What a Wild Ride it is Going to Be | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

What a Wild Ride it is Going to Be

It has been many years since my last post. But what a time to be back (at least for a short time). Syracuse and AD John Wildhack just knocked the cover off the ball with Fran Brown and team. This program is officially back in business after a 20 year hiatus. Make no mistake - this is a damaged brand due to mediocre performance and malaise - but Fran and team are reversing that narrative immediately in a way that very few coaches would be able to do.

Fran is an incredible talent as a recruiter, player developer, tactician, communicator and motivator. The staff that Fran has compiled (including some names that will soon be revealed) is second to none from a recruiting perspective. Some Syracuse fans (and the many detractors of Syracuse who are not Syracuse fans) used to say it is impossible to land Top 25 classes at Syracuse - - private school, bad weather, limited fan support, limited financial support etc. I always thought that narrative was untrue. But get ready for that to change in a big way. I would not be particularly happy to be a fan of Rutgers, BC, PSU, Pitt or anyone else hunting in the Northeast for talent. I think a top 15/20 class is eventually possible with this staff.

And not only does Syracuse have an elite staff in place. They have the winning pitch for many of these top end players who are being recruited by schools we have no business competing against. You will have a real chance to start here as a true freshman.

I understand the concerns about coaching experience. But just because someone is an “Ace” recruiter does not mean they do not know the Xs and Os. They are not mutually exclusive. Some people are simply good at everything. These guys are excellent technical coaches from what I have been told.

You will undoubtedly see Paul Pasqualoni around more often – go ask Paul what he thinks about Fran Brown. George DeLeone certainly recognized him as an up-and-coming coaching star. Love the pending hire of Nixon as OC and also think people will view the offensive line coaching hire very positively once announced. This staff will compare with any staff in the ACC. The talent will follow and the Cuse will soon be in the running for ACC championships.

A few thoughts on the process and the hire:

AD: Syracuse has an incredible athletic director. Best in the business in my opinion. The diligence conducted on this process was second to none. He is looking to win championships, not run a “hedged strategy” by minimizing downside risk (which was my concern around Chesney + staff). Hats off to this man on a job well done. And what did the process reveal - our biggest issue was not the minutiae of coaching decisions or player development or scheme - - it was TALENT, TALENT and TALENT. We were not even close with the top-level of the ACC based on film. Something that was not going to be solved by most of the coaches in the mix.

Dino: Sincere thanks to Dino for 8 great years. He is a tremendous human being and a true leader of young adults who did things the right way. His ability to establish a positive, winning, family culture is second to none. I was concerned that we would lose some of those strengths with a new hire, but we managed to retain that incredible asset PLUS much more.

Recruiting: Not only will recruiting improve, but our recruiting operations will improve (building a funnel, narrowing to a monitoring pipeline, streamlined evaluation and prioritization). This ultimately leads to the best ability to cover the broader universe and focus efforts. Georgia has the best institutional recruiting system and that is what FB will implement here.

Diligence: Ultimately the diligence finding from the coaching process were all talent related: (a) no pass rushers, (b) no cover corners and (c) no playmakers at WR. Many felt that teams had figured out the 3-3-5, figured out how to eliminate the confusion and free rushers, and we were generally left without any capability to rush the QB from the DL. A huge departure from historical SU under Coach P. The first priority will be to get much bigger and faster at DL.

Offense: Love the return to power running, and being multiple in the run game. This doesn’t mean we will not have a sophisticated passing game, but this program is never going to be successful sitting back and throwing the ball 40x per game.

Defense: The defense will be built from the DL out. Big defensive tackles and explosive pass rushers. The model that FSU used to shut down Louisville which is similar to the general SEC approach.

Going to be great to watch the talent pipeline and coaching pipeline develop, particularly if we are able to win 9 games next year.
Couldn't agree with you more about what the Chesney hire would have meant. Spot on.

Also - getting back to basics. Focusing on building strong lines and depth at critical position groups. I'm excited to see the talent that we can bring in specifically on the lines because it's been such a challenge to have consistent talent and depth on the lines on both sides of the ball in recent years.
 
Sounds like Dazzler to me. He would be a perfect fit. I would actually trust him like I trusted DeLeone - just please don't make the playcalls (with BOTH of them)!
I would love Addazio and he would fit well. And connect back to the last golden era in the 90's.

I get that his lines didn't perform all that well at aTm but a change of scenery and getting him back to his roots will probably do him well. Plus he can laser focus on what he's good at and avoid all of the distractors that come from being at a SEC program.
 
It has been many years since my last post. But what a time to be back (at least for a short time). Syracuse and AD John Wildhack just knocked the cover off the ball with Fran Brown and team. This program is officially back in business after a 20 year hiatus. Make no mistake - this is a damaged brand due to mediocre performance and malaise - but Fran and team are reversing that narrative immediately in a way that very few coaches would be able to do.

