Carm Maciariello

Hear more from Gerry McNamara, the new head coach of the Siena Saints' men's basketball program, who joined 'The Drive' on Tuesday afternoon.

Siena College Director of Athletics John D’Argenio has announced that Carmen Maciariello will not return as the head coach of the men’s basketball program.

He’s stepped up when other players have not, and has some impressive performance. He’s got a bright future one way or another.

The NCAA tournament doesn't have to be in town for a big-time college basketball atmosphere to pop-up in Albany. Eighteen times since 2001, the Siena Saints and the UAlbany Great Danes have matched up in men's basketball, resulting in some of the area's largest crowds of the season. So, why not find the best times and dates to encourage that excitement?

In the preseason MAAC men's basketball coaches poll, Siena was picked to come in sixth place. The Saints don't often get their deserved respect but they roll into Rider Friday night in second place in the conference with less than 2 weeks remaining in the regular season. Coach Carm and the green and gold are the last team to defeat Rick Patino and the first place Iona Gaels, who have won seven straight since.

The names on the front of the jerseys will be the same but almost everything about this year's Albany Cup between Siena and UAlbany in men's basketball will be different. Since 2001, the two institutions of higher learning, separated by about 5 miles, battled 17 straight years in men's hoops. 16 times the game has been played in downtown Albany, in what is now the MVP Arena, Siena's home court during the season. In 2016, the game was played the only time at the SEFCU Arena, on the campus of UAlbany.

For Andrew Platek, the Capital Region was home, and was the backdrop for the moments that put him on the map. Now, he's back, and looking for more with hometown Siena.

Anytime you notch that first win of the year, it's a big sigh of relief for that head coach or manager. It just is. It's something that you want to get out of the way. Monday night, Siena men's basketball coach Carm Maciariello's team got their first win. It was an important step in Coach Carm's process.

One coach will take the sidelines for the very first time in the lead chair. The other looks to secure an allusive MAAC Championship that has been snagged from his team's grips the past two seasons. Fans will eagerly return to their seats that have collected dust since March of 2020. Tuesday night, empty basketball venues will be a thing of the past for the Capital Region's two Division I basketball programs.

Winning the regular season title in his first two years at the helm of the Siena Saints men's basketball program has apparently gone under the radar for his fellow MAAC coaches and that always seems to be OK with the kid from Clifton Park. Saints' head coach Carm Maciariello has done nothing but win, even under some ridiculously restrictive conditions. So, when the MAAC coaches poll came out Tuesday evening and Siena was picked 8th, I laughed. Nope, certainly not at the Saints but at the coaches that voted.

It was hot in the UHY Center on the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, NY yesterday afternoon. I arrived a little early to set up for The Drive with Charlie & Dan from 3p to 7p. Dan is on vacation and my guest host was finishing coaching his team. Siena men's basketball coach Carm Maciariello was running the 2021-22 Saints through some 4 on 4 drills, all part of the summertime process, which Tuesday included being my co-host. The heat didn't deter any of the players, some in green, some in gold. They were going after it, happy to compete.