Over the weekend, reports circulated that Gerry McNamara was set to leave Siena after two seasons to take the head coaching job at Syracuse. On Tuesday morning, the deal was finalized. 

3One of the best players in school history, McNamara played for Syracuse from 2002-2006 before joining the coaching staff in 2009. After accepting the Siena job in March of 2024, McNamara added two former Syracuse players to his coaching staff.

Following his departure from the Capital Region it is possible that one of those former SU standouts becomes his successor in Albany.

Unlike McNamara, Blackwell did have previous head coaching experience before joining Siena. Before being hired by McNamara, Blackwell had served 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.

As a player, Blackwell spent three seasons with Syracuse, scoring over 1,000 points in his career. The 6'7 Blackwell ranks fifth all-time in minutes per game for the Orange. From 1996-2000, Blackwell helped lead his Syracuse teams to two Sweet 16 appearances. He played one year at Illinois and spent 10 years playing professionally.

Onuaku joined the Saints in 2024 after spending the 2023-2024 at the nationally decorated Gonzaga High School (Washington D.C). In 2022-2023 Onuaku was coaching in the professional ranks, as he served as an assistant for the Capital City Go-Gos, a G-League affiliate of the Washington Wizards. 

Onuaku played nearly a decade of professional basketball including three seasons with four different teams in the NBA. From 2013-2017 Onuaku saw action with New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.

Onuaku was a five-year member of the Syracuse program from 2005-2010. A four-time Big East Conference All-Academic Team selection, Onuaku helped lead the Orange to two Sweet 16 appearances. 

If Siena were to hire Blackwell or Onuaku, it would be the third time in program history that a former Syracuse player was named the University's head coach. In 2000, Louis Orr was named the head coach of the Saints.

In his lone season coaching Siena, Orr was 20-11, at that time the best record for any first-year head coach in program history. Orr accepted a job to coach Seton Hall in 2001 where he spent the next five seasons.

Orr was an iconic player for Syracuse along with his teammate Roosevelt Bouie, with the duo better known as the "Louie and Bouie Show". A four-year player (1976-1980) for Syracuse, Orr helped lead the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament berths. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the 1980 NBA Draft. "Louie and Bouie" had their numbers retired together in February 2015. Orr died in 2022. 

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