Syracuse Fires Head Coach Dino Babers After Eight Seasons
Syracuse University has announced the firing of head football coach Dino Babers after eight seasons with the program. Babers, who posted a 41-55 overall record, including a 20-45 mark in ACC play, led the Orange to a somewhat inconsistent tenure.
The decision comes as Syracuse sits at a 5-6 record (1-6 ACC), with six losses coming in the last seven games. Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will take on the role of interim head coach. Prior to this, Campanile served as the interim coach at Rutgers for eight games in 2019.
Athletic director John Wildhack thanked Babers for his leadership and dedication to the program, saying, “As we embark on a change in leadership at the helm of Syracuse Football, on behalf of Syracuse University I thank Coach Babers for his leadership, character and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Babers’ tenure began with promise, as he led Syracuse to their first 10-win season in 17 years during the 2018 campaign. However, the team struggled for consistency in the years that followed, including a 1-10 season during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Babers joined Syracuse from Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois, where he had experienced success, but was not able to replicate that at Syracuse. Since 2018, no Syracuse offense has ranked even in the top 70 nationally.
The decision to part ways with Babers comes at a critical time for the athletic department, as they recently replaced longtime basketball coach Jim Boeheim after more than 50 years with the program. Additionally, the Orange are facing a new-look ACC as the league adds Stanford, California, and SMU from well outside of the league’s usual footprint in 2024.