Welcome Back, Doug Marrone

If a song could describe Syracuse University’s first-year head football coach, Doug Marrone, it would be Kanye West’s hit, Homecoming. A homecoming it was for Marrone as he was welcomed to the Syracuse athletic family back in December.

Marrone, who becomes the 28 th head football coach, was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman at Syracuse and taken in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Raiders. He played two-years in the league.

His coaching resume is nothing short of shabby either as it includes stops at Georgia Tech and Tennessee and offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints since 2006.

From the looks of it, Syracuse is getting no slouch.

However, looks can be deceiving considering SU has had its share of coaches with budding achievements. Former SU head coach, Greg Robinson, took over the reins in January of 2005, was known for his defensive schemes. Offense brings in the tickets; defense wins championships, right? Wrong. Robinson was fired after four seasons, compiling an abysmal 10-37 overall record. Even before Robinson, Paul Pasqualoni was a long-time figure on the Orange sidelines. An assistant for the program from 1987-1991, Pasqualoni was promoted to head coach after Dick MacPherson left for the NFL. Pasqualoni enjoyed a slightly more elevated level of success with trips to the Fiesta Bowl (1992) and Gator Bowl (1995). All wins. But nonetheless, didn’t get the job done as the head honcho.

The alum himself has a tough task ahead of him as he tries to spark a program that hasn’t had a winning season since…well… in awhile.

“We are not in a rebuilding stage, we are in a rejuvenation stage,” he said in a News Channel 9 interview.

In a meeting he had with the team moments after being named the head coach, he told his players that he believes in a common bond—he is a graduate of this university, you (the players) attend this university.

Commitment to his alma mater is another factor he wishes to pursue as he stressed that Syracuse football will not only win with the players in the locker room but will strive whole heartedly to get the best players from all over.

Restoring the winning tradition and pride, first and foremost, is the goal of Marrone who is reminded everyday by the long hallway that displays Syracuse greats such as Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Marvin Harrison, and Donovan McNabb.

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Getting the Orange back to the big stage seems to be far off. Instead, baby steps need to be taken. Getting the players to buy into to his system on the basis of hard work is key. Change for any athlete can be difficult. Many may buy into it, others may vie for alternative options (ie: transferring).

With the season set to kick off Sept. 5 at the Carrier Dome against Minnesota, fans and students will anticipate yet again, get excited for what hopes to be a turnaround and cheer for their home team. Please don’t disappoint us, Coach Marrone.

By: Christina Alexander
BigEast-fans.com Syracuse Orange Correspondent