How many Syracuse coaches are among the best in college football history?

If you’ve watched any college football this year (and despite your better judgement, you know you have), you’ve probably noticed that it’s the 150th anniversary of the sport. The most notable display of that has been the “150” patches on jerseys. But plenty of content’s appeared around the topic too, naming the best teams, players, etc. in the history of college football.

ESPN continued that trend this week, creating a list of the top 150 coaches over the last 150 years of the sport. Though SU hasn’t exactly been a power for the last 20 years, we still have a rich history to pull from. And as a result, the Syracuse Orange wound up with three different names on the list.

The one you’re most aware of is (of course) Ben Schwartzwalder, the only SU head man to take home a football national title. But the other two may not be as known for Orange fans, regardless of how much you’ve paid attention.

Biggie Munn spent one season (1945) at Syracuse, going 4-5, then later won 54 games and a national championship with Michigan State. Howard Jones parlayed a 6-3-1 campaign at Syracuse in 1908 into impressive performances at Yale, Ohio State and Iowa, before taking home four claimed titles at USC.

It’s worth checking out the full list, though. That, plus the rest of your Syracuse-related links below:

The 150 greatest coaches in college football’s 150-year history (ESPN)

41. Ben Schwartzwalder, 178-96-3: When Syracuse hired Schwartzwalder to revive its struggling program in 1949, he joked, “The alumni wanted a big-name coach. They got a long-name coach.” No coach won more games at Syracuse, and perhaps no coach in the sport’s history assembled a greater collection of running backs.

Syracuse basketball: Combination of near-historic schedule, young team helps explain 5-4 record (Syracuse.com)

Between 1996-2001, SU faced 11 major conference teams in the early season. Let’s underline that: During that five-year period, SU played a TOTAL of 11 major conference teams as it eased into Big East play. Further back, it was worse. Compare that to 2019-20. The Orange already has played five power conference teams and will face Georgetown...

Electric back Jawhar Jordan is Dave Boller’s parting gift to Syracuse football (Syracuse.com)

Boller’s value is experience. He’s going into his fifth decade of player evaluation, including prior stops in the NFL with the Eagles, Rams, Lions and Jets. In that league, you keep your job based on your eye for talent, not for your ability to count the number of stars next to a recruit’s name or entice him with a 100,000-seat crowd.

A friend’s suicide spurred former Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney to become a mental health advocate (The Athletic)

Through the foundation, he wants to help students struggling with suicidal thoughts and panic attacks, while equipping them with tools to address illness. He wants to offer practical advice for improving outlooks, incorporating self-care into daily routines, being mindful, exercising and finding and pursuing the tasks that bring immense joy and happiness. He wants to make it so that walking into a counseling center isn’t a shameful experience.

Wednesday’s Leftovers: Team rankings, reclassifications (Rivals)

Have they really struggled? I am not so sure. Syracuse just signed two Rivals150 prospects that should both fit in well within the Orange’s system, this a year after enrolling the state’s top scorer of all time, Joe Girard, and a high-end four-star prospect in Quincy Guerrier. Have there been some misses? Yes, as in Isaiah Stewart, but Syracuse has not been, at least over the past five years, a place that continually battles for the elite.

Hofrichter, Cisco Earn AP All-ACC Honors (Cuse.com)

Packer and Dunham interview Syracuse’s Elijah Hughes (ACC Network)

Biggest question for each ACC team in 2020 (247Sports)

Syracuse making late push for Western Kentucky DT commit David Ndukwe (Syracuse.com)

Brian Bell named ACC coach of the year (Daily Orange)