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

David Reeves (UAB defensive coordinator)

Who?

This is the first name on the list that the majority of Syracuse fans reading this will have no clue who this is, but you should know.

David Reeves is one of the brightest defensive minds in all of college football.

He took a unique path to his current position that is worth explaining.

Reeves spent a decade coaching high school football at Athens High School before making the jump to college football. That made him more seasoned than your typical graduate assistant but also provided him a unique perspective.

He got to work with the Alabama Crimson Tide under head coach Mike Shula. Even when Shula’s staff was wiped away in 2006 when some coach named Nick Saban took over, he got to hang around for months with Nick picking up some things.

Saban, by the way, spent a year at Syracuse coaching up the outside linebackers in 1977.

After absorbing a few things from Saban he eventually took a job at a Division II school (Southern Arkansas University). He was there from 2007 through 2011 and was the defensive coordinator for his final two seasons there.

During his stay there he taught some classes and did some recruiting,

Then in 2012, a 20-year relationship landed him the job that would change everything.

Reeves joined up with Bill Clark at Jacksonville State as his defensive line coach, something they had talked about years prior. Then when Clark was hired at UAB, he brought David along with him.

He was hired in 2014, the football program was then terminated, but a few years later it was reinstated (2017). David stuck with the program even when it didn’t exist. His patience was rewarded.

David was promoted to defensive coordinator in May of 2016 and never looked back. He’s now in his third season as DC and fourth overall at UAB.

The Blazers had one of the best defenses in the country in 2018 per SDS:

"“UAB ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense, sacks, tackles for loss, third-down defense and fourth-down defense. Those results would be outstanding on their own, but considering UAB didn’t field a team in 2015 or 2016, those results are nothing short of miraculous.”"

That 2018 year will be remembered as “as one of the best defensive units in UAB and Conference USA history.” In 2019 it’s much of the same, the Blazers have the fifth-best defense in the entire country.

From all the candidates we evaluated, David Reeves would be the clear No. 1 option for the Orange to consider. He’s a coach that has always done more with less throughout his coaching career.

Jumping to the ACC would be the biggest step up for him in his career as a defensive coordinator and he appears ready for the moment.