Syracuse men’s basketball hires Straughn as assistant coach

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — New Syracuse men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry has gone outside the Orange family, but turned to a familiar face, to fill out his coaching staff.

Syracuse Athletics on Thursday announced that former George Washington assistant men’s basketball coach Brenden Straughn has joined the Syracuse basketball program as an assistant coach.

Straughn — a native of New Carrolton, Maryland — assumes the remaining open spot on Autry’s Syracuse staff, joining associate head coach Gerry McNamara and assistant coach Allen Griffin.

Though he is not a former Syracuse basketball player like the rest of the Orange coaching staff, Straughn is connected to Autry, having coached for the same Washington, D.C.–based AAU program, Team Takeover that Autry once coached (when it was called Triple Threat). Additionally, two current Syracuse basketball players, Benny Williams and Justin Taylor, played for Team Takeover.

 “Brenden is one of the bright young minds in college basketball,” Autry said in the Syracuse Athletics announcement. “He is going to be a great fit on our staff and a great addition to the Syracuse family. He has a proven record of developing quality relationships with the student-athletes he has mentored.”

Straughn started his coaching career at his alma mater, Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, as an assistant coach from 2013-16. He spent 2013-18 coaching on the AAU circuit. Straughn was an assistant for Team Takeover and was promoted to associate head coach in 2016. While coaching Team Takeover, he helped develop five players who earned McDonald’s All-America honors and 70 Division I players.

Straughn was hired for his first college assistant coaching job at Loyola Maryland (2018-19). He moved on to Saint Joseph’s (2019-22). In Straughn’s time with the Hawks, he was responsible for managing the offense, on-court coaching and player development, opponent scouting, and serving as the recruiting coordinator.

This past season, Straughn was an assistant coach on Chris Caputo’s staff at George Washington. The team posted its most season wins (16) and Atlantic 10 Conference victories (10) since 2016-17. George Washington also led the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense.

Straughn spent his collegiate career at Hood College (2008-12), a Division III program in Frederick, Maryland. A four-year starter at guard for the Blazers, Straughn served as a captain for three seasons. In his four years he started 78 games while appearing in 94 total contests. He graduated from Hood College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in accounting and finance.