The coaching carousel continues to spin in Syracuse, and it’s picking up speed. The Orange are undergoing a significant staff reshuffle, with tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile heading out and Perry Eliano coming in to bolster the defensive side of the ball.
Campanile is set to join UConn as its new offensive coordinator, a move that marks another chapter in a coaching career that’s already seen plenty of twists. He came to Syracuse in 2023 as the tight ends coach, but his role quickly evolved.
After Dino Babers was let go, Campanile stepped in as interim head coach for both the regular season finale and the bowl game against USF. When Fran Brown took over the program, he initially kept Campanile on staff as quarterbacks coach before shifting him back to tight ends midway through the 2025 season.
This isn’t Campanile’s first rodeo calling plays. He’s held offensive coordinator duties at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, a powerhouse at the high school level, and served in interim OC roles at Rutgers.
His deep ties to New Jersey have been a valuable asset on the recruiting trail, especially in the Northeast. That pipeline has been important for Syracuse, and Campanile’s departure leaves a notable gap in that regional connection.
At UConn, Campanile steps into a program in transition. The Huskies are adjusting to life without Jim Mora, who left for the head coaching job at Colorado State.
In his place, UConn hired Jason Candle away from Toledo. Interestingly, Syracuse poached Candle’s defensive coordinator, Vince Kehres, to run their own defense.
So, there’s already some overlap between these two programs as they reshape their staffs.
Meanwhile, Syracuse is bringing in Perry Eliano to coach the defensive backs. Eliano reunites with Kehres, as both were part of Candle’s staff at Toledo.
Eliano has a strong résumé, highlighted by his time at Ohio State coaching safeties and a stint as defensive coordinator at Bowling Green. But perhaps most notably, he was the cornerbacks coach at Cincinnati during the rise of Sauce Gardner - a name that still resonates with NFL fans and scouts alike.
The addition of Eliano gives Syracuse another experienced voice in the secondary, and his track record with high-level defensive backs could pay dividends for a unit that’s looking to take the next step under Kehres.
With these moves, Syracuse still has some work to do to complete its staff. The Orange have already locked in Vince Kehres as defensive coordinator and Juan Castillo as offensive line coach. The offensive brain trust currently includes Jeff Nixon (offensive coordinator/running backs), Michael Johnson Sr. (co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), and Josh Gattis (wide receivers).
On the defensive side, Syracuse has reportedly added John Scott Jr. as assistant head coach and defensive line coach, and Jeremy Hawkins as the defensive edge coach. That leaves two key positions still open: tight ends coach - Campanile’s old role - and a special teams coordinator to replace Ricky Brumfield, who wasn’t retained after the season.
So while the core of Fran Brown’s first staff is coming into focus, there are still a couple of important pieces left to be filled. But with experienced hires like Eliano and Kehres already in the fold, Syracuse is clearly aiming to build a staff that can recruit, develop, and compete right away.