There’s a shake-up underway in Syracuse, and it’s coming fast on the heels of a tough 2025 campaign. Head coach Fran Brown is wasting no time making significant changes to his staff after the Orange stumbled to a 3-9 finish this season-just one year removed from a strong 9-3 regular season and a Holiday Bowl win in his debut year.
According to reports, Syracuse has parted ways with four assistant coaches: special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, offensive line coach Dale Williams, defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer, and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Robert Wright. It’s a bold move, but one that signals Brown’s intent to reset the foundation heading into a pivotal offseason.
Three of the four-Williams, Schaefer, and Wright-were part of Brown’s original staff when he took over the program. They were in their second year with the Orange, while Brumfield had just wrapped up his first season in Syracuse after being brought in during the 2024 offseason.
This isn’t the first time Brown has shuffled his coaching deck. Earlier this season, he replaced wide receivers coach Myles White with Josh Gattis, a move that raised eyebrows but also brought in a coach with a strong résumé.
Brown also reassigned two of his assistants: Michael Johnson shifted to quarterbacks coach, while Nunzio Campanile took over tight ends. Those moves were about realignment, but this latest round of firings feels more like a reset.
Despite the changes, several key pieces of Brown’s staff remain intact. Defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Elijah Robinson, offensive coordinator and running backs coach Jeff Nixon, and edge coach Nick Williams are all still in place. That trio has been with Brown since the beginning of his tenure, and their continued presence offers some stability as the program looks to regroup.
The timing of the shake-up is notable. The early signing period for National Signing Day is just around the corner on December 3, and the transfer portal officially opens on January 2. With the Orange currently holding the 26th-ranked recruiting class in the FBS, according to 247Sports composite rankings, Brown is clearly trying to send a message-to recruits, to players in the portal, and to the fan base-that this program is serious about getting back on track.
It’s worth remembering how quickly things can shift in college football. Just a year ago, Brown’s first season was a breath of fresh air in Syracuse.
The Orange went 9-3 in the regular season, capped it off with a Holiday Bowl win over Washington State, and looked like a team on the rise. But 2025 was a different story, and now the challenge is to make sure that 2024 wasn’t a flash in the pan.
The only coaching hires made during the 2024 offseason were Brumfield and White-Brumfield replacing James Vollono on special teams, and White stepping in for Ross Douglas, who left for a job at Oregon. Now, with Brumfield and White both gone, Brown has a wide-open opportunity to bring in new voices and fresh energy to a staff that needs to help turn things around in a hurry.
The next few weeks will be critical. Between the early signing period and the transfer portal window, the decisions Brown makes now will shape Syracuse football not just for 2026, but potentially for years to come. This is a crossroads moment for the Orange-and Fran Brown is making it clear that standing still isn’t an option.