Fran is an incredible talent as a recruiter, player developer, tactician, communicator and motivator. The staff that Fran has compiled (including some names that will soon be revealed) is second to none from a recruiting perspective. Some Syracuse fans (and the many detractors of Syracuse who are not Syracuse fans) used to say it is impossible to land Top 25 classes at Syracuse - - private school, bad weather, limited fan support, limited financial support etc. I always thought that narrative was untrue. But get ready for that to change in a big way. I would not be particularly happy to be a fan of Rutgers, BC, PSU, Pitt or anyone else hunting in the Northeast for talent. I think a top 15/20 class is eventually possible with this staff.

And not only does Syracuse have an elite staff in place. They have the winning pitch for many of these top end players who are being recruited by schools we have no business competing against. You will have a real chance to start here as a true freshman.

I understand the concerns about coaching experience. But just because someone is an “Ace” recruiter does not mean they do not know the Xs and Os. They are not mutually exclusive. Some people are simply good at everything. These guys are excellent technical coaches from what I have been told.

You will undoubtedly see Paul Pasqualoni around more often – go ask Paul what he thinks about Fran Brown. George DeLeone certainly recognized him as an up-and-coming coaching star. Love the pending hire of Nixon as OC and also think people will view the offensive line coaching hire very positively once announced. This staff will compare with any staff in the ACC. The talent will follow and the Cuse will soon be in the running for ACC championships.

A few thoughts on the process and the hire:

AD: Syracuse has an incredible athletic director. Best in the business in my opinion. The diligence conducted on this process was second to none. He is looking to win championships, not run a “hedged strategy” by minimizing downside risk (which was my concern around Chesney + staff). Hats off to this man on a job well done. And what did the process reveal - our biggest issue was not the minutiae of coaching decisions or player development or scheme - - it was TALENT, TALENT and TALENT. We were not even close with the top-level of the ACC based on film. Something that was not going to be solved by most of the coaches in the mix.

Dino: Sincere thanks to Dino for 8 great years. He is a tremendous human being and a true leader of young adults who did things the right way. His ability to establish a positive, winning, family culture is second to none. I was concerned that we would lose some of those strengths with a new hire, but we managed to retain that incredible asset PLUS much more.

Recruiting: Not only will recruiting improve, but our recruiting operations will improve (building a funnel, narrowing to a monitoring pipeline, streamlined evaluation and prioritization). This ultimately leads to the best ability to cover the broader universe and focus efforts. Georgia has the best institutional recruiting system and that is what FB will implement here.

Diligence: Ultimately the diligence finding from the coaching process were all talent related: (a) no pass rushers, (b) no cover corners and (c) no playmakers at WR. Many felt that teams had figured out the 3-3-5, figured out how to eliminate the confusion and free rushers, and we were generally left without any capability to rush the QB from the DL. A huge departure from historical SU under Coach P. The first priority will be to get much bigger and faster at DL.

Offense: Love the return to power running, and being multiple in the run game. This doesn’t mean we will not have a sophisticated passing game, but this program is never going to be successful sitting back and throwing the ball 40x per game.

Defense: The defense will be built from the DL out. Big defensive tackles and explosive pass rushers. The model that FSU used to shut down Louisville which is similar to the general SEC approach.

Going to be great to watch the talent pipeline and coaching pipeline develop, particularly if we are able to win 9 games next year.
Thanks for coming back to post your thoughts on this process. As you know myself and many others were waiting on your thoughts!! Well done!!
 
It has been many years since my last post. But what a time to be back (at least for a short time). Syracuse and AD John Wildhack just knocked the cover off the ball with Fran Brown and team. This program is officially back in business after a 20 year hiatus. Make no mistake - this is a damaged brand due to mediocre performance and malaise - but Fran and team are reversing that narrative immediately in a way that very few coaches would be able to do.

Fran is an incredible talent as a recruiter, player developer, tactician, communicator and motivator. The staff that Fran has compiled (including some names that will soon be revealed) is second to none from a recruiting perspective. Some Syracuse fans (and the many detractors of Syracuse who are not Syracuse fans) used to say it is impossible to land Top 25 classes at Syracuse - - private school, bad weather, limited fan support, limited financial support etc. I always thought that narrative was untrue. But get ready for that to change in a big way. I would not be particularly happy to be a fan of Rutgers, BC, PSU, Pitt or anyone else hunting in the Northeast for talent. I think a top 15/20 class is eventually possible with this staff.

And not only does Syracuse have an elite staff in place. They have the winning pitch for many of these top end players who are being recruited by schools we have no business competing against. You will have a real chance to start here as a true freshman.

