Syracuse University is turning over the reins of its football program to Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown, the school announced Tuesday. 

The hiring comes after Syracuse moved on from Dino Babers as head coach earlier this month.

The Orange struggled down the stretch, dropping six of the final seven games of the season. 

Brown comes to New York with an impressive resume and as a coveted name in college football recruiting.

The former defensive backs coach was ranked as the No. 1 recruiter in the nation for the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. 

Brown is credited with helping Georgia to land five-star defensive back Ellis Robinson IV, five-star linebacker Justin Williams and four-star defensive back Demello Jones. 

“Fran is an outstanding coach, recruiter and person, and exactly who we need to take Syracuse Football to the next level,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a statement. “Fran has clearly articulated a vision for the future of our football program, and he is a powerhouse recruiter with deep ties to the geographies from where we need to draw consistently. Fran has had tremendous success recruiting to a variety of programs—in the South, Southwest and Northeast, and I have no doubt he will bring that track record here to Syracuse.

“I am looking forward to welcoming Fran and his family to the Orange community. The future is bright for our football program.”

Brown joined the Georgia football staff last year to replace Jahmile Addae, who took a defensive backs coaching job with Miami. 

He has also served as an assistant at Rutgers, Temple and Baylor. 

“I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse Football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence,” Brown said in a statement. “Syracuse Football has outstanding talent, great facilities and passionate alumni. The success of the players is my No. 1 priority—on and off the field. I want my guys to succeed in life, because they played football at Syracuse.

“My immediate area of focus is building relationships with my current players and putting together an elite staff, while also having fun on the recruiting trail. I’m ready to get to work and look forward to building something special for our fans.”

Brown will be introduced at a press conference on Dec. 4.

The Orange went 41-55 during Babers’ eight seasons at the helm of Syracuse, going 20-45 in ACC play during that time.