LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Men's Basketball Head Coach Gerry McNamara has been named one of 25 finalists nationally for the prestigious Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award. Created in honor of the late Wake Forest, Xavier, and Loyola (MD) head coach, the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award is presented annually to the Division I head coach who wins with integrity on and off the court.
 
McNamara is now a nominee for two head coaching awards presented annually by CollegeInsider.com. He was previously named a nominee for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award back on Dec. 16, which is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major head coach.
 
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court, but who also display moral integrity on and off it as well. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members from CollegeInsider.com. The 2026 Skip Prosser Man of the Year award winner will be announced in Indianapolis, site of the Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
 
McNamara has embodied the ideals of the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award in his two seasons leading the Siena Men's Basketball program.
 
After leading Siena to a 10-win improvement in his first season at the helm – which was tied for the ninth best turnaround nationally – McNamara has piloted the Saints to the program's first 20-win season in six years this winter. Siena reached the milestone yesterday, accomplishing the feat during the regular season for the first time in a decade.
 
The Saints have already surpassed the program's win total from the previous two seasons combined (18), while the squad's 11 wins away from home (nine road, two neutral) is tied for third most in program single-season history. Siena finished its road schedule with nine true road wins this season, which equaled the second-highest total in the 85 seasons of Siena Basketball.
 
McNamara has also led the Saints to separate seven and six-game win streaks this season. Moreover, Siena won five straight road games from Jan. 4 – Feb. 1, which was the program's longest such streak in five years.
 
McNamara and the Saints begin play in the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Basketball Championship when third-seeded Siena faces No. 6 seed Mount St. Mary's in quarterfinal round action Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
 
SKIP PROSSER MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
Lennie Acuff, Samford
Casey Alexander, Belmont
Jase Coburn, Portland State
Johnny Dawkins, UCF
Mike DeGeorge, Cal Poly
Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Kyle Gederman, Lindenwood
Chris Holtmann, DePaul
Donte Jackson, Alabama A&M
James Jones, Yale
Greg Kampe, Oakland
Eric Konkol, Tulsa
Mark Madsen, California
Mike Magpayo, Fordham
Gerry McNamara, Siena
Paul Mills, Wichita State
Dave Moore, West Georgia
Ryan Odom, Virginia
Antoine Pettway, Kennesaw State
Brett Reed, Lehigh
Ryan Ridder, Mercer
Patrick Sellers, Central Connecticut State
Duane Simpkins, American
Zach Spiker, Drexel
Dedrique Taylor, Cal State Fullerton  
 
PREVIOUS SKIP PROSSER MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt (2025); Niko Medved, Colorado State (2024); Pat Skerry, Towson (2023); Jay McAuley, Wofford (2022); Lew Hill, UTRGV (2021); Mark Prosser, Western Carolina (2020); Robert Jones, Norfolk State (2019); Casey Alexander, Lipscomb (2018); Danny Manning, Wake Forest (2017); Zack Spiker, Army (2016); Keno Davis, Central Michigan (2015); Brian Wardle, Green Bay (2014); Joe Mihalich, Niagara (2013); Jimmy Patsos, Loyola MD (2012); Chris Mack, Xavier (2011); Bob Marlin, Sam Houston State (2010); Ed Conroy, The Citadel (2009); Mike Brey, Notre Dame (2008).
 
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