At least two ACC schools had spoken to the Siena University head coach. One of them has now filled their opening.
If Syracuse wants to hire former player Gerry McNamara as its next men's basketball coach, it now has a little less competition for his services.
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Georgia Tech has hired Scott Cross as its next head coach. He had been the head coach at Troy and just led the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. They were beaten on Thursday by Nebraska, 76-47.
Why does this matter to SU? Well, according to former Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, McNamara was contacted last week by both Georgia Tech and Boston College. Of course, more suitors for McNamara could arise, especially after his No. 16 Siena Saints nearly toppled No. 1 Duke in the Round of 64 on Thursday.
Because of that, Syracuse might want to act urgently on hiring McNamara, if he is in fact the choice. On Thursday, new athletic director Bryan Blair wouldn't go into much detail about the hiring process. He did say that he hoped to have a resolution soon.
Blair was just hired for the position after a four-year run in the same spot at Toledo.
Need to know for Syracuse
--Elsewhere on the athletics front, the SU women's basketball team will open up NCAA Tournament play on Saturday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. ET.
After a 23-win season, the Orange earned the No. 9 seed in the tournament. They will play against No. 8 Iowa State out of the Big 12. If the Orange win, they will have a likely run-in with No. 1 Connecticut, who is a perfect 34-0 on the campaign.
Did you know?: UConn eliminated Syracuse in both the 2016 and 2024 tournament runs. That 2016 game was the national championship game. As the No. 4 seed, Syracuse is the last team to advance to a title game by being a No. 4 seed or lower.
--The Syracuse football team went 3-9 in 2025, making the season completely forgettable. But even if poor seasons can have nice moments, and one member of the SU roster just received his: Duce Chestnut has been invited to two separate NFL Pro Days, which is good for his NFL Draft chances and the the Orange program.
Syracuse should be much better in 2026 and fans will get their first look at the Orange on April 11 for the annual Spring Game. Quarterback Steve Angeli is working back from a torn Achilles and figures to help stabilize the offense.
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