Fran Brown reflects on his unique process of getting hired at Syracuse

When it comes to earning a head coaching position in the college football ranks, not a lot of individuals get to call their own shots. However, that is just what recently hired Syracuse Orange coach Fran Brown did.

Brown was recently a guest on Andy Staples On3, where he discussed his unique hiring process with the orange. According to the Syracuse head coach, he initiated his initial interview with the university and accepted the position without communicating with his agent. But what exactly possessed brown to take such a huge step on his own? As it turns out, it was just something he did not want to have many regrets about.

“I just felt like it was the best thing to do. I’m represented by a really, really great agent. I asked him to just get me a number; I wanted to do it myself,” said Brown. “And they got so many guys they gotta represent, too. There were a lot of pieces on it, so I just felt let me go and speak for me. And if I do it for myself, I won’t have any regrets, and I won’t be able to point any fingers or anything of that nature. It will just be all on me.”

“So I just wanted to get it myself. Like, ‘You know what?  I’m gonna get this job for me; I’m gonna do it myself. I’m going to make sure that I speak what’s needed to be spoken about me. I wanna make sure that I dot all the ‘I’s’ and cross all the ‘T’s’.  That way, if it don’t happen, at least I know it didn’t happen on myself this time.”

Syracuse was on a quest to replace former head coach Dino Babers, who has been orchestrating the program for the last eight seasons. Babers was let go following an underwhelming season with the Orange, as they finished 2023 5-6 under the former head coach and 1-6 in conference play.

Syracuse found their man, or rather, he found them while he was down in Athens, GA, as a part of Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs coaching staff. Brown, who was the Bulldogs’ secondary coach, helped the Georgia defense to a top 20 ranking, No. 12, in pass defense last season. The Bulldogs allowed just 176.5 yards per game through the air and have also pulled down 12 interceptions. Both the average of 176.5 yards per game and the 12 interceptions lead the SEC conference in both statistical categories.

Brown called his own number and came up with all aces. Now it is time for him to showcase what he’s capable of as a college football head coach and assist Syracuse in becoming an ACC power once again.