I understand the concerns about coaching experience. But just because someone is an “Ace” recruiter does not mean they do not know the Xs and Os. They are not mutually exclusive. Some people are simply good at everything. These guys are excellent technical coaches from what I have been told.

You will undoubtedly see Paul Pasqualoni around more often – go ask Paul what he thinks about Fran Brown. George DeLeone certainly recognized him as an up-and-coming coaching star. Love the pending hire of Nixon as OC and also think people will view the offensive line coaching hire very positively once announced. This staff will compare with any staff in the ACC. The talent will follow and the Cuse will soon be in the running for ACC championships.

A few thoughts on the process and the hire:

AD: Syracuse has an incredible athletic director. Best in the business in my opinion. The diligence conducted on this process was second to none. He is looking to win championships, not run a “hedged strategy” by minimizing downside risk (which was my concern around Chesney + staff). Hats off to this man on a job well done. And what did the process reveal - our biggest issue was not the minutiae of coaching decisions or player development or scheme - - it was TALENT, TALENT and TALENT. We were not even close with the top-level of the ACC based on film. Something that was not going to be solved by most of the coaches in the mix.

Dino: Sincere thanks to Dino for 8 great years. He is a tremendous human being and a true leader of young adults who did things the right way. His ability to establish a positive, winning, family culture is second to none. I was concerned that we would lose some of those strengths with a new hire, but we managed to retain that incredible asset PLUS much more.

Recruiting: Not only will recruiting improve, but our recruiting operations will improve (building a funnel, narrowing to a monitoring pipeline, streamlined evaluation and prioritization). This ultimately leads to the best ability to cover the broader universe and focus efforts. Georgia has the best institutional recruiting system and that is what FB will implement here.

Diligence: Ultimately the diligence finding from the coaching process were all talent related: (a) no pass rushers, (b) no cover corners and (c) no playmakers at WR. Many felt that teams had figured out the 3-3-5, figured out how to eliminate the confusion and free rushers, and we were generally left without any capability to rush the QB from the DL. A huge departure from historical SU under Coach P. The first priority will be to get much bigger and faster at DL.

Offense: Love the return to power running, and being multiple in the run game. This doesn’t mean we will not have a sophisticated passing game, but this program is never going to be successful sitting back and throwing the ball 40x per game.

Defense: The defense will be built from the DL out. Big defensive tackles and explosive pass rushers. The model that FSU used to shut down Louisville which is similar to the general SEC approach.

Going to be great to watch the talent pipeline and coaching pipeline develop, particularly if we are able to win 9 games next year.
There he is. First Shoym and now JO.

Nice
 
Not a chance in hell that some of these new hire coaches are leaving their current positions for SU, if someone like Chesney was the hire. HCFB is showing early "Evidence" that he does indeed have plan for the resurrection of Orange Football.
 
I would love Addazio and he would fit well. And connect back to the last golden era in the 90's.

I get that his lines didn't perform all that well at aTm but a change of scenery and getting him back to his roots will probably do him well. Plus he can laser focus on what he's good at and avoid all of the distractors that come from being at a SEC program.

Yes, this would be a wonderful cultural re-connection with our most-recent "storied past", the 80s and 90s. I would welcome P&D around the program. That might encourage more past players from that era to return. To really turn this program around requires embracing and leveraging our past. Few can match it. It's a unique selling point.

And to say nothing of the HS programs that Addazio has deep, deep connections with. That's going to supplement our other recruiting prowess really well. We need teachers to go with the salesmen, so to speak. (And respect to JerseyOrange, some excel at both, like FB ..).
 
If our local media had half a brain….an obvious question to me today would have been something like….You mentioned your connection to P&D, might we see Coach P as a part of this program in some capacity?

I'd love him and DeLeone in some sort of advisor / consultant role. They could be Ambassadors Emeritus for the program, reconnect us to solid old stomping grounds. We could provide a platform for them to give clinics to HS's, for instance, a few times a year.

We could use their connections to past players, to offer the same kind of camps / training programs, etc. It would enhance our brand with the kids, for sure. I'd love to see great names of the past around the place more.
 
Last edited:
I'd love him and DeLeone in some sort of advisor / consultant role. They could be Ambassadors Emeritus for the program, reconnect us to sold old stomping grounds. We could provide a platform for them to give clinics to HS's, for instance, a few times a year. We could use their connections to past players, to offer the same kind of camps / training programs, etc. It would enhance our brand with the kids, for sure. I'd love to see great names of the past around the place more.
George passed away a couple of years ago.
 
I'd love him and DeLeone in some sort of advisor / consultant role. They could be Ambassadors Emeritus for the program, reconnect us to sold old stomping grounds. We could provide a platform for them to give clinics to HS's, for instance, a few times a year. We could use their connections to past players, to offer the same kind of camps / training programs, etc. It would enhance our brand with the kids, for sure. I'd love to see great names of the past around the place more.
George passed away in 2022. But on that note, he has a son, Mark DeLeone who I believe is an up and coming defensive coach currently in an analyst role. Might he have a role here in some capacity? Maybe assistant LB coach or something like that to start?

