

Scoring Margin
South Florida - #23 - 11 PPG
Siena - #122 - 4 PPG
Syracuse - #201 - 1 PPG

Scoring Offense
South Florida - #10 - 88.4 PPG
Siena - #289 - 70.7 PPG
Syracuse - #197 75.2 PPG

Turnover Margin
South Florida - #28 - +3.1 PG
Siena - #122 - +1 PG
Syracuse - #108 - +1.2 PG

Rebound Margin
South Florida - #46 - +5 PG
Siena - #132 - +2 PG
Syracuse - #291 - -2 PG

 

[jncuse]

1. Disqualifying G-Mac for his Syracuse ties doesn't seem fair to me.
2. But at the same time, lets not give additional credit to GMac for his Syracuse ties either in making a decision.
3. Let's focus our decision on coaching abilities and accomplishments. (to me this leads to Hodgson)

If the Siena coach turning things around was named Jim Adams, nobody on the board would be clamouring for Jim Adams as a future coach. But at the time, the AD should at least be considering what Jim Adams did.

 

[Brooky03]

I’m okay with either hire, Hodgson or Gerry. Both would bring in a new staff, both have equally proven themselves to be capable coaches.

The differentiator is NIL money. If it’s actually true that Hodgson can get donors to fork over more dough and can recruit better players, then he should get the job. But that has to actually be true, with some tangible proof as a condition of the hire. That can’t be speculation.

That’s the only differentiator, as I see it. Hodgson’s HC record is no more impressive than Gerry’s. On a personal note, Gerry’s defensive coaching is something I gravitate to more than Hodgson’s high volume offensive strategy.

 

[Millhouse]

Really, really happy for Gerry.

But let’s move outside the JB shrub.

He coached for nine thousand years and his tree has not been very successful. That wasn't jb's job so I didn't hold it against him. But it's true

 

[Forza Azzurri]

2. But at the same time, lets not give additional credit to GMac for his Syracuse ties either in making a decision.

The one additional thing that GMAC could provide, if he is successful, is that Syracuse may have its coach for the next 20+ years.

The importance of high quality continuity and stability should not be overlooked.

Now, of course, that doesn't mean he would end up staying, like JB did, but, IMHO, there is a higher probability that he would stay relative to just about anyone else we hire.

GMAC, currently, is exactly the type of coach who gets a shot at a P4 program - a coach who takes a program that was nowhere and turns them into a winner in a short period of time.

If I am given a choice between GMAC and Hodgson, I choose GMAC right now.

 

[Gotothehole]

Hell No

 

[Red Holzman]

If SU wants my fanny back in the seats, hiring GMac gets that done.
Yes -risk in this hire, but NOT a given that GMac's success turning Siena around can't be duplicated at a higher level.

I'm all for giving GMac the chance to raise SU from the ashes NOW.
Hammer me for emotions > common sense, but the risk is worth it.
GMac is a WINNER -I won't let the Red experiment blind me to a potentially great story that brings back the excitement.
This seed from the "JB Tree" is going to have a great coaching career. The blanket "no JB Tree hire" is not something I'll let blind me to considering this hire.

I'd rather ride with GMac now and risk potential disappointment than potentially live through hiring a "proven" coach who doesn't live up to expectations while watching GMac's star continue to rise elsewhere. I'm already following GMac's career and Siena more than SU.

Let's bring our guy home now. Can anyone not see how fast this train wreck could turn around with fan excitement seeing our guy on the sidelines and a team that plays like Siena AT A HIGHER LEVEL?

I've come to believe GMac is the Savior -and hopped off the "No JB Tree" train. So shoot me LOL.

 

[elimunelson]

Just hire GERRY! this is nuts

The entire national media industrial complex is already making this an issue. This isn’t Pat Ewing or Mullen coming home. He’s won at a smaller outpost.

To me the bigger issue is he goes to pc or bc and doesn’t fall on his face but enhances his reputation and makes it impossible to bring him home timing wise.

My second call would be to Hopkins to see if he will be associate hc and accept a pay raise to come back from New Orleans. Maybe he sees it as a path to one more shot in hoops.

 

[DanielA]

please lock this thread in no way should Gerry be the coach. He won the MAC with the most nil and they are going to be a 16 seed . One and done in the tournament. He could be looked at down the road but this is not the time the program is on the line.

 

[Cusefan95]

I get that hiring Gerry would be a huge “win the press conference” moment. And agree we’ll see a one year bump in ticket sales. If we’re not in the NCAA tourney next year, that bump lasts exactly one year. It’s not a good idea to chase revenue drivers you know are short term - hiring Gerry is a short term bump, by year two results will drive the sales regardless of who is coaching.

