Tag: Syracuse Football

What Kirby Smart said after Fran Brown took the Syracuse job

What Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown took the Syracuse head coach job

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is glad to see another member of his coaching staff accept a role as a head coach. Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown will be the next Syracuse Orange head football coach.

Brown, who has coached defensive backs at Georgia for two years, knows the Northeast well and is a great recruiter. Syracuse will introduce Brown as its head coach in a Dec. 4 press conference a few days after the 2023 SEC championship game.

Fran is excellent. No ego, he’s trustworthy, smart and he’s worked really hard during his two seasons here to earn an opportunity like this. He has built great relationships in our building, our players love him and we couldn’t be more excited for him, Teara and their family.

Georgia will miss Brown. The Bulldogs have a very desirable opening at defensive backs coach. Georgia is expected to return safety Malaki Starks and multiple other talented players in the secondary for the 2024 college football season.

Brown noted how excited he was to take the Syracuse job.

Syracuse football has outstanding talent, great facilities and passionate alumni. The success of the players is my No. 1 priority — on and off the field. I want my guys to succeed in life, because they played football at Syracuse.

Syracuse has a tough recruiting territory and fewer resources than other Power Five schools. However, the Syracuse job represents a significant promotion and is an excellent opportunity for Brown.

Syracuse football officially hires Fran Brown as head coach

Syracuse hires Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown as their new head coach

The Syracuse Orange are hiring Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown as their head football coach. Brown will be the 31st coach in school history. Brown will be introduced as Syracuse’s head coach in a Dec. 4 press conference.

Syracuse recently fired coach Dino Babers. Leading the Orange program is a challenging job because of its location and lack of financial resources compared to other Power Five jobs.

Brown is a recruiting guru in the Northeast. He coached at Temple and Rutgers before coming to Georgia in 2022. Brown is a smart hire for Syracuse, which is trying to improve its roster.

Syracuse wanted to hire a coach as soon as possible because the transfer portal opens on Dec. 4. Brown will try to retain talent on the Syracuse roster while adding it via the transfer portal and traditional recruiting.

Brown was excited after taking the Syracuse head coach role.

I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence. … The success of the players is my No. 1 priority — on and off the field. I want my guys to succeed in life, because they played football at Syracuse.

The Syracuse head coach’s job is a significant promotion for Brown. He and Georgia are currently preparing for the SEC championship game.

Syracuse announced Brown’s hiring via social media:

Brown has helped Georgia secure the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. He’s done an excellent job of recruiting elite defensive back recruits and is an important piece of Kirby Smart and Georgia’s coach staffing. Georgia will look for a replacement for Brown in the coming weeks. For now, the Dawgs are focused on preparing for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship.

Georgia DB coach is top target for the Syracuse job

Georgia football defensive backs coach with deep ties to the Northeast emerges as Syracuse’s top target

The Syracuse Orange are targeting Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown for their head football coach role. Syracuse recently fired coach Dino Babers and is looking to find a replacement. The Orange have a tough job because of their location and lack of financial resources compared to other Power Five jobs.

Brown, who is reportedly Syracuse’s top candidate, is a recruiting guru in the Northeast. He previously coached at Temple and Rutgers before coming to Georgia in 2022. Brown would be a smart hire for Syracuse, who is trying to improve its roster.

College football programs try to find new head coaches as soon as possible these days because the transfer portal opens on Dec. 4. New hires need to try to retain talent on their roster while also adding talent via the transfer portal and traditional recruiting.

Syracuse is a challenging job, but it would represent a significant promotion for Fran Brown. Brown and Georgia are currently preparing to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game. If Georgia beats Alabama, then Brown would likely coach in the College Football Playoff if he takes the Syracuse job.

[lawrence-related id=95695]

Fran Brown has helped Georgia secure the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. He’s done an excellent job of recruiting elite defensive back recruits and is an important piece of Kirby Smart and Georgia’s coach staffing.

