For Dino Babers, There are No Guarantees
SYRACUSE, NY — If this year has taught us anything, it’s that nothing in life is guaranteed. For Syracuse football, it meant no guaranteed victories against 0-4 Duke and former FCS school Liberty. For head coach Dino Babers, it means there’s no guarantee he’ll return for his sixth season in 2021.
A contract extension signed by Babers in 2018 says he has the job through the 2023 season. He’ll likely be roaming the Syracuse sidelines this time next year, barring a disastrous collapse. After starting 1-4 with No. 1 Clemson on the horizon, that kind of failure is becoming more feasible.
Following his most recent defeat, Babers quickly reminded fans of past victories over ACC rivals Clemson and Virginia Tech. The veteran play-caller also asked for patience and understanding.
“I expect them to have faith,” Babers said after falling to Liberty 38-21. “I expect them to know we’re going to right it.”
However, less than 48 hours later, Babers has already shifted his perception of what is and isn’t expected from him as head coach.
“I was reading this morning,” Babers began on Monday. “And one of the things I was reading is that ‘you’re not judged on your past victories. You’re only judged on the victories to come,’ or something to that effect.”
As the losses begin piling up, so does the pressure begin to mount. With his future suddenly murky, Babers has resolved to focus on the present.
“Everything you did in the past is really good, but that’s in history,” Babers said, further illustrating his change in thinking.
“‘What are you doing today in the present? What are you doing tomorrow?’ I am really trying to stay mentally, physically, and spiritually sharp because I think that there’s nothing but good that’s going to come out of this.
“Every decision that I make, emotion is always involved, but I’m really trying to go deeper than that and push that and see the greater good in things.”
Babers is preaching his new ‘seize the day’ mentality to team leadership. Specifically, it’s being echoed to Orange seniors, whom Babers said he isolated in a meeting recently.
“What I talked to them about was this year and making sure that they treat this year like it’s the last one,” Babers reported. “The next one is a bonus. But you need to treat this year like it is your last year because it might be.”
As Babers seemed to hint at, the reality is that 2020 doesn’t have to be senior personnel’s final go-around. The NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for all fall athletes. Players don’t have to lay everything on the line like it was their last stand. The person who would benefit most from such an approach is Dino Babers himself.
“I really want to keep a smaller lens, and I want to stay focused on what’s going on in this season right now to make sure we don’t let our opportunities go by this year [instead of] hoping there’s something that’s going to happen down the road.
“There’s a certain type of fight that you want to see in your team, regardless of who you’re playing. You want to see a fight, and we need to make sure that we’re fighting.”
Sitting out the rest of this fight are some of the Orange’s heaviest hitters. Pre-season All-American safety Andre Cisco has set his sights on what’s next. Starting QB Tommy DeVito is currently scooting towards tomorrow, not today.
Each of their futures remains bright. For Dino Babers, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be around the next time Syracuse shines.
“I know there’s better days to come, and hopefully I’m here to get to see all.”
