- Two-time All-Big East First Team.
- Two-time nominee for the Butkus Award
- ESPN "Comeback Player of the Year"
- Selected to the Syracuse All-Century Team
- Team captain
- Graduate of Syracuse University
Those would be the credentials of one Dan Conley, former Orangeman and Wagner University D-line and Special Teams coach. Conley, who has been coaching at the college level since his graduate assistant position with the Orange in '97, has long been rumored as the ideal addition to the Orange's defensive staff if the opportunity ever arose. With the departure of defensive coordinator/linebacker coach Steve Russ, I'd say that opportunity has just arosed, er...arised, er...arisen...um...is here! Dave Rahme stated his case on Sunday for Conley to take on a position with the Orange and either Rahme is a soothesayer with the ability to see into the future or he had some really good intel that he didn't let on about because now it seems that the former Orange player actually is about to become an Orange coach. Preach on, Donnie Webb:
The emails I'm getting say it's a done deal. A good source said so, too. Dan Conely is apparently headed back to his alma mater to become an assistant football coach at Syracuse University. An announcement by SU could be forthcoming by Tuesday or Wednesday.While the position remains to be seen (linebacker coach?), it's a great hire on quite a few levels. Seems those who play for Conley (or send their children to do so) speak glowingly of him, he's a respected alum who apparently valued the chance to return to SU and he commands a great deal of respect for his toughness on and off the field. His coaching experience has been fairly specific to the Northeast and, more importantly, his recruiting expertise is "New England, Western PA and Texas."
To paraphrase Agent Smith, "Mr. Conley, welcome back. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee missed you."