Usually, when teams end seasons on eight-game losing streaks, there’s a complete rehaul of the coaching staff.
So, to no surprise, Syracuse Football is doing just that. The Orange, over the last week, has hired at least three coaches that we know of. So let’s break down the new faces of Syracuse Football
Defensive Coordinator – Vince Kehres
This is the big one, and to many a home run hire for the Orange. After a really rough year for SU’’s defense (the Orange gave up 30 points in seven of the final eight games), Kehres is a breath of fresh air.
In the same role with Toledo this year, the Rockets were second in the entirety of the FBS for yards given up…only behind Ohio State University.
Offensive Line Coach – Juan Castillo
Another super experienced coach joins the Syracuse coaching staff to help the front line of Syracuse’s offense. And if you’ve ever heard Coach Fran Brown talk, he places a huge emphasis on winning in the trenches.
There’s some good on Castillo: he brings a ton of experience. He’s been coaching since all the way back in 1982 in a variety of roles. But…he doesn’t hold on for them long. Castillo’s had 16 different jobs and the last four have been for just one years.
Defensive Line Coach – Jeremy Hawkins
The lineage of great recruiters coming to the Orange continues with SU’s new Defensive Line coach. This is a familiar role for Hawkins, who was in the same role at Georgia State, while also serving as assistant head coach.
The good news: Hawkins knows how to get players to a school. He was ranked as the top recruiter in the Sun Belt.
The bad news: he’s going to need to recruit a much different echelon of players to the school. Georgia State was a poor 1-11 this year and finished the season on a nine-game losing streak. Safe to say, that won’t cut it in Syracuse.
