Carmelo Anthony revealed in an exclusive interview with Syracuse.com that he actively advocated for Gerry McNamara to become the next head coach at Syracuse, having had conversations with university officials about the hire that ultimately kept his son Kiyan on the roster. Anthony, who led Syracuse to its only NCAA championship in 2003 as a freshman alongside McNamara, said the decision to bring back his former teammate was straightforward.
“To pick Gerry was easy. It was,” Anthony said in the late-July interview. “This is somebody who belongs here.” Anthony explained that he had conversations with Syracuse officials as an alumnus who wanted to see the program thrive, though he declined to specify who those conversations were with or their exact nature.
Syracuse fired Adrian Autry at the end of the 2025-26 season and began its coaching search in March. McNamara, who had spent the previous two years as head coach at Siena, was hired on March 24. At the time of the search, McNamara had just led the Saints to the NCAA Tournament and took No. 1 seed Duke to the brink, losing 71-65 in the first round—a performance that impressed Anthony.
“This is somebody who went on his journey,” Anthony said of McNamara. “He spent time here. He went on his journey. He had his experience as a head coach. We see what he did with that. Now you get a chance to come back to your alma mater and lead us to winning again, to a culture again, to an attitude again.”
Anthony said he would have supported former Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins, who had been on the coaching staff during Anthony’s playing days and had been designated as Jim Boeheim’s successor-in-waiting before leaving for the University of Washington. However, Anthony made clear McNamara was his preference. “I wanted him. He was my list,” Anthony said, adding that he faced opposition from other people of influence in the process. “I was up against a lot of people, really. But I’m glad people came around and understood the vision.”
The coaching hire proved crucial for keeping Kiyan Anthony, a sophomore guard who averaged 8.0 points per game as a freshman, on the roster. When Syracuse began its coaching search, Kiyan did not formally enter the transfer portal but allowed other schools to recruit him, with multiple programs expressing interest. Kiyan said in his own interview with Syracuse.com that he wanted to meet with McNamara before making any decisions.
“I feel like obviously it was a big question if I was transferring and a lot of schools got wind of that,” Kiyan said. “A lot of schools wanted me to come visit and everything like that. But I wanted to meet with GMac first before I did anything.” McNamara called Kiyan shortly after being hired, and the two met in McNamara’s office for an hour and a half. “I flew back the next day,” Kiyan said. After follow-up meetings that included his parents, Kiyan announced on April 8 that he would return for his sophomore season.
“Honestly, I feel like if anybody else got the job, I probably would have transferred,” Kiyan said. The connection between Kiyan and McNamara runs deep—Kiyan has known McNamara since he was 4 or 5 years old, having grown up hearing stories of his father’s 2003 championship run with him. “I remember coming here for the jersey retirement of my dad and him being there,” Kiyan said. “Just growing up, his name being throughout my household my whole life. That’s my dad’s teammate. They won together. It’s historic.”
Kiyan was one of just two players from last year’s roster to return; the other was sophomore forward Sadiq White. McNamara has been direct with Kiyan about his development, particularly after a freshman season in which he shot 39% from the field and only 25.4% from three-point range. “He doesn’t flatter me with praise,” Kiyan said of McNamara. “He tells me the truth every day. If I’m lacking on something, he’ll tell me to pick it up. And that’s why I appreciate it.”
Carmelo Anthony said he was pleased with how his son is developing under McNamara. “I’m bias, but I’m truthful, too,” Carmelo said. “I’m happy to see where Kiyan is at right now. I’m sitting there watching it from a whole different perspective. I’m not watching my son anymore. I’m watching somebody, a player that I know has a lot of potential.”
Sources
- Syracuse.com — Carmelo Anthony’s exclusive interview on his role in the coaching search and support for McNamara’s hire (July 27, 2026); Kiyan Anthony’s interview on his decision to stay at Syracuse (July 8, 2026); exclusive long-form video with Carmelo Anthony on the program (July 29, 2026)
- New York Post — Carmelo Anthony’s comments on McNamara’s hire and what it means for Kiyan’s future, including McNamara’s NCAA Tournament run with Siena (March 28, 2026)
- ESPN — Confirmation of Gerry McNamara’s hiring as Syracuse head coach on March 24, 2026
- Bleacher Report — Kiyan Anthony’s announcement of his return to Syracuse for his sophomore season (April 8, 2026)