I also think the Syracuse administration has turned into the most dysfunctional mess I’ve ever seen. Right now is a chance for a clean break - new Chancellor, new AD, new coach with no ties to JB (which is needed since JB contributed to and caused a fair amount of the dysfunction for the last decade). I’ll be disappointed if Gerry gets hired - not because I don’t think he can succeed - but the timing is horrific. In a vacuum, he could be a great hire. We’re not in a vacuum, we’re in an organization that’s a dumpster fire and Gerry just due to his name and Syracuse ties may add fuel to that fire.

The biggest person I’d be disappointed for is Gerry. It’d be a huge mistake for him to come here.

 

[Trueblue25]

Gerry has not shown he’s qualified to run a top 10 all time program. One good regular season at Sienna. That’s great. Maybe BC can roll the dice on him.

The old guard of Syracuse fans have to let go of the Boeheim era.

 

[Red Holzman]

A parallel to consider:
NBA teams often use high draft picks on players evaluated as having high potential to excel at the NBA level.
Based on their performance at lower levels.
Some school will give GMac the chance to show he is qualified to run a top 10 all time program-
Based on his impressive performance at the MAAC level, and previous experience.
My gut tells me that GMac will reward that school for providing the opportunity.
That school should be SU.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

What the hell more do you need?

How about beating an actual P4 team? Or even some of the mid majors he lost to this year.

 

[Irishsecra1]

Let’s not forget - BH has only been a head coach 3 years, one year more than Gerry.
He took over 2 13 win teams, one just 2 wins removed from a 25 win season.
He is still to make it to a NCAAT. Arkansas State made it to the NIT.
He is a very good coach and would be a nice hire, I have no doubt.

Gerry took over a 4 win program that had finished last in their conference
He took over a team that was a dumpster fire, incredibly broken.
In 2 years, he has taken them to the NCAAT for the first time since 2010.

NET is frankly not relevant to this discussion as it highly measures QUAD 1 and QUAD 2 wins.
By virtue of who a MAAC team plays, they theoretically can’t have as high a NET, no matter how good they may be.

And you know, I value tournament wins more than regular season championships.
Vintage Boeheim understood that and did well in the year end conference tournaments and the NCAAT.

Gerry’s teams defend. And defense more than anything wins championships and always keeps you in the hunt.
As of March 1, SIENA was 24th in the country for scoring defense at 66.5 points allowed,
And they allowed an average of 61 points in the tournament.
South Florida ranks 252nd in scoring defense at 76.5
His last Arkansas State teams allowed 77,2 points a game.
He has in no way, shape or form a defensive mind.

Again, I have no problem at all if the decision is to hire BH for SU

But to pretend he is head and shoulders above Gerry is flat out ridiculous.

They have both proven they can take what they have and maximize that talent.
BH focuses more on offense, Gerry more on defense.
They both truly connect with their players.
They both instill a winning attitude in their players.

Gerry did everything Siena could have hoped for in 2 years, and with only 7 scholarship players the last few weeks.

So promote BH all you want but let’s not run down Gerry’s accomplishments to do it.
I will say this though - the casual fan will buy into Gerry taking over the program more than BH.
They love Gerry and he just took his team to the NCAAT. SU has not been there in 5 years.
They don’t know who the hell BH is or Arkansas State or South Florida.
That is the plain truth.

 

[DanielA]

A parallel to consider:
NBA teams often use high draft picks on players evaluated as having high potential to excel at the NBA level.
Based on their performance at lower levels.
Some school will give GMac the chance to show he is qualified to run a top 10 all time program-
Based on his impressive performance at the MAAC level, and previous experience.
My gut tells me that GMac will reward that school for providing the opportunity.
That school should be SU.

The MAC was awful. Siena has the best nil in the league and Gerry has had one winning season. He’s not qualified

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’m okay with either hire, Hodgson or Gerry. Both would bring in a new staff, both have equally proven themselves to be capable coaches.

The differentiator is NIL money. If it’s actually true that Hodgson can get donors to fork over more dough and can recruit better players, then he should get the job. But that has to actually be true, with some tangible proof as a condition of the hire. That can’t be speculation.

That’s the only differentiator, as I see it. Hodgson’s HC record is no more impressive than Gerry’s. On a personal note, Gerry’s defensive coaching is something I gravitate to more than Hodgson’s high volume offensive strategy.

South Florida plays great defense too. You’re getting hoodwinked over the number of possessions.

322nd in tempo for Siena. 16 for South Florida. South Florida attempts 11 more shots per game. Gerry basically has Siena playing like Tony Bennett’s Virginia. Bleh.