Fran Brown talks recruiting, community in introductory press conference

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Fran Brown sat, stoic and concentrated, as Director of Athletics John Wildhack introduced him as Syracuse football’s next head coach. Brown made his way to the podium and applause rang through the hall – his face finally cracked into a smile for the first time when he picked up a Syracuse football jersey with “Brown” and “44” on the back.

“Just looking at that alone, Jim Brown, Fran Brown, just having that alone is a blessing right there,” Brown said of seeing his name on the back of the jersey.

After being cut from the National Football League, Brown fought his way into the coaching ranks and quickly ascended to become a top defensive backs coach at Georgia two years ago. When the position opened, Brown reached out to Wildhack about the head coaching vacancy. They talked multiple times and Wildhack said, above all, it was the consistent praise and genuine nature that sold him on Brown.

The top recruiter in the 2024 class, according to 247 Sports, takes pride in the genuine relationships that he forms with athletes and their families. Everything he’s done up to this point has served the goal of becoming a Power Five head coach. And now that he is one, Brown said he’s going to outwork everyone.

Here are some takeaways from Brown’s introductory press conference on Tuesday morning:

Recruiting with authenticity

Whether it’s players or coaches, Brown said he wants people to know that anyone who comes through Syracuse will be successful because of their time there. He’s recruiting “differently” than those who came before and plans to build on current success. Anyone who does commit to SU will do so because Brown was honest with them about its culture and expectations.

“I was always able to go out and recruit, get the best players, but it wasn’t because I was saying all this stuff or selling all this stuff at Temple, it was because of the relationships,” Brown said. “I’m going to talk about life, helping young men become closer to the man above … That’s how I recruit. I recruit just being genuine, telling kids the truth.”

Brown is “going to recruit difference-makers,” and he’s not afraid of anyone in the country. He said he’s going to take care of his “backyard” first, meaning south Jersey and the northeast, but with the ties he’s made at Georgia, Brown is a national name. He’s already garnered interest in SU from three- and four-star athletes around the country.

On the coaching end, Brown has already started the overhaul by naming a new defensive coordinator in Elijah Robinson, who will head over from Texas A&M. He referred to Robinson, who is currently an interim head coach and d-line coach with the Aggies, as the best coordinator in the country. The two have known each other since high school and worked together at Temple and Baylor. Robinson is another top recruiter who holds northeast ties and national respect.

Wildhack said every associate he spoke to sang consistent praise at Brown, calling him one of the most authentic human beings they’d encountered.

According to Wildhack, that endorsement list includes Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and former Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano. At Georgia, Smart took Brown under his wing and showed him how to become a head coach, Brown said. Brown shared that he sat next to Smart in every meeting during his two years there.

In addition to potential recruits, Brown said he wants alumni around the program to help players visualize how SU football can recapture the greatness that came before. Recruiting isn’t just about getting people to Syracuse, Brown said, it’s also about giving them a reason to stay and buy-in. Brown’s view is that alumni will help restore some of that Paul Pasqualoni pride.

“Come to practice. I want to see you at practice. I need you around. These guys need to know who you are,” Brown said of his message to alumni. “I’d rather have you at practice than have your money… I’d like your money too, but come to practice.”

Brown’s “detailed vision” for SU football starts today

Brown wants to bring Pasqualoni’s success back to Syracuse. From 1991-2004, Pasqualoni led SU to nine bowl games, winning six. He only went under .500 once in his 14 years coaching the Orange. That’s the level of success Brown wants to return to Syracuse football, and out of respect, he sought Pasqualoni’s blessing before reaching out to Wildhack.

In his meetings with Syracuse, Brown laid out a vision for his tenure which included “minute details,” Wildhack said. When Brown reached out about the opening, he already had that plan in place because it had been a life-long goal to become a Power Five head coach. Brown and Wildhack talked all week long, even on Thanksgiving night.

When the search firm called to inform Brown he’d gotten the job, his first reaction was, “can we pray?” He did. Brown prayed for everything to continue working out and for him to enter a positive situation at Syracuse. Brown said it was never just been about getting the job, it’s about excelling at it. He added he’s “here for life.”

Unsurprisingly, Brown is hitting the recruiting trail tonight. Official visits are lined up and phone calls have been scheduled. And for those who only know him as a recruiter, Brown said he has the same tenacity on the field. He never aims for bowl games, he aims for championships, and that won’t change at Syracuse.

“I’m going to be an animal at practice,” Brown said. “Nobody here has more energy than me. Don’t say you want a championship but you give a 6-6 effort.”

Highlighting community presence

While some people think of the polarized community as a negative, Brown views the potential for change and engagement as an incentive, and part of his job as head coach. He wants to empower the Syracuse community to help each other through football, which is what he’s done his whole life for Camden, New Jersey. Growing up in the city, Brown’s mother had him at 13-years-old. She had four boys by the age of 21. Brown said he had very little growing up and learned to fight for every opportunity because of it.

“I got a lot of pain inside me, guys,” Brown said. “This isn’t just for me, this is for the community. When I went through here and toured, I said, ‘This is the neighborhood I need to be in. This is the neighborhood I need to change. This is the neighborhood that’s going to be behind the program and the program is going to be behind the community.’”

Brown said he resonates with the underserved community around SU. He knows how to succeed and get out of areas like that, but has never forgotten his roots. Brown wants Syracuse players, some of whom come from similar areas, to recognize and be grateful for all the gifts they’ve been afforded through football.

“Where I’m from, it looks just like this,” Brown said. “I understand and know what it’s like to be in this situation, so we are going to do anything we can to be involved with Syracuse. We are going to make this community the best community in the world.”

Community engagement matters to Brown, and he plans to immerse himself in the ones that are most significant to Syracuse football.

The very first college football game Brown ever attended was Syracuse versus Wisconsin in East Rutherford, NJ. He and the entire Camden little league got on a bus to see the Orange beat the Badgers 31-0 in 1997. Now, Brown will head an SU program with heavy recruiting ties to that same area, but brings a national recruiting base with him, something SU has never had.

“As soon as the game was over Saturday, I was hurt, but I was also happy,” Brown said. “I was like, ‘I’m about to go take over this program. We’re about to shock the country. Let me tell you, I’m competitive, man. I got to win at everything… I’m going to open the door for everybody. I’m going to do it right.”