Coach P’s daughter has a job already in the recruiting department. Does a really nice job on social media.
 
Recruiting: Not only will recruiting improve, but our recruiting operations will improve (building a funnel, narrowing to a monitoring pipeline, streamlined evaluation and prioritization). This ultimately leads to the best ability to cover the broader universe and focus efforts. Georgia has the best institutional recruiting system and that is what FB will implement here.

Whatever programs can be great at this stuff for the Portal as well, will be a huge advantage... there were over 625 portal entries today alone
 
It has been many years since my last post. But what a time to be back (at least for a short time). Syracuse and AD John Wildhack just knocked the cover off the ball with Fran Brown and team. This program is officially back in business after a 20 year hiatus. Make no mistake - this is a damaged brand due to mediocre performance and malaise - but Fran and team are reversing that narrative immediately in a way that very few coaches would be able to do.

Fran is an incredible talent as a recruiter, player developer, tactician, communicator and motivator. The staff that Fran has compiled (including some names that will soon be revealed) is second to none from a recruiting perspective. Some Syracuse fans (and the many detractors of Syracuse who are not Syracuse fans) used to say it is impossible to land Top 25 classes at Syracuse - - private school, bad weather, limited fan support, limited financial support etc. I always thought that narrative was untrue. But get ready for that to change in a big way. I would not be particularly happy to be a fan of Rutgers, BC, PSU, Pitt or anyone else hunting in the Northeast for talent. I think a top 15/20 class is eventually possible with this staff.

And not only does Syracuse have an elite staff in place. They have the winning pitch for many of these top end players who are being recruited by schools we have no business competing against. You will have a real chance to start here as a true freshman.

I understand the concerns about coaching experience. But just because someone is an “Ace” recruiter does not mean they do not know the Xs and Os. They are not mutually exclusive. Some people are simply good at everything. These guys are excellent technical coaches from what I have been told.

You will undoubtedly see Paul Pasqualoni around more often – go ask Paul what he thinks about Fran Brown. George DeLeone certainly recognized him as an up-and-coming coaching star. Love the pending hire of Nixon as OC and also think people will view the offensive line coaching hire very positively once announced. This staff will compare with any staff in the ACC. The talent will follow and the Cuse will soon be in the running for ACC championships.

A few thoughts on the process and the hire:

AD: Syracuse has an incredible athletic director. Best in the business in my opinion. The diligence conducted on this process was second to none. He is looking to win championships, not run a “hedged strategy” by minimizing downside risk (which was my concern around Chesney + staff). Hats off to this man on a job well done. And what did the process reveal - our biggest issue was not the minutiae of coaching decisions or player development or scheme - - it was TALENT, TALENT and TALENT. We were not even close with the top-level of the ACC based on film. Something that was not going to be solved by most of the coaches in the mix.

Dino: Sincere thanks to Dino for 8 great years. He is a tremendous human being and a true leader of young adults who did things the right way. His ability to establish a positive, winning, family culture is second to none. I was concerned that we would lose some of those strengths with a new hire, but we managed to retain that incredible asset PLUS much more.

Recruiting: Not only will recruiting improve, but our recruiting operations will improve (building a funnel, narrowing to a monitoring pipeline, streamlined evaluation and prioritization). This ultimately leads to the best ability to cover the broader universe and focus efforts. Georgia has the best institutional recruiting system and that is what FB will implement here.

Diligence: Ultimately the diligence finding from the coaching process were all talent related: (a) no pass rushers, (b) no cover corners and (c) no playmakers at WR. Many felt that teams had figured out the 3-3-5, figured out how to eliminate the confusion and free rushers, and we were generally left without any capability to rush the QB from the DL. A huge departure from historical SU under Coach P. The first priority will be to get much bigger and faster at DL.

Offense: Love the return to power running, and being multiple in the run game. This doesn’t mean we will not have a sophisticated passing game, but this program is never going to be successful sitting back and throwing the ball 40x per game.

Defense: The defense will be built from the DL out. Big defensive tackles and explosive pass rushers. The model that FSU used to shut down Louisville which is similar to the general SEC approach.

Going to be great to watch the talent pipeline and coaching pipeline develop, particularly if we are able to win 9 games next year.
Seeing this post is the icing on the cake of the day filled with Coach Fran’s pc, pieces of this great new staff, new names of potential recruits and rave reviews coming in from all corners. Let the new Orange Era of Excellence begin!!!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
169,661
Messages
4,843,959
Members
5,980
Latest member
SYRtoBOS

Online statistics

Members online
189
Guests online
1,558
Total visitors
1,747


...
Top Bottom