It has been a big week for Syracuse head coach Fran Brown. After a breakout season for the Orange, Brown has been given two coach of the year awards for first-time head coaches.
Brown was given the 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, he was awarded the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, given by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
Syracuse’s Fran Brown Gets Coach of the Year Times Two
The Syracuse Season
After getting the job in late November of last year, Brown has barely been in the role for a year. But in his first season as head coach to a 10-3 record. It is only the third time since 2000 that Syracuse has won 10 or more games. The Orange finished the season ranked 21st in the College Football Playoff poll.
Brown, known as a defensive coach, produced one of the most high-powered offenses in the country. Quarterback Kyle McCord, the transfer from Ohio State was the biggest factor in the Orange success in 2024. McCord led the nation in total passing yards with 4,779 throwing yards. McCord set an ACC single-season record for passing yards and pass completions and school bests for completions, passing yards, touchdown passes, and total offense.
Syracuse posted three top-25 wins, the most in a single season for the Orange since 1998. They also had nine wins over bowl game schools. Syracuse beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego 52-35. But perhaps the biggest win of Brown’s first season came on Thanksgiving weekend as the Orange overcame a 21-0 deficit to beat Miami 42-38, knocking the Hurricanes out of the ACC conference race and out of the playoff.
Brown is only the second Syracuse coach since the mid-1940s to win 10 games in his first year. Paul Pasqualoni did it in 1991.
Brown’s History
Prior to his arrival at Syracuse, Brown was the defensive backs coach at Georgia. He was on the staff of the 2022 undefeated national championship team. Before that, he was the defensive backs coach at Rutgers for two seasons. He also had time as an assistant on the staff at Temple and at Baylor.
For the FWAA award, Brown is the first Syracuse coach to be honored by the football writers since Dick McPherson won the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award in 1987.
Brown will get his Bear Bryant Award on January 22nd when the National Coach of the Year will also be awarded. He will get the Steve Spurrier Award from the FWAA in February in Gainesville.
