Syracuse Basketball: 3 Candidates To Replace HC Red Autry

It’s no secret that the head coach for Syracuse basketball, Adrian Autry, has been under pressure for the security of his job.

Speculation has increased that if the Syracuse basketball team fails to make the NCAA Tournament this season, questions will arise about whether Autry will return next year.

After four straight conference losses and close wins to teams that should have been wins by a wider margin, fans have begun to question Autry’s future. Allegedly, there have been instances where a parent of a player has also raised their concerns for the coaching of the team.

Autry is in his third season as Syracuse’s head coach and owns a 46-40 record. Since taking over for Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, the Orange have not reached the NCAA Tournament. The program’s last appearance came in 2021 during Boeheim’s final seasons.

Syracuse basketball entered this season with high expectations due to its roster talent. Autry stated during the team’s first media day of the season that this team was shaped how he wanted the team to play this year.

Returning players like Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9 forward with NBA draft potential, and J.J. Starling, a 6-foot-4 guard, were expected to serve as cornerstone pieces for the Orange. Freeman currently averages 18 points and 7 rebounds, and Starling averages 11 points. The two lead the Orange in scoring.

Syracuse basketball also added transfers Tyler Betsey, Naithan George, and Nate Kingz to bolster the roster.

Betsey and Kingz were expected to improve Syracuse’s three-point shooting. Betsey, a 6-foot-8 forward, is shooting 40% from beyond the arc, giving the Orange their most efficient perimeter shooter. His combination of size and shooting ability remains rare at the college level. Kingz has also contributed, showing flashes as a defender and a downhill attacker.

George arrived with expectations to become the team’s primary facilitator and fill a significant point guard void from last season. He led the ACC in assists at Georgia Tech and entered the year tasked with running the offense. However, he has struggled this season, averaging roughly five assists with three turnovers per contest. 

Highly rated recruits Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony added another layer of excitement and expectations for the program. The freshmen provided a sense of spark, stardom, and good hopes for the future with their addition.

While the roster has shown flashes of strong play, many believe the team should be gelling more effectively and performing at a higher level.

Two persistent issues have defined Syracuse’s season: free-throw shooting and second-half performance. Both have cost the Orange games they should have won or put away more comfortably.

While free throws and individual performance can fall outside a coach’s control, rotations and lineup decisions remain coaching responsibilities and may contribute to Syracuse basketball’s struggles. The Orange currently sits at 12-9 overall and 3-5 in ACC play.

Notable games this season

• Boston College (9-11) – L 81-73
• Hofstra (13-8)  – L 70-69
• Monmouth (10-11) – W 78-73
• Saint Joseph’s (12-8) – W 71-63
• Northeastern (6-14) – W 91-83

Let’s start with the framework of a coach that Syracuse needs if Autry is gone at the end of the season. Syracuse basketball needs a coach who can give the team a positive identity, and not just players. 

Syracuse has a lot of great talent on the team, but outside looking in, what is lacking is the players’ talents being brought together to create a positive team identity. 

With the team in its current state, its identity has been defined by its struggles. The group cannot consistently make free throws, shooting 63% on the season, and it has blown leads in the second half, losing nine second halves so far this season.

These coaches could be best for Syracuse basketball if Autry is fired:

Tony Skinn, George Mason 

Tony Skinn, last year’s Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, has shown he knows how to hit the ground running. In three seasons as head coach at his alma mater, George Mason, Skinn has compiled a 65-23 record. George Mason won the regular-season conference title last year and has opened this season with an 18-2 record.

Like Autry, Skinn is a former college basketball player, but at 42, he represents a younger option. He has continued to trend upward and could emerge as a strong candidate for the Orange.

Josh Schertz, Saint Louis 

Josh Schertz has shown an ability to enter a program and transform it from mediocrity into a winning culture. He began his head coaching tenure at Indiana State and struggled in his first season before improving over the next two years. That progress culminated in a regular-season conference title in 2024, when the Sycamores rose as high as No. 23 in the national rankings.

Schertz left for Saint Louis last season and endured a slow start, but the team has surged this year. Saint Louis has opened the season 20-1 and climbed to No. 21 in the country. His ability to quickly reshape a program aligns with what Syracuse basketball would need if Autry departs. 

Casey Alexander, Belmont 

Casey Alexander endured a slow start to his head coaching career at Stetson before moving on to Lipscomb. After early struggles, he found sustained success beginning with the 2016 season. Alexander led Lipscomb to the NCAA Tournament, won a conference tournament title, and captured a regular-season conference championship.

He later took over at Belmont and achieved similar regular-season success, though he has not returned to the NCAA Tournament. Still, Alexander has posted strong records and could help guide Syracuse basketball back toward its tradition of success.