Is Siena still targeting Mike Hopkins for the head coaching position at the school?
Are the decision makers for the Siena Saints men's basketball program having second thoughts on hiring another former Syracuse player and assistant coach - Mike Hopkins -- as its new head coach? Is Hopkins no longer interested in the position?
The reports this week are conflicting. Earlier this week, it seemed like Hopkins to Siena was basically a done deal. Now, that is very much up in the air.
College basketball writer Sam Federman of Mid-Major Madness shared this message on social media on Sunday morning.
Things can change quickly. Hearing from multiple sources now that this is unlikely to happen.
Siena needs a new head coach after Gerry McNamara left the program to take the head job at Syracuse.
Federman's comments were similar to that of Adam Zagoria, a national college basketball writer, who shared this to X.
Mike Hopkins is no longer considering the Siena job, per sources
Mike Hopkins' past with Syracuse
Hopkins, a California native, joined the Syracuse basketball program as a player in 1988. The 6'5' forward played four seasons with the Orange, including helping the program win a Big East championship in 1992. Hopkins left Syracuse in 1993 to play professional basketball overseas before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1995.
He served as an assistant coach until 2017 when he became the head coach at Washington.
History of "conflicting reports" with Siena
This is not the first time in recent memory that the Siena basketball program has been involved in "conflicting reports" regarding the head coaching job. In 2018, Capital Region local radio host and sports television anchor Rodger Wyland reported that Jamion Christian would be named the next head coach of Siena.
Two weeks later, Wyland was criticized publicly by Albany sports writer Pete Dougherty for "having a crystal ball" and "apparently knowing before Siena" that Christian would be the head coach. In May 2018, Christian was in fact hired to become the head coach of the Saints. Christian coached at Siena for just one season before leaving for George Washington. Christian is now entering his second season as the coach at Bryant.
If not Hopkins, then who?
As we covered earlier this month on Roundtable, two former Syracuse basketball players are on the Siena staff and could be potential replacements for McNamara. Ryan Blackwell's resume includes serving as the Liverpool High School (Syracuse, N.Y.) coach for nine seasons. During his tenure, Blackwell helped lead Liverpool to five Section III titles and a New York State championship. Blackwell was named the 2018 New York State Basketball Coach of the Year by the USA Today.
Arinze Onuaku has also spent two seasons on staff under McNamara. Onuaku's resume includes served as an assistant for the Capital City Go-Gos, a G-League affiliate of the Washington Wizards.
Other names mentioned in the Capital Region media as possible successors to McNamara include another Siena assistant: Ben Lee, Skidmore head coach Joe Burke, and Mercyhurst assistant head coach Kyle Milligan.
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