Former Rutgers football assistant/interim offensive coordinator/interim head coach gets win with Syracuse

Former Rutgers assistant Nunzio Campanile gets a win as interim head coach of Syracuse football.

Nunzio Campanile got his first win with Syracuse football. The longtime Rutgers football assistant (among other roles, more on that later) guided the Orange to a win over Wake Forest on Saturday.

Syracuse’s 35-31 win over Wake Forest (the opponent Rutgers faced in the 2021 Gator Bowl) makes the Orange Bowl eligible. Campanile took over as interim head coach this week following the firing of Dino Babers.

He joined the Rutgers staff in 2018 as a running backs coach. In 2019 firing the removal of Chris Ash as head coach, he was named the interim head coach.

Campanile went 1-7 as the interim head coach.

Then with the hiring of Greg Schiano in 2020, Campanile stayed on staff as a tight ends coach. Last season when Sean Gleeson was fired as offensive coordinator midway through the season, Campanile took over that role on an interim basis.

[lawrence-related id=32425,32418]

He was not retained by Rutgers following this offseason. Babers hired him to his staff as a tight ends coach.

Now, in what would been an ironic twist, Campanile could be coaching against Rutgers in late December. With Syracuse getting bowl eligibility, both teams could end up in the Pinstripe Bowl as opponents.

Syracuse fires head coach Dino Babers

The Orange head coach lost six of his last seven games this season, and he won more than seven games just once in eight years.

Syracuse fired head football coach Dino Babers on Sunday, the university announced on Sunday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the expected firing.

Babers first took over as the Syracuse head coach for the 2016 season. He compiled the fourth-most wins by a head coach in program history with a 41-55 record across his eight seasons, including a 10-win 2018 campaign that saw the Orange rise as high as 12th in the College Football Playoff rankings. His Orange also went 1-10 in 2020, however, and have lost six of their past seven games this season after a 4-0 start.

“As we embark on a change in leadership at the helm of Syracuse Football, on behalf of Syracuse University I thank Coach Babers for his leadership, character and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a university statement announcing the decision.

Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Otto the Orange danced the pain away to Mr. Brightside as Syracuse got pummeled by Virginia Tech

You keep dancing, Otto. You keep dancing.

Syracuse football was not having a good time on Thursday night as the team got thrashed by Virginia Tech on the road in the first half, 30-3.

Syracuse mascot Otto the Orange had to have been as devastated as all the other Orange fans who couldn’t have seen this brutal first-half pummeling coming from a 3-4 Virginia Tech team.

Well, Otto the Orange didn’t let the abysmal first-half Syracuse performance keep him from dancing his pain away on the sideline as The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” played loudly over the speakers at Lane Stadium.

Like, look at Otto go. He’s clearly suffering greatly as his favorite football team gets blasted by Hokies, but he’s not going to let that keep him from dancing his heart out to the official Millennial anthem.

Hey, Otto the Orange, you keep dancing. Maybe Syracuse would mount an incredible comeback in the second half, or maybe he’d just have to keep dancing the night away as the Orange fell to 4-4.

Syracuse might’ve not walked away from the night as winners, but Otto stayed undefeated. He’s Mr. BrightOrange.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]

UNC Football: Helmet stickers for win over Syracuse

The UNC football team obliterated Syracuse, 40-7, yesterday afternoon in Chapel Hill. Check out who won our helmet stickers for the win.

It seemed like everything was working for the UNC football team on Saturday afternoon, as it dominated Syracuse, 40-7, in a convincing win that showed it’s among the ACC’s top teams.

Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is looking more and more like a Heisman Trophy contender each week, as he nearly set a career high in passing yards against an Orange defense that played well coming in. Tar Heels wide receiver Nate McCollum delivered his second 100-yard performance in as many weeks. Omarion Hampton nearly broke 80 yards rushing and the UNC defense, among college football’s worst last year, held Syracuse to a season-low in points.

