Scott Shafer was relieved of his duties as Syracuse football head coach Monday morning. The decision will be effective after the conclusion of the final game of the season this Saturday versus Boston College in the Carrier Dome.
After starting the 2015 season 3-0, Shafer has led the Orange to eight straight losses. If the team loses the upcoming game to Boston College, it will finish its season with the same final record as last season, 3-9. In his first of three seasons in Syracuse, Shafer guided the team to a 7-6 record and a Texas Bowl victory over Minnesota. He is 13-23 overall.
Shafer was the defensive coordinator under Doug Marrone for four seasons before being promoted in January 2013.
Syracuse athletic director Mark Coyle said that he's grateful for Shafer's dedication to the program, although the program is changing directions.
"I want to thank Scott, his wife Missy, and their family for their seven years of dedication and service to SU Athletics and Syracuse University," Coyle said. "Scott has worked tirelessly to educate our students on and off the field and to build our program. However, I feel a change in leadership is needed at this time. A national search will begin immediately."
Shafer was a quarterback at Ohio University and Baldwin-Wallace College and graduated in 1989. He then worked at Indiana as a grad assistant where he received a Master's in Education. From there he went to schools such as Rhode Island, Northern Illinois, Ilinois, Wesern, Stanford and Michigan before getting hired Syracuse. His promotion in 2013 was his first time as head coach.
