“I have their heart, they have their ears”Fran Brown talks about the 2026 Orange players and coaches

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Devin Grant #23 and head coach Fran Brown of the Syracuse Orange slap hands after a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at JMA Wireless Dome on September 07, 2024 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

At the ACC Spring Meeting, Syracuse HC Fran Brown sat down with On3’s Andy Staples for an interview which touched on a number of subjects.

Brown talked about his coaching staff saying. “He’s the calm, I’m the storm” about new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres. He said that Kehres and Jeff Nixon are a good balance to his personality and said that over all when it comes to his staff- “I have their heart, they have their ears”.

Brown explained that it’s his job to get to know every player and what they need and that in turn he wants the players locked into the lessons delivered by the coaches. He highlighted the special teams work of Alex Breyer and quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, as well as the recruiting staff’s efforts.

During the conversation Brown shared that each player submits a weekly schedule which Fran reviews as he wants to know what they have to do and what they are working towards. He and the coaches go over the schedules and Brown took responsibility for not adapting after Angeli’s injury last season, saying it’s not on the players but falls on him.

Speaking of Angeli, Fran said his recovery is going well and that he recently hit 19 MPH during a workout. While Angeli only did drills in the spring, he took mental reps working with the coaches on what he saw from the pre-snap defense and where the ball should go. Brown said Angeli is more comfortable with Nixon’s offense and often knows the play that is coming.

Brown told Staples that he feels more confident in his QB room saying Syracuse “won’t get caught like last year” as Malachi Nelson, Amari Odom and Danny Lauter showed the ability to run the offense.