Syracuse Football: New England Patriots coach to lead SU wide receivers

Syracuse football is reportedly hiring an NFL coach to lead the Orange’s wide receivers.

Per a post on X from Steve Wiltfong, the director of recruiting for 247Sports, Ross Douglas is expected to join the ‘Cuse as the team’s receivers coach.

Douglas, who played college football at both Michigan and Rutgers, is in his third season with the NFL’s New England Patriots and in his second term working with the squad’s wide receivers.

Per New England’s Web site at patriots.com, Douglas previously was the cornerbacks coach at Richmond. Before that, he was at Rutgers for three years.

Douglas, who is from Avon, Ohio, earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan and a master’s degree from Rutgers.

Syracuse football keeps adding to its coaching staff.

By the way, new Orange head coach Fran Brown, who was formally introduced by SU Athletics this past Monday, comes to the ‘Cuse as most recently the defensive backs coach at Georgia. However, his prior college jobs included at Rutgers, along with Temple and Baylor.

Brown’s coaching staff for the 2024 season and beyond is coming more and more to fruition. On Saturday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel said via X, “Syracuse is expected to hire Buffalo defensive coordinator Robert Wright as the school’s linebacker coach, who is expected to have a big role in the defense.”

Wright, prior to Buffalo, held coaching positions at Duke, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Illinois and Miami. New Syracuse football defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, as I’ve noted several times lately, is presently the interim head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M.

Speaking of New Jersey connections, since that is where Rutgers is located, Brown and Robinson are long-time friends who grew up together in Camden, N.J.

Other members of the new ‘Cuse coaching staff, according to media reports and social media posts, are expected to include:

•Nick Williams as the Orange’s defensive ends coach. Most recently, he was the defensive line coach at Colorado.

•Devin Redd as an assistant wide receivers coach. He was formerly the wide receivers coach at Delaware State.

•Nunzio Campanile, the Syracuse football interim head coach and tight ends coach, will remain on the ‘Cuse staff, per reports, but his role hasn’t been publicly disclosed.

•Thamel has reported in recent days via X that Jeff Nixon is being targeted by the Orange as its next offensive coordinator. Nixon is the running backs coach of another NFL team, the New York Giants.

•Khalil Ahmad is reportedly rejoining SU as its executive director of personnel and recruiting. Ahmad, most recently Penn State’s recruiting coordinator for personnel and recruitment, was previously the director of high school relations for Syracuse football under former head coach Dino Babers.