A quick take on Scott Shafer’s first press conference as head coach of Syracuse:
WHAT HAPPENED: Scott Shafer was formally introduced as Syracuse’s head coach at a press conference on Friday afternoon. He stated his vision for the program while naming Chuck Bullough as the new defensive coordinator.
ANALYSIS:
* Wow. You could just hear the enthusiasm and pride coming out of Shafer. That was about as intense a press conference as there was to introduce a coach and Shafer just came out firing. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate that a 15. Some of the highlights included:
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- A Carrier Dome that “shakes and intimidates” opponents.
- A defense that would hit opponents so hard that opponent’s famlies wouldn’t “want to see their kids get hit.”
- An offense that has a lot of juice. “Orange juice.”
- A program that is all about “attitude, effort and enthusiasm.”
- A team that is “hard-nosed” that represented a “hard-nosed” town.
- On recruits that decommit: “They better not decide to play for someone that plays against us.”
- On the ACC: Syracuse is going to “storm that conference” and “do better than anyone thinks we can in year one.”
* Shafer also took time to thank Doug Marrone and Daryl Gross, and especially Nancy Cantor for the opportunity. This was obviously a statement that whatever foundation was in place would continue under his leadership.
* A little bit about Bullough: He started his career at Michigan State as a linebacker and played for five years in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins (1993–95) and attended camps with the Eagles (1992) and Indianapolis Colts (1996). He has also been a defensive coordinator for UCLA and spent time with the Chicago Bears, Western Michigan and the Cleveland Browns. Shafer said he trusted him “like a brother.”
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* The offensive coordinator search continues. Shafer said that a lot of people were interested in the position and that he would take his time to “find the best fit” for the team, and that he “wasn’t in a hurry” to name someone.
* Shafer also took time to say how much he’s fallen in love with Syracuse. He’s been here for four years now, the same amount of time as a normal student going to college. He also spoke about walking by Jim Brown each morning and the sense of responsbility he felt.
* The room erupted with applause after he finished and Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim walked over and offered a handshake. The ultimate stamp of approval.
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