Report: Syracuse Dismisses HC Dino Babers
Reports emerged this morning that Syracuse has fired head coach Dino Babers after eight seasons at the helm. ESPN’s Pete Thamel had the report first on “X”.
The Orange had a troubling issue of starting fast against a light nonconference schedule and fading late in the season under Babers. Syracuse has lost six of the last seven games this season, including four consecutive blowouts against the ACC powers. They are 5-6 this season and 1-6 in the ACC, which is second to last in the conference, ahead of Wake Forest. Babers’ scoring unit has averaged 24.5 points this season, good for 12th in the ACC. The defense has allowed 23.1 points per game, good for seventh in the conference.
During the past four seasons, Syracuse has had losing streaks of three and four games every season. According to 247 Sports rankings, Babers has averaged a class ranking of 66.5 during his tenure. While Syracuse isn’t located in a recruiting hotbed nor is it a power, it’s relatively poor. The Orange has one offensive player drafted in eight seasons under Babers, which is his specialty unit.
What’s next for Babers and Syracuse?
Syracuse joins the coaching carousel that has started spinning wildly with vacancies like Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and San Diego State. They have a game against a last-place Wake Forest squad this weekend and need a win to secure bowl eligibility.
Thamel also introduces an intriguing candidate list for the Orange to possibly look through.
Babers leaves Syracuse with a 41-55 record and a 59-64 record overall. He’s a great person by all accounts and should get another coaching opportunity if he wants it. He is 62 years old at the time of this writing. Prior to his tenure in Upper New York, he coached Bowling Green to a winning record.
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