The Syracuse Orange are finalizing a deal to name Fran Brown their program’s next head coach, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. Brown is the current defensive backs coach for the Georgia Bulldogs.
What will Brown bring to Syracuse?
Who Is Fran Brown?
Brown enters the picture at Syracuse after the Orange fired Dino Babers on Nov. 19 after eight seasons with the school.
Brown, a New Jersey native, first emerged as the defensive backs coach for Matt Rhule’s Temple teams from 2013-15. Brown followed Rhule to Baylor in 2016 as his assistant head coach and defensive backs coach and served in that role until 2019.
He then joined Manny Diaz’s staff at Temple as co-defensive coordinator/assistant head coach and was retained by Rod Carey when Diaz left 17 days later for Miami.
Rutgers hired Brown as their defensive backs coach in 2020 and coached there for two seasons before being hired at Georgia, where he has taken their defensive back room to a new level.
Bulldogs’ Success Under Brown
Chris Smith finished 2022 as a First-Team All-American safety and a finalist for the Nagurski Award, while Malaki Starks was a finalist for the 2022 Shaun Alexander SEC Freshman of the Year award.
Starks followed that up with his naming to the 2023 Jim Thorpe Award finalist for the best defensive back in college football.
Brown has a rather decorated pro-development tree as a coach as well.
Tavon Young, Matt Ioannidis, Tyler Matekavich, Haason Reddick, Nate Hairston, Harrison Hand, Shaun Bradley, and Chapelle Russell all played for Brown at Temple. At Georgia, Brown coached Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith into being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft and will put Kamari Lassiter, Malaki Starks, Javon Bullard, and Tykee Smith as high draft picks as well.
Brown has a proven track record as an elite recruiter.
He was named 247Sports’ No. 1 recruiter in the country this year and helped Georgia land several top recruits in their previous draft class. Brown’s extensive ties throughout the Northeast should help Syracuse out in recruiting.