McNamara's staff is beginning to assemble in Central New York. Remember, the entire staff was fired when Adrian Autry was let go.
New Syracuse men's basketball coach Gerry McNamara was formally introduced on Monday afternoon, and he's wasted no time in getting going in his new position.
According to multiple reports on Thursday, McNamara has already brought in two new staff members to help fill out his coaching staff. Remember, the entire previous staff was fired along with former head coach Adrian Autry.
Here's what you need to know about the newest members of SU's sidelines:
Who is Ryan Daly?
Daly's collegiate coaching career includes stops at Bryant, VCU, and Albany. A former college basketball player at both Delaware and St. Joseph's, he's now 28 years old. HIs official role on the staff is still yet to be announced.
Who is Jamal Brunt?
The other reported name joining the coaching staff is Jamal Brunt. Brunt most recently served as an assistant at Penn State. Brunt's coaching resume spans nearly 20 years with stints at VCU, Miami (FL) and Richmond. The Baltimore native's role has also yet to be officially announced by Syracuse.
What names could be next to follow?
Could McNamara be adding any former Syracuse basketball players to his staff? Some of the potential next names that may be added to the staff include:
Ryan Blackwell - A member of McNamara's staff at Siena, Blackwell does have connections to both the high school and college levels in Central New York. Before being hired by McNamara at Siena, 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.
Arinze Onuaku - Like Blackwell, Onuaku joined the Siena staff under McNamara in 2024. 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 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.
Eric Devendorf- Devendorf has been on the coaching staff before, serving as the assistant strength coach from 2016-18. Devendorf then joined the Detroit Mercy staff in 2018 as a special assistant. Over the past several seasons, he has served as a color commentator for ESPN's college basketball television coverage.
But though he's been out of coaching for a few years, CNY Central's Samantha Croston recently asked Devendorf if he would consider joining McNamara's staff at SU. Devendorf responded by saying "Yeah, absolutely,"
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