Syracuse football adds a two-time Super Bowl winning coach to the staff

Fran Brown has had a busy week filling the final vacancies among his new-look group of assistant coaches.

Nov 20, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; A Syracuse Orange helmet rests on a warmer during the second half at the game between the Syracuse Orange and the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Brown has certainly had a busy week as he finalizes his third staff as Syracuse head coach, and monitors the end of the two-week transfer portal window at 11:59 p.m. local time tonight.

Friday afternoon, the school announced that longtime collegiate and NFL coach Sean Ryan has been named the program's new quarterbacks coach, joining earlier reports that Bowling Green special teams coach Alex Bayer will join the 'Cuse in the same role.

The new QBs coach brings a lot of professional offensive experience to the job

Ryan comes to SU from his most recent NFL position as a defensive assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins, who fired head coach Mike McDaniel on January 8.

However, he previously won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants while serving in various offensive position assistant roles, including as the Giants QB coach in 2012-13. It is that NFL experience (five NFL teams overall) with a new set of eyes that Brown is counting on to work with projected starting quarterback Steve Angeli as he returns from a torn Achilles injury.

Ryan's college experience also includes a brief stint at Boston College and South Carolina.

Just past the midway point during this past season's eight-game losing streak to end the campaign, Brown ousted quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile from that role, temporarily replacing him with tight ends coach Michael Johnson. Johnson has since moved back to coaching tight ends, and Campanile has since moved on to Connecticut as its new offensive coordinator.

Looking to make special teams "special"

While still awaiting the official announcement from the school, it appears that Bayer is set to join the Orange as special teams coach after serving in that same role for Bowling Green the last four seasons.

It is clear Brown has not been happy with his special teams in his first two seasons, first replacing James Vollono after the 2024 season, then dismissing Ricky Brumfield after just one year following bringing him over to the 'Cuse from ACC rival Georgia Tech.

Under Bayer's coaching in the 2025 season, Bowling Green continued to excel on special teams. One of his freshmen kick returners, Cameron Pettaway made the FWAA Freshman All-American team, setting a school record with a nation-leading, 33-yards per kick return average. The Falcons kicker, Jackson Kleather, was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award.

Bayer will work with returning redshirt sophomore kicker Tripp Woody who had a productive first season at SU after transferring from Iowa, along with incoming frosh punter Jimmy Gregg, one of the top scholastic punters in the nation, who was a January enrollee.

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