It’s time to find out what kind of program Syracuse wants to be in the modern era.
The Orange fired coach Adrian Autry on Wednesday, a source briefed on the situation said, the morning after Syracuse’s season-ending 86-69 loss to SMU in the ACC tournament.
Autry — Jim Boeheim’s longtime assistant and successor — went just 49-48 in three seasons coaching his alma mater, never making the NCAA Tournament. Autry struggled to navigate the current college hoops landscape, with Syracuse slipping toward national irrelevance as its postseason drought extends to five seasons.
The good news is, one right hire can reverse all that — and Syracuse is as well-positioned as any program this spring to capitalize on a cycle in which it could be one of the better openings.
There are questions about how good a job this is, as the program’s greatest successes all came under Boeheim during his 47-year tenure. Syracuse also just named a new chancellor, and its athletic director, John Wildhack, is retiring this summer. His replacement has yet to be announced. There’s also the matter of Syracuse winters, which are no joke from a quality of life standpoint — and, more importantly, a recruiting one.
Lastly, do the resources match expectations? Syracuse wasn’t in the ACC cellar in terms of player payroll — especially after substantially upping its investment this season — but the Orange are still on the lower end of the band of competitiveness. Is more investment possible for the right coach?
It’s a slightly more complicated picture than you might expect from a place with Syracuse’s prestige, but it’s still on the short list of “best jobs available” this offseason. That means the Orange can, and should, shoot high.
Call list (in alphabetical order)
Bryan Hodgson, head coach, South Florida
No coach has been connected to the Orange more than Hodgson, a fast-riser from Nate Oats’ coaching tree.
The soon-to-be 49-year-old, who is originally from western New York, went 23-8 in his first season with the Bulls, winning the American regular-season title and putting USF in a strong position to make the NCAA Tournament.
He previously went 45-28 in two seasons at Arkansas State, after helping Alabama to its first Final Four in program history as an assistant. Industry chatter says the interest between Syracuse and Hodgson is mutual. If so, the only hiccup to him becoming the Orange’s next head coach might be how far the Bulls go in March.
James Jones, head coach, Yale
Jones is on the older side, having turned 62 in February, but he has long been one of the best coaches outside the high-major level.
He turned Yale into the class of the Ivy League in his 27 seasons in New Haven and is only getting better with age. The Bulldogs have made five NCAA Tournament appearances — and won two games — in the last decade alone.
Jones is also a Long Island native who played at Albany, giving him deeper regional ties and understanding than most candidates. He’s not the sexiest name, but if the Orange are unable to land their top choices, Jones would be a terrific fallback option.
Gerry McNamara spent 19 years at Syracuse as a player and coach. (Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)
Gerry McNamara, head coach, Siena
McNamara, in his second season as Siena’s head coach, is a Syracuse legend whose jersey hangs in the rafters of the JMA Wireless Dome.
And while Syracuse should hire the best possible candidate — regardless of program ties — there are undoubtedly going to be some who prefer someone from Boeheim’s tree.
McNamara is probably the best option there: A freshman starter on the Orange’s 2003 title team who later spent over a decade on Boeheim’s staff, he has been a success at Siena, taking a program that went 4-28 the year before his arrival to the NCAA Tournament this season after winning the MAAC tourney on Tuesday.
Given Autry’s struggles, Syracuse might have more difficulty selling some fans on another hire from Boeheim’s staff, but McNamara is beginning to make his own name.
Luke Murray, assistant coach, UConn
It’s only a matter of time until Murray, one of the primary architects of the Huskies’ offense, gets his high-major shot. He’s widely considered one of the top assistants in high-major college basketball, and a reason why UConn won consecutive national titles in 2023 and 2024.
However, that means the soon-to-be 41-year-old can also afford to be picky, as he’s incredibly well-situated (and well-compensated) in Storrs, Conn. Is Syracuse a good enough job worth leaving for? Possibly, even if it includes future contests against the Huskies and Dan Hurley.
From Syracuse’s perspective, Murray, who is from nearby Connecticut, has won at the highest level and possesses both Big East and ACC experience, checks every box.
Josh Schertz, head coach, Saint Louis
Recent industry chatter is that none of this cycle’s openings might be attractive enough to convince Schertz to leave Saint Louis. That might prove true, but Syracuse has to try all the same.
Schertz, 50, is that great a candidate, having led the Billikens to a 27-4 record and the Atlantic 10 regular-season title. The Brooklyn native is an innovative offensive coach who would thrive with the resources of a high-major program. He is more than personable enough to hold his own in Syracuse and the ACC at large.
Is Syracuse willing to make Schertz an offer he can’t refuse? It could be money well spent if it provides an instant turnaround for the Orange.
Kimani Young, associate head coach, UConn
Had Hurley taken the Los Angeles Lakers job in the spring of 2024, Young was slated to be UConn’s next head coach. The Queens native has been a fixture on Hurley’s staff since 2018 and has played an outsized role in the Huskies’ return to dominance.
He’s a fantastic communicator, teacher and recruiter, who would inject immediate energy into a program that has lacked juice of late.
However, like Murray, Young is in a great spot at UConn, and luring him away won’t be easy.
And the hire is …
Schertz, if Syracuse is willing to increase its investment and allow him to seriously compete with the ACC’s multiple programs spending $10 million-plus on their rosters (Syracuse was reportedly just under $8 million this season).
But if not, Hodgson, Murray or Young would be needle-moving hires. Of those three, Hodgson seems most likely, and he’s capable of turning Syracuse back into a winner.
