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The Orange coaching staff welcomed four new faces in early 2010, including defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, wide receivers coach Rob Moore, running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley and quarterbacks/passing game coach Nathaniel Hackett. After eight days of preseason camp head coach Doug Marrone talked about their progress.
“I’m excited, very, very excited,” Marrone said. “I’m excited about a lot of things, their relationship with the players and their relationship with the other coaches. This is our second time through it, with the spring. We’ve already gone through a game simulation with headphones and communication. That is one thing you think about with new people on the line, how they’re going to take the anxiety or the pressure and I’m very happy with the demeanor of the new coaches … I’ve seen an excitement out of Rob, I’ve seen an excitement out of Coach Brumbaugh, excitement out of Coach Wheatley and excitement out of Coach Hackett. It is there and you need that to be a successful coach.”
A 1997 All-SEC First Team selection out of Auburn University, Brumbaugh joined the Orange after three seasons as defensive line coach at Louisiana Tech. During his tenure with the Bulldogs, the team ranked 13th nationally against the run in 2008, allowing just 103.9 yards per game while registering 27 sacks, the most by a Tech defense in almost 10 years prior. Brumbaugh guides an experienced defensive line for the Orange, which returns 11 letterwinners, including three starters.
“I’m a technique, fundamental guy,” Brumbaugh said of his coaching style. “I believe there is a lost art in defensive line play. I’m an old school guy, grew up in the SEC and I’m a technique and fundamental type guy.”
A member of the Syracuse All-Century Team and the first player in school history to surpass a 1,000 yards receiving in a single-season, Moore returned to his alma mater as the wide receivers coach after a season at Pheonix Junior College. After graduating from Syracuse, Moore went on to play in the NFL for 12 seasons and was selected to two Pro Bowls.
“It is extremely exciting for me,” Moore said. “I get to come back to my alma mater and be a part of its resurgence and helping Coach Marrone with his vision of bringing this program back.”
A starting running back and kick returner at the University of Michigan from 1991-94, Wheatley is mentoring the Orange running backs after spending the previous season at Eastern Michigan University. A 10-year NFL veteran, Wheatley inherits a young Syracuse backfield which returns two letterwinners, including 1,000 yard rusher Delone Carter and junior Antwon Bailey.
“It has been great,” Wheatley said. “There is a little nostalgia, but at the same time it’s fun. You get to see guys in the place that you once were and you have a chance to help and develop them. When you look back on your days of playing the old saying goes time flies when you’re having fun and I can just think about four, five, six or even 10 years ago feels like yesterday.”
Hackett joins the Orange out of the professional ranks after two seasons as the offensive quality control coach for the Buffalo Bills. Hackett was hired as the quarterbacks coach, and just before preseason camp Marrone announced that Hackett would be calling the plays.
“It is an exciting time in my life and for everybody here at Syracuse,” Hackett said. “I’m very excited for the opportunity. Coach Marrone brought me here to coach the quarterbacks and I came here to do whatever he wanted me to do. It has been a great relationship. He is amazing. Just that fact that he has so much knowledge, for a guy like me to be able to lean on him puts me in the best situation any new play caller could ever be in. Not only is there a great offensive line coach in Coach Adkins, but the head coach is an expert in offensive line play and we have such a great philosophy together that we just all sync great and it a really good deal right now.”
Syracuse kicks off the 2010 season at Akron on Saturday, September 4 (6:00 p.m., ESPN3). SU opens at home against Maine on September 18 at 7:15 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Tickets are available online (click here) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (888-DOME-TIX). starting at $100.