Syracuse predicted to replace Adrian Autry with $5M SEC Naismith Coach of the Year candidate

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball lost their season finale on Tuesday to the SMU Mustangs men's basketball, ending the third season under head coach Adrian Autry. The Syracuse coach has now put together back-to-back disappointing seasons. After the game, Autry made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the results of the season.

“I don't shy away from the job that I did," Autry said in his postgame news conference. "I'm harder on myself than anybody. I didn't get the results that we wanted."

The Orange had plenty of hype entering the season, but it ultimately fell short of expectations. In fact, it was another down year that left many wondering what is next for the program. On Wednesday morning, it was announced that the school will be looking for its next head coach.

“Syracuse is expected to fired head men’s basketball coach Adrian Autry, sources tell On3. The Orange went 49-48 in three seasons under Autry and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Autry, who replaced Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, showed early signs of promise in his first season, winning 20 games. However, the program regressed over the next two years, posting back-to-back losing seasons,” Joe Tipton of On3 wrote.

Syracuse will now begin the search for its next leader. One interesting name that has surfaced is Mark Byington of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball.

“Byington is the head coach at Vanderbilt, which isn't historically a basketball power. This season, though, the Commodores are ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press top 25 and 23-7 overall in the rugged Southeastern Conference,” Neil Adler of Inside the Loud House wrote.

While the last two seasons have not been great for the Orange, the Syracuse job remains a premier opening that will attract plenty of candidates. For Byington, leaving the SEC would not be an easy decision, but the opportunity to lead a historic program could be appealing.

The Commodores are enjoying one of the most successful seasons in program history, and Byington has assembled a strong roster. It will be interesting to see if Syracuse can lure the potential Naismith Coach of the Year Award candidate away.