Syracuse football: Orange fire several coaches, per report

Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange are reportedly making coaching changes after the conclusion of the 2025 season. Pete Nakos and Nick Kosko from On3sports reported that Syracuse fired special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, offensive line coach Dale Williams, defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer, and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Robert Wright.

Williams, Schaefer and Wright were each in their second season with Syracuse. All three were a part of Brown’s first coaching staff at Syracuse. Brumfield was in his first season with the Orange.

This isn’t the first coaching change that Syracuse has made this year. Brown had announced earlier this season that he had replaced wide receivers coach Myles White with Josh Gattis. Brown had also swapped the position groups that Michael Johnson and Nunzio Campanile were coaching. Johnson became the quarterbacks coach and Campanile became the tight ends coach.

Along with Gattis, Johnson and Campanile, Brown still has three other assistants on his staff, all who have been with him at Syracuse since his hiring. Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Elijah Robinson, Offensive coordinator/running backs coach Jeff Nixon and edge coach Nick Williams remain on Syracuse’s staff.

Syracuse is looking to rebound from a 3-9 season in 2025. The Orange were successful in Brown’s first season in 2024, going 9-3 in the regular season and winning their bowl game against Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

The only coaching changes that Syracuse made during the 2024 offseason was hiring Brumfield and White. Brumfield replaced James Vollono after he was let go as special teams coach. White replaced Ross Douglas after he was hired by Oregon in the same position.

The reported coaching changes come just two days before the early signing period of National Signing Day on December 3. The transfer portal for college football opens in just over a month on January 2. Syracuse currently has the 26th ranked recruiting class in the FBS, according to overall and composite rankings from 247sports