Count the Syracuse Orange as the next college football team looking for a new head coach in 2024. Syracuse parted ways with its longtime head coach in Dino Babers after falling on the road to Georgia Tech in a bowl-game clinching scenario for both parties. Babers went 41-55 overall in eight seasons leading SU, going 20-45 in conference play. He had one top-15 finish at Syracuse that came in 2018.
Admittedly, Syracuse is not an easy job. It is a basketball school, but one that is in a state of transition after iconic men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim stepped down. The Orange play in a competitive Power Five conference and are the only program in the State of New York with that designation. Historically, Syracuse has had incredible success on the gridiron, but most of that predates the ACC.
Could SU have rolled with Babers for another season? Sure, but it probably would have been more of the same. His struggles in conference play are well-documented. What is surprising is that Syracuse wants to make this move now ahead of what could be its final game of the season. They could still achieve bowl eligibility with a win over a 4-7 Wake Forest Demon Deacons team at home next week.
Without further ado, here are five candidates I think could be exactly what Syracuse is looking for.
5. Tony White had been Dino Babers' defensive coordinator from 2020-22
Although former Orange coach Doug Marrone is still out there, a guy with a strong Syracuse connection to monitor is Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White. He joined Matt Rhule's staff in Lincoln this past season after having served as Babers' defensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022 at SU. He first got connected with Babers when they were both on Karl Dorrell's 2007 UCLA Bruins staff.
To me, Syracuse hiring White would be like getting a slight reboot of the Babers era. At times, Orange football was exciting under Babers, but things had gotten stale under him in the last few seasons. White is an up-and-coming defensive mind in the Power Five, one who has helped a rebuilding Nebraska team look strong on defense at times. It has been their offense that has been the issue.
Frankly, I would suspect that White will stay on Rhule's staff in Lincoln for at least another year or so, no matter what happens in a gotta-have-it game vs. Iowa in Cornucopia next week. However, White's familiarity with the Syracuse program could be a huge advantage in his chances of taking over for one of his football mentors. Surely, Babers would endorse White, but I think that SU could do better.
If White is able to convey what Syracuse's new identity under him will be, then he has a real shot here.
4. Bronco Mendenhall could get back into coaching, possibly at Syracuse
Another name ESPN's Pete Thamel linked to the vacancy is former BYU and Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Of the handful of names Thamel mentioned, Mendenhall's caught me totally off-guard, but in a good way. He was excellent leading the Cougars for years in Provo and did amazing things in Charlottesville leading the Hoos that we had not seen since the peak George Welsh days.
When Mendenhall stepped down after the 2021 college football season, it was strange to say the least. Mendenhall was regularly guiding the Cavaliers to bowl games, even having Virginia playing in a New Year's Six bowl at one point. If he can win at a place like Virginia, he could win at a place like Syracuse. Mendenhall knows the ACC well and knows how to build up a winning program anywhere.
I think if he is interested in the gig, then SU would be foolish not to at least interview him. Mendenhall's coaching track record speaks for itself. Syracuse is at a very easy entry point, as Babers arguably left it worse than he found it. Regardless, it feels like Syracuse could really use a complete cultural reset. Having seen very recently what he did at Virginia, Mendenhall is a great idea.
If there ever was a time and a place for Mendenhall to resurface, the Syracuse position could be it.
3. Curt Cignetti could get his first Power Five opportunity with Syracuse
If his alma mater of West Virginia opened up, I would guess that James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti could be in line to lead the Mountaineers. However, with Neal Brown having won seven games this season and another likely one coming up vs. a bad Baylor Bears team, WVU is probably not making a move. Cignetti has made the entire college football world care about JMU in the meantime.
While James Madison is Cignetti's third job as a college football head coach after having achieved great success at IUP and Elon previously, it may be a Power Five gig he covets. Cignetti turns 63 years old in June, so it may be now or never for him. As far as having Power Five or ACC coaching experience is concerned, Cignetti has worked at places like Alabama, NC State and Pitt previously.
JMU may be a different kind of job than the one Cignetti could theoretically take over at SU. However, I think Syracuse could be a great transfer portal destination for players who want to play and get better at the Power Five level while he figures out his new recruiting strategy. Being a dominant head coach in the state of Virginia could mean Cignetti might be able to exploit the Tidewater region a bit.
If we are looking for a program-altering head coach at Syracuse, it may be hard to top Cignetti here.
2. Jason Candle might be ready for his next big challenge after Toledo
After taking over for Matt Campbell at Toledo, Jason Candle has done a sensational job leading the Rockets for a better part of a decade now. He may have had his troubles in bowl games initially, but Candle is 64-33 overall with the Rockets and an impressive 42-19 in MAC play. He has Toledo at 10-1 on the season and has a shot at possibly guiding them into the New Year's Six with a little bit of help.
To me, now might be the time for Candle to go get what is his, and then some. Toledo has a great track record for getting good head coaches ready for major opportunities ahead of them. Campbell, Gary Pinkel and even Nick Saban used being at a place like Toledo to their advantage. Unfortunately, Candle is not as well-known of a coach across the country as he should be. He will need some help.
I think Candle would be a candidate other Power Five teams in need of a long-term head coach like Michigan State and Northwestern may consider. It feels like Northwestern could conceivably remove the interim tag on David Braun, as he has done a sensational job all things considered. Of course, they could try to poach Mike Kafka out of the NFL... As for Sparty, keep an eye on Jake Dickert at Wazzu.
Syracuse is not the sexiest job to leave Toledo for, but it is a decent first Power Five job for Candle.
1. Sean Lewis should be Syracuse's top target above all else in this cycle
As soon as Syracuse decided to move on from Dino Babers, my mind immediately went to Sean Lewis. While he has spent the last year as Deion Sanders' offensive coordinator at Colorado, we all remember fondly of the type of offenses he ran for years leading Kent State. Syracuse may not be the pick of the litter in terms of Power Five jobs, but Kent State is the worst FBS program of all time.
I think what Lewis would bring to Syracuse would be electricity on the turf and a restored sense of urgency. He only left Kent State to join Coach Prime's staff to help raise his coaching profile. Even if Sanders later took away play-calling duties from him in favor of promoting offensive analyst Pat Shurmur from within, Lewis' stock has not taken as big of a hit as Sanders' since losing to Stanford.
If I were in charge of making this hire for Syracuse, I would not let Lewis say no. It seems as though he could be on his way out of Colorado anyway. With other jobs opening up, especially the offensive coordinator gig at Penn State following Mike Yurcich's termination, Syracuse needs to act swiftly. Could Lewis do better than Syracuse in terms of leading his own P5 team right now? I'm not so sure.
Timing is everything and the time is now for Syracuse to make a huge splash and land Lewis for 2024.
