SYRACUSE - Hit with two coaching defections after his first season at Syracuse, Greg Robinson again has a full staff.
Robinson promoted Brian White to offensive coordinator on Monday and named Phil Earley to succeed White as quarterbacks coach.
White initially took over in January for former quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite, who left the Orange to take over as offensive coordinator at Rice. Then two weeks ago Brian Pariani decided to join the staff of the NFL's Houston Texans, forcing Robinson to search for a new offensive coordinator.
“I wanted to make sure it was the right thing for our program,” Robinson said. “When Brian Pariani left, it gave me an opportunity to take some time to evaluate the situation, and it became clear to me I didn't have to go anywhere. He (White) brings an expertise and experience we'll all benefit from.”
White, who received a B.A. in history from Harvard in 1986 where he played quarterback for the Crimson, was co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Wisconsin for 11 seasons under Barry Alvarez, who retired after last season.
White's brother, Chris, coaches the Orange's wide receivers, so he was familiar with Syracuse's situation. The Orange sputtered in 2005 while converting to a pass-oriented offense and finished 1-10, the first team in school history with double-digit losses.
“What I hope to change, and what I believe will happen, is the execution will be better one extra year into what we're trying to get achieved,” White said. “That should be significant. We do have a solid foundation, but when you implement a new offense, particularly one that is as intricate and complicated as the West Coast offense, it takes time. You will see tremendous strides and progress from year one to year two.”
That won't take much.
In Pariani's one season, the team offered just fleeting glimpses of what a West Coast offense could be as it struggled mightily with quarterbacks Perry Patterson and Joe Fields throwing to an inexperienced corps of wide receivers. Of the 117 teams that play in Division I-A, Syracuse finished the season ranked 105th in passing offense (150.8 yards per game), 114th in scoring (13.8 points per game), and 115th in total offense (257.4 yards per game).
Earley, who has 20 years of coaching experience at the college level, said he never flinched when offered the job.
“I jumped at the chance to come here,” said Earley, who spent last season as quarterbacks coach and assistant to offensive coordinator Al Borges at Auburn. “I was excited about the direction this program is taking. I've been around enough to see guys go in and try to make a quick fix. They go out and get a bunch of transfers, fill the team with transfers. Coach is building a solid foundation.”
Earley has had stints at Washington State (1992-94), where he served as recruiting coordinator and was responsible for football operations for head coach Mike Price.
He also has served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for 13 years, including time at Ohio University, Nevada, Idaho and Cal-Poly.
Robinson said he interviewed several candidates before choosing Earley.
“Let's make sure that the guy coming in is one that can enhance Brian. Relationship is very important,” Robinson said. “I watched his relationship with Brian (in the interview process). You could just see that they meshed.”
The staff changes give the offense its third set of coaches in three years. Whether the transition will be seamless remains to be seen.
Earley gave the impression things might be a bit different.
“It's got to start out with me being the boss,” he said. “I'm a fair guy, but I do believe strongly that I do have to start out by having them do what I teach them to do. If on Saturday, I'm not seeing that, then I have to find a way to get that across. We've got to have a quarterback who's an efficient learner.”
The Orange have signed Andrew Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 217-pound quarterback and star at Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School who is generally regarded as one of the better high school quarterbacks in the country. Coach Robinson has said he wouldn't be averse to playing Andrew Robinson next season if Patterson and Fields again struggle.
“I don't want to assume that success is going to happen,” Robinson said. “The key is that they dive in and take it on.”
White initially took over in January for former quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite, who left the Orange to take over as offensive coordinator at Rice. Then two weeks ago Brian Pariani decided to join the staff of the NFL's Houston Texans, forcing Robinson to search for a new offensive coordinator.
“I wanted to make sure it was the right thing for our program,” Robinson said. “When Brian Pariani left, it gave me an opportunity to take some time to evaluate the situation, and it became clear to me I didn't have to go anywhere. He (White) brings an expertise and experience we'll all benefit from.”
White, who received a B.A. in history from Harvard in 1986 where he played quarterback for the Crimson, was co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Wisconsin for 11 seasons under Barry Alvarez, who retired after last season.
White's brother, Chris, coaches the Orange's wide receivers, so he was familiar with Syracuse's situation. The Orange sputtered in 2005 while converting to a pass-oriented offense and finished 1-10, the first team in school history with double-digit losses.
“What I hope to change, and what I believe will happen, is the execution will be better one extra year into what we're trying to get achieved,” White said. “That should be significant. We do have a solid foundation, but when you implement a new offense, particularly one that is as intricate and complicated as the West Coast offense, it takes time. You will see tremendous strides and progress from year one to year two.”
That won't take much.
In Pariani's one season, the team offered just fleeting glimpses of what a West Coast offense could be as it struggled mightily with quarterbacks Perry Patterson and Joe Fields throwing to an inexperienced corps of wide receivers. Of the 117 teams that play in Division I-A, Syracuse finished the season ranked 105th in passing offense (150.8 yards per game), 114th in scoring (13.8 points per game), and 115th in total offense (257.4 yards per game).
Earley, who has 20 years of coaching experience at the college level, said he never flinched when offered the job.
“I jumped at the chance to come here,” said Earley, who spent last season as quarterbacks coach and assistant to offensive coordinator Al Borges at Auburn. “I was excited about the direction this program is taking. I've been around enough to see guys go in and try to make a quick fix. They go out and get a bunch of transfers, fill the team with transfers. Coach is building a solid foundation.”
Earley has had stints at Washington State (1992-94), where he served as recruiting coordinator and was responsible for football operations for head coach Mike Price.
He also has served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for 13 years, including time at Ohio University, Nevada, Idaho and Cal-Poly.
Robinson said he interviewed several candidates before choosing Earley.
“Let's make sure that the guy coming in is one that can enhance Brian. Relationship is very important,” Robinson said. “I watched his relationship with Brian (in the interview process). You could just see that they meshed.”
The staff changes give the offense its third set of coaches in three years. Whether the transition will be seamless remains to be seen.
Earley gave the impression things might be a bit different.
“It's got to start out with me being the boss,” he said. “I'm a fair guy, but I do believe strongly that I do have to start out by having them do what I teach them to do. If on Saturday, I'm not seeing that, then I have to find a way to get that across. We've got to have a quarterback who's an efficient learner.”
The Orange have signed Andrew Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 217-pound quarterback and star at Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School who is generally regarded as one of the better high school quarterbacks in the country. Coach Robinson has said he wouldn't be averse to playing Andrew Robinson next season if Patterson and Fields again struggle.
“I don't want to assume that success is going to happen,” Robinson said. “The key is that they dive in and take it on.”