Syracuse Football: Fran Brown hiring general manager, new position, is strong move

Word came out this week that Syracuse football is reportedly hiring its first general manager, and I can’t be more excited by this move from head coach Fran Brown, his staff and SU Athletics.

As first reported by John Brice of FootballScoop.com, the ‘Cuse is planning to hire Nate McNeal as the first general manager of the Syracuse football program.

Most recently, McNeal has been serving as the director of player personnel at Big Ten Conference school Illinois.

I’ve detailed in other recent columns the tremendous assistant coaching staff that Brown has been assembling of late, and McNeal heading to the Hill is a further example of that.

What’s more, this general manager position reflects Brown’s larger vision of both on-the-field and off-the-field player development. That includes arenas such as player conditioning and health, scholarship oversight, mining of the transfer portal, and name, image and likeness opportunities, according to recent media reports discussing Brown’s coaching philosophy and strategy in Central New York.

Fran Brown is bringing on board a trusted former colleague as the Syracuse football general manager.

Brown, most recently, was the defensive backs coach at Georgia. He’s held several other coaching positions over the years, including at Temple, and Brown’s tenure with the Owls overlapped with when McNeal was Temple’s director of player personnel.

According to his bio on the Illinois athletics department Web site, the Big Ten squad “has seen huge improvements in recruiting results in McNeal’s second stint in Champaign. The two-year stretch of recruiting from 2022-23 was Illinois’ best since 2008-09 according to 247Sports and Rivals. The 2023 class was Illinois’ highest ranked class since 2009 according to Rivals and highest ranked since 2011 according to 247Sports, as Illinois had back-to-back top 50 recruiting classes for the first time since 2008-09 according to 247Sports.”

McNeal attended, and played football at, Northern Illinois. He was on the coaching staff at Northern Illinois for three years, as a graduate assistant for football operations, in video operations, and then as director of player personnel.

Here are some other members of the Syracuse football coaching staff:

•Nunzio Campanile, currently the Orange’s interim head coach and tight ends coach, will serve as the ‘Cuse quarterbacks coach.

•Michael Johnson, the Orange’s wide receivers coach, will take over as the team’s tight ends end.

•Syracuse football special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky will remain in that role.

•New England Patriots wide receivers coach Ross Douglas as the Orange’s wide receivers coach.

•Texas A&M interim head coach and co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson as the ‘Cuse defensive coordinator.

•Colorado defensive line coach Nick Williams as SU’s defensive ends coach.

•Delaware State wide receivers coach Devin Redd as an assistant wide receivers coach at Syracuse football.

•New York Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon as the ‘Cuse offensive coordinator.

•Buffalo (the college team) defensive coordinator Robert Wright as the Orange’s linebackers coach.

•Louisville quality control specialist Dale Williams as SU’s offensive line coach.

•Khalil Ahmad is rejoining the ‘Cuse as executive director of personnel and recruiting. Ahmad has been Penn State’s recruiting coordinator for personnel and recruitment. He was previously the director of high school relations at Syracuse football under former head coach Dino Babers.

•Matt Zenitz of 247Sports recently reported that the Orange is expected to hire Texas A&M defensive assistant Joe Schaefer as a defensive assistant coach.