There were so many UNC players and units deserving of helmet stickers, but we’ve decided to narrow in on a select few. Let’s take a deeper dive into this article and see who captured them:

Mack Brown: “They played like I thought they would.”

Mack Brown explains what went right before heading into UNC’s lopsided win over Syracuse, crediting preparation.

The Tar Heels were clicking on all cylinders Saturday, dominating Syracuse 40 to 7, improving to a 5-0 on the season.

A game that had fans wondering if a spot in the college football playoffs could be on the horizon. A game that featured highlight reel plays and defensive stops showed how prepared the Tar Heels were as they continue to prove their presence in the AP rankings.

After celebrating the statement win, Mack Brown spoke in the press conference about the preparation heading into the game.

“I have never seen a team have three practices as good as they did last week,” Brown said. “That’s the maturity of an older team. I’m usually anxious before a game, and I wasn’t. I was excited to see them play, and they played like I thought they would.”

With momentum on their side, UNC continues to step up to the plate and heads into the meeting against Miami feeling confident.

Earlier this season, Armani Chatmans said he felt the Heels could go 15-0, and as the season continues, it starts to look more like a reality.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Social media reacts to Tar Heels peeling the Oranges in a 40-7 win

Social media reacts to UNC peeling the oranges in its dominating 40-7 win over Syracuse.

The weather was beautiful, the energy was electric in Kenan Stadium, and the Tar Heels moved to 5-0 with a dominating 40-7 win over Syracuse.

Coming off the bye, UNC walked into their meeting with Syracuse riding an emotional high after it was announced that Tez Walker would be eligible to play. That high was felt off and on the field, with UNC’s offense and defense displaying juggernaut units.

The first half was so lopsided that it had social media in disbelief in what they were witnessing, with some questioning if it was the best half played by UNC this season. They dominated in total yards 424 to 70, 1st downs 23 to 3, and time of possession 20:39 to 09:21.

Syracuse did find the end zone in the second half, but the domination continued with UNC driving down the field with ease and the defense forcing the Orange into more punts.

UNC football usually comes with lows, but this game rode a high throughout, from Drake Maye connecting with Kobe Paysour for a 77-yard touchdown to the defense locking down Syracuse.

Social media had a field day giving praise to the Tar Heels. Let us look at how social media reacted to the blockbuster win.

UNC Football vs. Syracuse: How to watch Saturday afternoon clash

UNC hosts Syracuse on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in a matchup of 4-win ACC teams. Check out how you can tune into the game.

The UNC football team should be well-rested, as they come out of the bye week to face a fellow 4-win ACC school in Syracuse.

Carolina turned heads and rose up the rankings in the first portion of its schedule – beating Power 5 opponents in South Carolina, Minnesota and Pitt, while also squeaking by a Power 5 killer in App State. Drake Maye is playing more like his Heisman Trophy-contending self as the season goes on, Omarion Hampton has developed into one of the country’s best young running backs, while seemingly a new receiver leads the team every week.

Did we mention Devontez Walker is now also eligible, giving Maye yet another weapon?

Syracuse started 4-0 before losing to Clemson last weekend. Dual-threat quarterback Garrett Shrader leads the Orange with 1,148 passing yards and eight touchdowns, while he is tied for the team lead with six rushing touchdowns.

UNC is favored by eight points in Saturday’s home matchup, but that doesn’t guarantee it a win. We’ve watched the Heels lose games they’re favored in plenty of times before – take the opener against Virginia Tech two years ago?

Let’s take a look at what you need to know for the UNC-Syracuse clash.

UNC-SYRACUSE TV, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (4-0, 1-0 ACC) vs. Syracuse (4-1, 0-1 ACC)

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

TV: ESPN (Watch and stream the game live on WatchESPN)

ANNOUNCERS: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter).

RADIO: Tar Heel Sports Network. Jones Angell, play-by-play;
Brian Simmons, analyst; Lee Pace, sideline

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (99 or 108)

WEBSITE: WatchESPN

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.