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As Syracuse Orange fans, we're pretty aggravated by the fact that athletic director Mark Coyle will depart for Minnesota after less than a year on the job. We had grand ideas for what he could bring. And instead, we'll now look at him as a #disloyalidiot for eternity.
Now imagine getting hired by the guy less than six months ago.
That's the predicament facing SU football coach Dino Babers, who took the reins in December and was likely sold into the program by Coyle. Babers had a nice thing going at Bowling Green, and conceivably could've entertained "better" jobs.
When asked about the move by ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Babers was predictably curt:
Syracuse’s Dino Babers on AD Mark Coyle leaving for Minnesota: "Are you serious? No comment"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) May 11, 2016
And it's hard to blame him there, really. Babers, on a six-year deal with SU, hasn't even coached a down and the AD that hired him leaves after not even a year on the job. Coyle had plenty of great ideas about the football program, and his prowess there (he used to be at Boise State after all) likely helped sway Babers if he had any doubts at all. Now? I doubt the football program suddenly collapses and lacks the funding it needs, but... this is a precarious situation a day removed from being a solid one.
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This isn't to start spurring the "ZOMG IS BABERS GONNA LEAVE?!?!" bandwagon. He's under contract and it'll take a lot to get him to go anywhere in the early part of this deal. But it's worth talking about how this affects Babers on a human level. He's a person, after all; one who put some personal trust in Coyle. And now it's been betrayed pretty swiftly.
Doubt we hear much if anything from Babers on this subject going forward, but it's certainly going to make the upcoming "No Huddle Tour" stops a bit testier than one may have originally imagined.