The search is now underway for the next Syracuse men's basketball coach after the university fired Adrian Autry after three seasons on Wednesday.

Autry was 49-48 in those three seasons, including a 15-17 record this season. He missed the NCAA Tournament in each year and the Orange were eliminated in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament by SMU on Tuesday.

Thus far, we've heard of six potential candidates for the Orange vacancy, including former SU star Gerry McNamara, who is currently the head coach at Siena University. Fresh off winning the MAAC title on Tuesday night, McNamara joined the Field of 68 on Wednesday.

McNamara had this to say in regards to the Syracuse job opening:

"I mean it's inevitable that when you win, obviously it makes a difference. Here's what I'll say. I'm not worried about anything other than what I'm focused on. I've got a group of kids that I coach that are completely, fully bought in to what we're trying to accomplish... We've got a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament... I'm not worried about outside noise."

The MAAC title was the first conference tournament title for Siena since 2010. McNamara's Saints defeated No. 1 Merrimack in Atlantic City to claim the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Siena now has 23 wins on the campaign, marking the first 20-win season in six years.

As for individual accolades, McNamara has been named as one of the 25 finalists for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award. The award honors a Division I coach who shows integrity and off the court. 

That is the second national award that McNamara has been nominated for. This past December, he was named a Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award finalist. The award is presented to the nation's top mid-major coach. 

The stock of the former Syracuse standout continues to rise. Just hours after the announcement of Autry's dismissal, former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim shared news about McNamara's popularity in the coaching ranks, including two ACC schools reaching out already.

McNamara, along with his coaching staff and players, are scheduled to be watching Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET as the official NCAA Tournament field is announced. 

While McNamara already has a strong perception nationally, he can improve his resume with a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament.

Two of the top bracketologists in the country will partner with Syracuse Roundtable on Selection Sunday to give their takes on the NCAA Tournament. Currently, Mike Campagnone and John Burt Jr. see Siena as a No. 15 or 16 seed -- depending on the results of the other conference tournaments.

Make sure to follow along Sunday as Mike and John give you their projections before the field is announced Sunday night. 

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