Syracuse players, coaches talk changes, preparations ahead of Pinstripe Bowl
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Jason Beck’s plane had just landed, and his phone was lighting up. It had been nearly two weeks since Syracuse’s regular-season finale against Boston College, and offensive coordinator Robert Anae had just taken the same job at NC State. Head coach Dino Babers needed a new person to run the offense. And Beck was his man. He just had to get in touch with the assistant.
Beck had been out recruiting, and Babers had been hitting him with a flurry of texts and phone calls that were going unanswered while Beck was in the air. Waiting to exit the plane after landing, Beck called Babers back. The message from the head coach? Be prepared, ready, confident and excited. Beck was Syracuse’s newest offensive coordinator.
It was one of the final moves of a whirlwind 24 hours within SU’s football program, one that included two coordinators (Anae and Tony White) leaving, one (Beck) promoted full-time and one (Nick Monroe) promoted just for the Orange’s Pinstripe Bowl game against Minnesota. Several players have transferred since, and Babers has tried to maintain continuity, first in promoting Beck, then in hiring Rocky Long, who will keep Syracuse’s 3-3-5 defensive scheme in place next season as defensive coordinator.
Those coaching changes, along with expectations going into next Thursday’s matchup with the Golden Gophers, were the focus of Thursday’s press conference, which included Syracuse’s Beck, Monroe, Garrett Shrader and Marlowe Wax. It was the first time Beck had spoken with the media since arriving at SU from Virginia last winter. He said there won’t be major changes coming to the Orange’s offense, with his 10 years working under Anae leading to a “seamless” transition taking his place.
“It’s been something I’ve been prepared for and preparing for for a while,” Beck said. “It’s a change but not a huge change. I’ve been really involved with game planning, organization, all those things. I’m different, so I’ll do things a little differently, but at the same time nothing too drastic.”
Shrader said he was excited to hear about Beck’s promotion. He had been hanging out with teammates when a team intern showed them a report that Anae was leaving for NC State. Shrader and the rest of the group didn’t believe it, but within 30 minutes saw other reports online. They were overwhelmed — White’s departure had just been announced hours earlier, and now, Shrader was looking at playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years of college football.
When Beck’s promotion was reported minutes later, though, the group was put at ease. Shrader said the offense hasn’t missed a beat, and Beck has been an “extension” of what Anae left at Syracuse.
“We were ready to get back to work because we knew who we were working with,” Shrader said. “Coach Beck had a lot to do with the offense this last year.”
Shrader, Wax react to coaching changes
Since Beck’s promotion, Shrader said there’s been a lot of “buy-in” from Syracuse players. Shrader and Beck, in particular, have developed a close relationship this season. Beck spoke highly of the quarterback Thursday, saying SU organized players this season around Shrader’s strengths.
“He’s my favorite quarterback coach and coordinator I think I’ve had so far,” Shrader said of Beck.
Shrader’s reaction to Beck’s promotion echoed what many sources close to the program told The D.O. the night it was reported.
Wax said he was disappointed to see White leave for Nebraska after three seasons with SU, but has been impressed with Long, who was hired Saturday.
“Coach White did a lot of good things but coach Long….I can’t wait to see how it’s gonna be,” Wax said.
Wax said players were nervous after White’s departure, unsure of how next season would look, and he met with Babers, he said to be patient. Babers recalled Long’s first speech to the team earlier in the week, which made the head coach want to suit up. Players came by Babers’ office afterwards, and he told them, “I told you guys.” Wax said Long’s speech was inspiring, and he’s a “great” defensive mind.
Monroe, defense prepare for Minnesota
Monroe, who served as Syracuse’s defensive passing game coordinator and safeties coach this season, will call defensive plays in the Pinstripe Bowl as interim coordinator. Babers said Wednesday that Long has been on Syracuse’s campus observing practice, but won’t call defensive plays during the Pinstripe Bowl. Long, though, still has “influence” over SU’s defense and has been interacting with players, Babers said.
Monroe said the interim promotion hasn’t been a difficult one. There have been many practices where White told Monroe to lead certain periods, and White has helped prepare him for a defensive coordinator position. Monroe said he hopes to be a full-time defensive coordinator one day — something that will come down to timing and fit based on the team’s league, schedule and scheme — but is excited to call plays just in next week’s bowl game.
“What an opportunity for me,” Monroe said. “To get to…really get this thing fine-tuned so that now if that’s something that presents itself here in the near future, great. I’m even more ready and capable to handle that in a full-time capacity.”
Monroe’s defense will be tasked with containing Minnesota’s offense, led by senior running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who finished the regular season fourth nationally in total rushing yards (1,594). Ibrahim’s 19 touchdowns were tied for second in the country, and he notched over five yards per carry.
“Their running back’s an anomaly,” Monroe said of Ibrahim. “He is really, really good. He may be, with no disrespect to anybody we played this year, the best one we’ve seen. …They’re a throwback team, and they’re good. They’re very, very good.”
Syracuse will be missing several key defensive players, including starting defensive backs Duce Chestnut and Ja’Had Carter, who both entered the transfer portal last week. Cornerback Garrett Williams also entered the NFL Draft, and the Orange won’t yet have the services of transfers Jaeden Gould and Jayden Bellamy.
Wax said freshman cornerback Quan Peterson, along with linebacker Kadin Bailey, have stepped up in recent practices to fill in for Chestnut and Carter, and will likely see a lot of playing time against Minnesota. Peterson, a former 3-star recruit out of South Carolina, hasn’t appeared in any games this season. Bailey played in all 12 games, recording nine tackles.
Beck takes reins of the offense
Beck emphasized his offense won’t be drastically different from what Anae ran and SU will maintain the same vision and direction. Beck has been heavily involved with game planning and organization this season, he said, making his replacement of Anae a minor change.
“There won’t be a big change or anything very different because it’s been a situation where I’ve had a lot of input and have a lot of big imprint on what’s going on,” Beck said. “I would think from a fan perspective or from an outside perspective, it would be hard to notice anything.”
Beck said he’s been preparing for an offensive coordinator role “for a while.” At Virginia, Beck always knew he was in position to become coordinator if anything happened, he said. He’s coached under Anae at BYU, Virginia and Syracuse, saying Anae’s system is flexible, innovative and built around players’ strengths. That system will mostly stay in tact — Shrader said SU is using the same terminology and general philosophy — and Beck said Babers will still have input in the offense’s direction moving forward.
With Anae’s departure, the Orange have an opening at tight ends coach. Beck said he’ll keep his position of quarterbacks coach, and Syracuse will look to add a tight ends coach.
Against Minnesota, Beck’s offense will be without running back Sean Tucker and offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron, who both declared for the NFL draft. Shrader said he’s excited to spread the ball out more, and LeQuint Allen and Dan Villari have been among the players to step up in practice. Minnesota’s 4-2-5 defense provides Syracuse with a “great matchup” to move the ball, Beck said. Shrader repeatedly emphasized his excitement for next Thursday, with a new coordinator calling plays, and the future of Syracuse’s offense on display.
“It’s exciting. Really this is the most fun I think I’ve had in a long time playing football, these past couple weeks,” Shrader said. “It’s exciting to go out there every single day and be able to go play, especially with the way we’re doing things now.”
