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Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack opened his post-football season press conference by announcing that head coach Dino Babers will return for the 2022 season. A buyout and a lack of desire to pay it had no factor in the decision to keep Babers, Wildhack said. 

“I’ve met with Coach Babers multiple times over the past several weeks,” Wildhack said. “The best decision is for him to continue to lead this program.”

The work for building Syracuse’s 2022 team started yesterday, Wildhack said, when the Orange parted ways with three assistant coaches: offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, defensive line coach Vinson Reynolds and tight ends coach Reno Ferri. The athletic director finished his opening remarks with a message about the future goals for SU football, which has only had one winning season in the six years of Babers’ tenure. 

“I hear and I feel your frustration,” Wildhack said. “We all have the same goals: win more games, but do it the right way.”

Here are three takeaways from Wildhack’s press conference:

2022 expectations and assistant coaching changes  

The goal for Syracuse football in 2022 is to play a 13th game, Wildhack said. It’s the goal the team has every season, but with the potential of 18 out of 22 starters returning for the Orange next year, Wildhack said that they need to break out of a “log jam” and get back to the success they had in 2018.

Wildhack said the way for SU to improve is to face its deficiencies head on. Specifically, the athletic director said the Orange need to improve on special teams and in the vertical passing game.

“We need to throw the ball better and more effectively,” Wildhack said. “If we can do that and complement what Sean Tucker has done, we can have a very dynamic offense.”

To help the offense, Wildhack said he and Babers have already started having discussions about hiring an offensive coordinator who has experience developing quarterbacks. Garrett Shrader is the expected starter for Syracuse in 2022, but Wildhack said Shrader’s struggles this year were also due to the fact that he was named the starter only in week 4. 

“Garrett has got ability, and we need to refine that ability,” Wildhack said. 

On the other side of the ball, Wildhack said the Orange are trending in the right direction, with their 3-3-5 scheme led by defensive coordinator Tony White finishing 22nd nationally. The offensive line, coached by Mike Schmidt, also improved from last season, helping Tucker achieve a record-breaking season. With three vacancies, Wildhack said SU needs to make hires that produce results similar to the ones White and Schmidt have created.

“Tony White was a terrific hire. Mike Schmidt was a terrific hire,” Wildhack said. “We need to make three terrific hires. The quality of your assistant coaches is incredibly important, particularly in the sport of football.”

Lack of 4-star and 5-star recruits

Syracuse’s 2022 recruiting class is ranked 74th nationally, according to 247sports. The Orange have 10 3-star recruits currently signed as well as two unranked players. But Wildhack said that wasn’t a concern as Syracuse has never landed top recruits. 

“This has never been a program that has attracted high 4-star or 5-star recruits,” Wildhack said. “This has always been a program that developed players.”

The formula of developing players after their arrival to Syracuse is one that Wildhack said has worked for it in the past. He brought up Andre Cisco and Trill Williams, who were both drafted last year after being 3- and 4-star recruits, respectively. The athletic director also said that Sean Tucker, who came in as a 3-star recruit, is now most likely a first-team All-American. 

“Sean Tucker came in as a 3-star. Now he’s a five star,” Wildhack said. “We need to develop players, that’s incredibly important.” 

Still, Wildhack said the Orange need to make changes within their staff to help get better recruits in the future, and they need to invest more in the recruiting department and its staff. 

Transfer portal concerns

Syracuse had 10 players enter the transfer portal during the course of the 2021 season, more than any other Football Bowl Subdivision team. But like the low recruiting class, Wildhack said this wasn’t an issue, given that most players left because of a lack of playing time. The most notable of that bunch was quarterback Tommy DeVito, who entered the transfer portal after losing the starting job to Shrader. 

He also said that players were able to achieve what they came to Syracuse to do academically, even if they didn’t on the field. 

“Some of the kids, they’re going to walk out with Syracuse degrees,” Wildhack said. “With more eligibility they have the right to go somewhere else, and they should exercise that right.”

On the other hand, Wildhack said the Orange need to attack the transfer portal during the offseason and identify players that can fit into their evolving schemes in all three phases of the game. Last year, Syracuse was able to land Shrader in the transfer portal. 

“We need to identify kids that have great character and great football skills in the portal,” Wildhack said.

Published on November 29, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Contact Anish: [email protected] | @anish_vasu