Reviving a Rivalry
Gerry McNamara, a Syracuse University alumnus who once dazzled as a point guard for the Orange, has returned to the campus not as a player but as a coach with a mission to restore the program’s former glory.
During his four‑year stint at Syracuse, McNamara was part of an era marked by a bitter rivalry with the University of Connecticut, a competition that produced two consecutive Big East Tournament titles in 2005 and 2006, both won over the Huskies.
After a successful turnaround at Siena, where he transformed the program into a near‑March Madness contender, McNamara was recruited to lead Syracuse, a school that has endured five straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance following its departure from the Big East.
Now, the former player is eager to rekindle the historic matchup with UConn, saying he plans to sit down with UConn coach Dan Hurley to discuss ways to revive the rivalry and push both programs back to the national stage.
Hurley, who has guided UConn to three national championship games in the past four seasons, represents the benchmark McNamara hopes to match, and the prospect of a renewed clash promises to energize fans and attract recruits.
If McNamara can translate his vision into results, the renewed rivalry could serve as a catalyst for Syracuse’s resurgence, drawing attention to the Atlantic region and reshaping the landscape of college basketball.