Syracuse Football: Top 5 long-term replacements at DC for Brian Ward

Paul Pasqualoni (Detroit Lions, defensive coordinator)

Talk about trips down memory lane for Orange fans. Yes believe it or not Paul Pasqualoni is still coaching football. As a matter of fact, he’s currently at the highest level with the Detroit Lions at 70 years of age.

Paul is one of the greatest coaches in Syracuse football history and there were mixed feelings when he was fired back in 2004 by fans and media alike. Of course, Orange fans remember who was hired after Pasqualoni and the darkness that shrouded the program and in some ways still does.

I’m convinced that Pasqualoni is going to die on a football sideline. This man has been coaching football for nearly half a century and isn’t tired of it yet. He seemingly has no desire to be a head coach anymore, he hasn’t been one since UConn back in 2013.

I mentioned earlier that the football community is a brotherhood, it’s all about relationships. The reason he’s currently with the Detroit Lions in the NFL is because of a graduate assistant he brought into the Syracuse program in the early 2000s by the name of Matt Patricia. Who is now the head coach of the Lions.

So why would he come back to Syracuse?

During his nearly 50-year coaching career, he spent the most time at Syracuse. Paul was hired as an assistant in 1987 (pretty good year) and was in that position until legendary coach Dick Macpherson jumped to the NFL with the New England Patriots. which opened up the first head coaching opportunity of his coaching career with the Orange. He would hold that position until 2004 and led the program to remarkable success.

So obviously Central New York holds a special place in his heart.

The only hesitation I’d imagine Babers would have is Paul’s age (70) because this would be a short term fix for the position. But this would immediately add experience, credibility, and a familiar successful name back to the salt city.