Syracuse fires Scott Shafer

Syracuse Orange athletic director Mark Coyle announced that head football coach Scott Shafer will not remain in that position after this season.

According to Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press, Syracuse athletic director Mark Coyle will replace the Orange’s football coach Scott Shafer at the end of the season. Shafer took over for Doug Marrone in 2013 and accumulated a 13-23 (6-17) record with the program.

Coyle had the press release set for immediate release Monday morning, stating that he feels “a change in leadership is needed at this time.” The Syracuse athletic director thanked Shafer his tireless dedication to the Orange’s football team over the last seven seasons. Before becoming head coach of the Orange, Shafer was a part of Marrone’s staff had worked previously as the team’s defensive coordinator.

Perhaps Coyle feels compelled to go after a bigger name to make his football team competitive in the ACC Atlantic Division. Though historically a basketball school, Syracuse has occasionally found success with their football program. Playing in the ACC gives the football program more credibility than it had in the old Big East.

Maybe seeing the inter-divisional Pittsburgh Panthers do well in the ACC Coastal Division in 2015 expedites the reason for a national head coaching search. The Syracuse job isn’t anywhere near as lucrative as USC, Miami, or South Carolina. It’s in that same vein as Maryland and Minnesota, where the right coach could take a historically underwhelming program over the top.

Being in the ACC helps Coyle sell the now vacant head coaching gig of the Syracuse Orange. In all likelihood, it will go to either a solid head coach out of the Power 5 or a top coordinator looking to become a head coach for the first time. Don’t expect Coyle to replace Shafer with someone already on the coaching staff, but rather expect an entirely new staff coaching at the Carrier Dome next fall.