ESPN.com - It's official: Shafer takes over at Syracuse

ESPN.com: College Football Nation

Wednesday, January 9, 2013
It's official: Shafer takes over at Syracuse

By Andrea Adelson

Syracuse officially announced Wednesday that defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has been promoted to head coach, replacing Doug Marrone.

Shafer has spent the past four seasons as Orange defensive coordinator working under Marrone, who left for the Buffalo Bills. Here are a few statements. Syracuse has scheduled a news conference for Friday afternoon.

Shafer: "I look forward to representing the hard-nosed city of Syracuse and the great state of New York as the head coach of Syracuse University. We will go to work every day to put a quality product on the field as we storm our way into the Atlantic Coast Conference. We are very motivated to start preparing for the 2013 campaign with our current team and incoming student-athletes."

Athletic director Daryl Gross: "Scott Shafer is an experienced, intelligent, motivating coach who has dedicated his life to coaching and developing college student-athletes. I can't think of a coach in America who is more deserving of having an opportunity to be a head coach. His commitment to developing the total student-athlete is unmatched. We have all seen the attitude of his defense which consists of unity, toughness and persistence. I know and trust Coach Shafer will enhance the momentum that has been created in the program. He is a brilliant coach, a tireless worker and a relentless recruiter who believes that we can create a sustainable championship culture. I am convinced Coach Shafer will successfully carry the torch of the Syracuse football legacy."

Chairman of the Syracuse Board of Trustees Richard L. Thompson and Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor: "Coach Scott Shafer has been an important factor in why the winning tradition has returned to our program. He has the vision, commitment, and energy necessary for our team to be successful on the field and for our student-athletes to succeed off-the-field, both academically and personally. As we continue to strengthen the program, his outstanding abilities, developed over 20 years of coaching, make him the right leader to build on Syracuse football’s strong momentum in the years ahead. We congratulate Dr. Daryl Gross who undertook a swift, intensive search process that identified the right candidate -- while ensuring stability, continuity, and quality in our football program.”

Marrone: "As a Syracuse letterwinner, I am proud to have Scott Shafer leading the football program. He is a person of high integrity who cares about the student-athletes and their development on and off the field. Scott has proven his expertise as a defensive coordinator and is ready to lead the program. I wish him all the best as the head coach of the Orange."