Syracuse football has made a change at defensive coordinator with Brian Ward gone. Here are the top-5 options to replace him long term.
The 2019 Syracuse football season has completely imploded with three games remaining. Syracuse is 3-6 and any hopes of bowling is a pipe dream at this point.
The latest loss was a 58-27 drubbing that was highlighted by several defensive breakdowns. Syracuse gave up nearly 500 yards rushing which is by far the most in a single-game in program history.
That resulted in Dino Babers firing defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brian Ward on Sunday afternoon. Ward had been Syracuse’s defensive coordinator since Babers was hired back in 2016.
Prior to the season starting, Dino said that the strength of the Orange would be their defense, but they’ve been their Achilles heel.
Not only is the record awful at 3-6, but the analytics are even worse:
- The Orange have the 115th ranked defense in the nation out of 130 possible teams.
- Syracuse is 92nd in 3rd down conversion percentage defensively.
- In terms of first downs allowed defensively, Syracuse is bad in that area too (118th in the country).
- In 2019, Syracuse isn’t intercepting passes like they did last year, they rank in the bottom half of the country with only seven picks on the year.
- 105th in the country in passing yards allowed.
- 55th ranked red zone defense.
- 99th in the country in rush defense.
- Syracuse does have 25 sacks on the year which is good for 28th best in the nation.
- Lastly, the Orange are top-20 in the country in turnovers gained (+16), but the positives are few and far between.
The two blowout losses to Maryland and Boston College were unacceptable and embarrassing. There’s simply no excuse considering what those two teams are for a Syracuse defense this talented to have those kinds of lapses.
With Ward gone, who should Dino Babers turn to for a long-term fix? Here are the top five options with consideration to availability, coaching history with Babers, and more.
Syracuse defensive ends coach Steve Stanard
With Brian Ward receiving the pink slip, Steve Stanard has been asked to step up to the plate. Stanard has officially been listed as the interim defensive coordinator for the final three games of the season.
Babers released this statement on the move to Stanard via the University:
"“Coach Stanard is an experienced defensive coach. He’s been here for three years now and understands the culture of our program. I’m confident in his ability to lead that side of the ball.”"
While there’s no question the Orange defense has underperformed in 2019, it’s not because of a lack of talent. Syracuse has two star edge rushers in Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson. They have an All-American safety in Andre Cisco and a future NFL’er in Evan Foster.
Stanard has the inside track on the job, he’s already the interim and with three games left on the season can show Dino Babers why he should be the long term answer. This final portion of the season is a three-game audition if he impresses he could retain the job permanently.
This guy is an absolute football junkie who has been a coach for over 30 years and has been a defensive coordinator in college football for over 20 years of that time span. With the Orange, he has done a phenomenal job in his role with the defensive ends.
In the record-breaking 2018 campaign where Syracuse secured 43 sacks, 29 of them came from his players he coached up. He has a championship pedigree being involved in 10 bowl wins/playoff wins during his coaching career. On top of that, he’s gotten players to the NFL under his tutelage.
Cornerbacks coach Kim McCloud
I know, I know, hiring from within isn’t the sexiest hire in the world, but this one makes a ton of sense.
McCloud has been with Dino Babers since he was hired back in 2016. Kim has coached on both sides of the ball in his four seasons with the Orange.
His first two years with the Orange he coached up the wide receivers and did a very good job in that role. Kim helped produce two All-Americans and three All-ACC performers.
Then he moved over to the defensive side of the ball to help out the corners and that’s where he’s been since. Here’s an interesting nugget from Cuse.com to show what he was able to do:
"“In 2018 he helped the Orange corners generate 18 interceptions – tied for the fifth-highest total in the FBS. The takeaways contributed to a 111-46 advantage in points off turnovers.”"
Long story short, wherever he has been results have followed at Syracuse. So why should he be the long-term defensive coordinator for Dino Babers? Because he already has experience doing it.
Dino + Kim have worked together for a decade and prior to his recent success with the Orange he was Dino’s DC at Eastern Illinois and at Bowling Green when Babers was a head coach. They first met and started working together when they were both assistants at Baylor in 2008.
Football is a relationship business, you work with people you like and guys you’re comfortable with. Obviously these two have a long history together and this future long-term pairing almost makes too much sense not to happen. If Dino decides to stay close to home, don’t be surprised if he leans on McCloud.
Scott Shafer (Middle Tennessee State, defensive coordinator)
Now let’s expand out of the current regime and go to an old one. Why not Scott Shafer?
Would it be weird? Of course, Scott was the head coach at Syracuse why would he come back to have a lesser role? It’s actually quite simple.
Some coaches like to be the head dog and some coaches don’t. There’s nothing wrong with that, people thrive in different roles.
Shafer has been coaching college football since 1991, so he’s got a ton of tread on the tires. In that time he was only a head coach once, from 2013-2015, and didn’t thrive in that role with the Orange. He was forced into that position when Doug Marrone just up and left to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Although Scott thrived when he focused solely on the defensive side of the ball.
This would be a really good hire on a lot of levels. Scott Shafer isn’t just a coach, he’s a former player. Shafer was a quarterback in high school/college and understands how a passer thinks, which gives him a unique perspective as a defensive mastermind.
Currently, he’s in the midst of his second season with the Blue Raiders. In 2018 he got Middle Tennessee ranked in several national categories (sixth in defensive TDs, 16th in INTs, 40th in sacks, 12th in fourth-down conversion percentage, 29th in red zone defense and 20th in turnovers gained, per the team’s website).
Scott could step back up in competition in the ACC, could have a homecoming of sorts returning to the Orange, and Dino Babers can have a trusted veteran option that has been there and done that.
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.
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.