Fran Brown’s unconventional lessons rubbed some the wrong way, including Greg Olsen, but the Syracuse coach isn’t taking any criticism to heart.
Following the Orange’s narrow 27-20 overtime win over UConn on Sept. 6, Brown disciplined his team, making them run sprints on the field while Syracuse fans were still inside JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse allowed 154 rushing yards, fumbled while down 7-0 before the half and they didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter.
However, Olsen, speaking on “Wake up Barstool” earlier this week, thought the punishment went too far, claiming it was “performative.”
“It does feel performative,” the former NFL tight end said. “I have no problem with accountability. I have no problem with getting in guy’s faces. Especially if you feel like they aren’t playing up to the standard. I think Fran Brown has done a great job in just a short time, kind of building that culture at Syracuse and making them relevant in the football world.
“But I just think there is a time and a place.”
On Wednesday, Brown addressed these comments through Syracuse Athletics’ “Cuse Sports Talk” and revealed that there were some disciplinary actions he couldn’t enforce on his team with people still inside the stadium.
“I don’t really know Greg Olsen, so I don’t want to talk about him at all, to be honest,” Brown said. “He was a good football player. To me, I told the players we were going to do something. And if you know me, you’ll understand what happened. But once I saw all those people still out there, there are certain things that you can’t do. It becomes a different situation.
“So it’s not like I could go one up and do the things that we would do to make sure guys are running after practice and getting it done. So I said, just come in. We play Friday, so we have the opportunity to do other stuff. I don’t know Greg Olsen. I think he had a really good career. Wish him the best. I haven’t spoken about him, how he played, or anything he does. So I’m just focused on me and our football team.”
Brown is known for his unique style, and that includes not showering after Syracuse loses.
It worked well throughout his first year with the Orange, when he led them to a 10-3 season that ended with a win in the Holiday Bowl over Washington State.
So far in 2025, Syracuse is 1-1 with a 45-26 loss to Tennessee to kick off the season.
Syracuse is set to host Colgate on Friday at 7 p.m.