There’s an old rule in hiring: Don’t repeat your last mistake.
Syracuse basketball tried going the former player and unproven head coach route when it hired Adrian Autry from the Jim Boeheim tree. It failed. Syracuse fired Autry this week, ending a bad tenure that produced three straight unsatisfactory seasons.
It’s not Gerry McNamara’s fault the Orange flopped under Autry, and yet it probably doesn't help McNamara’s chance of getting the job.
McNamara’s jersey hangs in the rafters at the JMA Wireless Dome, and he’s got Siena headed to the NCAA Tournament in his second year coaching the Saints. That’s one more NCAA bid than the Orange achieved the past five seasons.
And, still, better options exist. More proven options, certainly.
Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz, not McNamara, would be the home-run hire for a proud but battered program that’s withered in this pay-for-play era, the continuation of a downward slide that began after Syracuse betrayed the Big East in favor of the ACC.
“This is one of the most storied programs in college basketball,” retiring athletic director John Wildhack said after firing Autry, “and we intend to hire a proven winner who will build on that legacy.”
Wildhack is a lame duck, but he should know that being a “storied program” matters less than ever. Money trumps tradition, and Boeheim says whomever replaces Autry requires more financial support to build the roster.
“If you don't have enough resources, that puts you behind," Boeheim said on the ACC Network.
No argument, but although Boeheim exonerated Autry from any responsibility for the results of the past three seasons and instead blamed Syracuse’s players, the reality is this was a total-system failure.
To fix it, try hiring someone who’s fixed every program he’s ever coached.
Schertz would fit that mold.
Syracuse says it wants 'a proven winner.' Sounds like Josh Schertz
First, Schertz coached in Division II Final Fours. Then, he positioned Indiana State for NCAA Tournament consideration in 2024 with the most exciting Sycamores team in more than a decade, if not since the Hick from French Lick. The selection committee snubbed Schertz’s Sycamores. So, they took their show to the NIT, where they reached the finals.
Now, he’s resurrected SLU in just two seasons. The Billikens have credentials good enough that surely the committee can’t ignore them, no matter what goes down in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Never mind the blender of hype and scrutiny Miami (Ohio) received the past few weeks, because SLU is the mid-major with Sweet 16 potential.
Schertz is no Syracuse alumnus, but he’s a career winner who also just happens to be a Yankees fan from Brooklyn, New York.
Syracuse could hire McNamara, or it could target a coach who builds rosters full of guys who shoot like McNamara. Schertz’s teams fill it up from 3-point range.
“I want people to watch us play and say, ‘Man, I want to come back and see more,’" Schertz said in an interview after SLU hired him. "(The offense) is very fast-paced. … It’s a style of play where guys play for one another and unselfishly."
"It’s something where, when people give us a chance, they’ll get hooked," he added.
If you’re wondering, Syracuse ranked 17th in the 18-team ACC in 3-point percentage this season. It ranked last in free-throw percentage.
No coach will win if his team can’t put the ball in the hole, I can promise you that.
And, anymore, it’s also difficult to win big without a bundle of cash.
Jim Boeheim to Syracuse basketball: Pony up
Syracuse would need to pay up if it hopes to lure Schertz out of Saint Louis. Just as importantly, it’d need to show Schertz it’s able to pony up for his roster.
Syracuse reportedly spent about $8 million on its roster this season. That’s enough to expect better performance than Autry’s final team supplied, but it’s not enough to expect a return of Syracuse’s good ol’ days.
"You have to look at (the investment)," Boeheim said on the ACC Network.
You could call this Syracuse freefall the righteous comeuppance for the Orange’s role in the unraveling of the old Big East Conference, but this goes deeper than karma.
Never short-change the influence of money.
The Orange became bruised after jilting the Big East for the ACC, but they turned rotten in this pay-for-play era.
The knee-jerk reaction would be to target McNamara. If money is the problem, wouldn’t a program legend like McNamara ignite the donor class? Then you remember Autry himself played for the Orange.
Hiring a famous alumnus is no magic wand. Ask Georgetown and St. John’s, two of Syracuse’s former Big East brethren, about that. Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin were legendary players and bad coaches.
McNamara is showing promise as a coach. He’s undeniably been a good hire for Siena, but with Syracuse in such dire straits, wouldn’t it be wiser to go with someone more proven? Syracuse would have a hard time landing anyone who’s won more than Schertz’s nearly 78% clip across the D-I and D-II levels.
And, remember that old hiring principle? If the last guy fails, do something different next time.
No school has ever gone wrong hiring Schertz.
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Schertz, not Gerry McNamara, would be top pick for Syracuse job
