The Duke Blue Devils marched into the JMA Wireless Dome in Central New York on Saturday and destroyed the Syracuse Orange 38-3, halting the momentum built by SU stunning the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley, 34-21, last week.
The timing of the beatdown was particularly notable. Orange head coach Fran Brown’s name was connected to the SEC this past week by USA Today Network’s Matt Hayes, who believes he’ll be the hottest name on the market.
“It didn't take long to see why Brown, only two years into his head coaching career, will be the hottest prospect in this year’s hiring cycle. If you can win big at Syracuse, you can win big anywhere,” Hayes wrote.
Arkansas, Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss may register interest in Syracuse’s Fran Brown
The next hiring cycle should see at least two notable SEC jobs open.
Sam Pittman is on his last legs with the Arkansas Razorbacks and could be fired in the next month if his Hogs lose to the Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, and Auburn Tigers. In that scenario, Pittman’s buyout would shrink by nearly $3 million, making his exit a likely formality. Arkansas was uncompetitive against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish today, just one week after losing a stunner in Memphis to the Tigers.
Billy Napier is similarly on thin ice with the Florida Gators. Facing the Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Georgia Bulldogs, and Ole Miss Rebels in four of their next six games means the worst may be yet to come after a one-sided beatdown in Miami against the Hurricanes last week.
Auburn’s Hugh Freeze isn’t on the hot seat yet, but the rest of this season can force AU AD John Cohen to make a difficult decision just three years after the school fired its last head coach, and five years after firing the one before that.
While the Alabama Crimson Tide may fire Kalen DeBoer, Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin would likely be the successor if Dan Lanning isn’t willing to leave the Oregon Ducks. If Kiffin leaves Oxford, though, Brown makes sense for the Rebs.
Brown, who has experience on Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs coaching staff, is a natural candidate for any of these openings. It's unclear which will be open, but it's possible they all are.
Without Steve Angeli, the 2025 season is likely a lost cause for Syracuse. Brown has already proven enough to get job offers from most of the top job openings in the SEC and Big Ten, though.