Syracuse is wasting no time hitting the reset button after a brutal season, and the coaching staff is feeling the full weight of that decision. On Monday, head coach Fran Brown made a sweeping set of changes, parting ways with four assistants: special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, offensive line coach Dale Williams, defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer, and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Robert Wright.
This shakeup follows a three-win campaign that ended with a thud - eight straight losses by an average of 27.5 points. That kind of skid doesn’t just sting; it signals deep-rooted issues across the board. And Brown, entering a pivotal stretch in his tenure, is clearly signaling that status quo isn’t going to cut it.
After Syracuse’s 34-12 loss to Boston College over the weekend, Brown was tight-lipped about potential staff changes. He did confirm that offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson would return, but gave no further insight at the time. Now we know the rest of the story.
Earlier this season, there were already signs of shifting roles within the staff. Wide receivers coach Myles White exited the program, and quarterback duties were shuffled - with Nunzio Campanile moving to tight ends and Michael Johnson Sr. stepping in to coach QBs. Monday’s firings take that restructuring to another level.
Let’s break down the moves.
Special Teams: A Surprise Cut
Of all the firings, Brumfield’s departure might raise the most eyebrows. Brought in from Georgia Tech, he took over a special teams unit that was downright abysmal in 2024 and turned it into Syracuse’s most consistent group in 2025.
Kicker Tripp Woody, a transfer from Iowa, hit 12 of 14 field goals and was perfect on extra points. Jack Stonehouse held it down as a reliable punter.
In a season where not much went right, special teams was a rare bright spot. Still, Brown decided to go in a different direction - a reminder that even solid performance doesn’t guarantee job security when a program is trying to reinvent itself.
Offensive Line: A Struggle All Year
The offensive line was a major weak point all season, and Dale Williams’ group never found its footing. The unit struggled to create any kind of push in the run game, and Syracuse’s offense suffered because of it.
Williams was a Brown hire after the 2023 season, but the line’s inability to hold its own up front made it difficult for the Orange to establish any rhythm offensively. With the trenches being such a foundational part of any rebuild, this move felt inevitable.
Defense: Numbers Don’t Lie
Syracuse fielded the worst defense in the ACC - and it wasn’t particularly close. The Orange gave up over 250 passing yards per game, ranking 12th in the conference, and were gashed on the ground for nearly 175 rushing yards a game, second-worst in the league.
Those numbers speak volumes, and Brown clearly felt the need for a fresh approach. Joe Schaefer and Robert Wright had both been on staff for the past two seasons, but with the defense routinely overmatched, their time in Syracuse has come to an end.
Now, with year three on the horizon, Brown is facing a critical offseason. He’s got a roster to retool and a staff to rebuild.
The message is clear: Syracuse is resetting the foundation. Whether that leads to a turnaround remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure - change is already in motion.