Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse made a total of five staff changes Monday, headlined by the demotion of defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson.
Robinson was demoted to co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
“That’s what he’s really good at,” head coach Fran Brown said during a Wednesday press conference. “He’ll do more of the upfront stuff with the D-line because he’s always been known as one of the best D-line coaches in the country, but then help me with a lot of assistant head coaching things.”
Former South Carolina and Florida head coach Will Muschamp appeared to be a possible candidate to replace Robinson as Syracuse’s defensive play-caller. Muschamp was in Syracuse for several offseason practices earlier this year.
While Brown confirmed Muschamp will be around again in 2026, he said his former coworker has no desire to be a defensive coordinator anymore.
“I’m trying to get him to come back,” Brown said. “He don’t want to. … He’ll hang with us in spring ball, hang with us in the winter and then he’ll hang with us in camp. And then he’s gonna watch his son play.”
Brown will pivot to other candidates with a wish list of qualities he’s searching for.
“I want to see us tackle the guy with the football,” Brown said. “And not allow them in the end zone so much.
“I didn’t think we had an identity on defense.”
Brown said Syracuse often got away from its gameplan throughout the season, which took a toll on the players.
He pointed to cornerbacks Chris Peal and Demetres Samuel Jr., safety Cornell Perry, linebackers Antoine Deslauriers and Gary Bryant III and defensive tackles Nissi Ogbebor and Nathan Nyandoro as key players for Syracuse’s next defensive coordinator to build around.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that can do it,” Brown said. “We’re just bringing other ones in and just keep going. If you give them the right scheme, the right mindset and the identity is right, I think we won’t be stopped.”
In addition to Robinson’s changing role, Syracuse also fired special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, linebackers coach Robert Wright, defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer and offensive line coach Dale Williams.
Brown said it was important for special teams to be detailed all the time. He also said he wants Syracuse’s offensive line to be lean, fast and tough both mentally and physically.
“I think the guy we’re looking at right now, his track record says that we’re going to get that done,” Brown said about Syracuse’s next offensive line coach.
These changes come after a last-place finish in the ACC in a season derailed by starting quarterback Steve Angeli’s ruptured Achilles tendon.
However, Brown said he believes Angeli’s injury served a purpose for Syracuse.
“Everybody’s upset that we lost Steve,” Brown said. “And I am because Steve loves ball. And who knows what would’ve happened? But I got to see all the little holes in the program that I need to fix up and be able to get things done right.”
Brown would like to have most of his 2026 team on campus by Jan. 10 and said he has Syracuse’s full offseason calendar filled out.
That would give Brown a deadline of a little more than a month to fill out the rest of his staff.
