The Syracuse Orange football program has turned around in a hurry under second-year head coach Fran Brown. And National Championship-winning head coach Urban Meyer knows a good leader when he sees one.
Regardless of how talented you view Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in 2025, it still means something to go into Memorial Stadium and come out with a double-digit victory, which the Orange were able to do this past weekend. That marks the first time Syracuse has ever beaten Clemson on the road and Brown’s first win over the defending ACC champions. It’s also a continuation of an impressive run that began with a 10-win season last year.
Fox Sports college football analyst Urban Meyer offered some high praise of Brown, calling him “the hottest coach in college football,” while admiring his devotion to his players.
“I think Fran Brown’s the hottest coach in college sports,” Meyer said on Wednesday’s edition of his The Triple Option podcast. “The way he handles his business—he’s all in on these players. A big part of the college world is making sure guys are set up for life after sport, and that’s something we emphasized at Ohio State and Florida. I was watching what he was doing, and he’s fully committed. He’s rugged, he’s tough. He says some things where you’re like, ‘Damn, he really said that.’ And then the wind sprints after (the game)—he’s doing his own thing, but it’s working. I like his presentation. I like the way he looks, the way he talks. I like everything about it. If I’m an athletic director, I’m all over that. One hundred percent.”
You can argue with some of Brown’s unconventional tactics, such as making Syracuse players run sprints after a win over UConn or claiming that he doesn’t shower following losses. But it is hard to argue with the results that Brown has brought to Syracuse, which is ultimately all that matters at the end of the day.
Unfortunately for Syracuse fans, Brown’s job will get tougher for the remainder of the 2025 season with star quarterback Steve Angeli suffering a torn Achilles in the Clemson win. But if Brown can lead the Orange back to a bowl game for a second-straight season, it will be an impressive feat.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.