Tony White came to Syracuse University under now former Head Coach Dino Babers and installed a defense new to the Orange.
White's 3-3-5 defense, which places three players on the defensive line, three in the linebacker core, and five in the secondary, gave Syracuse the shock in its defensive unit that it needed to help ignite a side of the ball that was way too easily exploited when it was led by former Orange Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward in a more read-and-react style of defense.
Though White's name is enticing due to his three years of changing the entire defensive unit for the better, one can wonder that if Syracuse wanted him, then why did they not let Babers go sooner and offer White the job while he was still on campus? Why would they risk losing him forever? What sense would it make for Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack to call someone back after he did not make a decision that could have kept them with the team?
Is this simply a case of not knowing what you had until it was gone?
Nevertheless, White as a candidate makes sense because his defense was one of the bright spots in these last few years, that scheme aided players in getting opportunities in the National Football League (NFL), including Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Trill Williams, and Garrett Williams to name a few, and he garnered respect from the Orange fan base,
White could keep Rocky Long as the team's Defensive Coordinator since he learned the 3-3-5 from Long, giving Syracuse a Yoda-Luke Skywalker dynamic.
However, did Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Coach Matt Rhule throw a monkey wrench into this potential move?
During a Nebraska football press conference that came after the firing of Babers, Rhule shared this: "Search firm called me, asked for Tony's number, I said, "Yes, you should hire Tony White. Tony White should be a head coach. He's excellent."
That sounds harmless, but wait for it...
"I told Tony, 'Don't take the wrong one...don't take the wrong job now,'" Rhule expressed. "'Don't take a job with no resources. Don't take a job with no support. Don't take a job without a great recruiting base.'"
"Don't take a job, hear me now when I say this, this is deep, where the expectations outweigh the commitment," Rhule went on to say. "Like, if I want to be in great shape and I work out one day a week, okay. You want to be a 10-win team and you're spending at the middle of your conference, okay," while he motioned with his hands the disproportionate things he was describing, having the 10 win hand high and his other hand lower showing the school's spending, stating that your lower spending is not equating to the wins you are expecting a coach to obtain.
Now there is no confirmation that Rhule was talking about Syracuse, but there is also no confirmation that he was not speaking on Syracuse, a university that has challenged on their money spent on facilities as well as football coaches' salaries.
It is fair to say that White's return would be met with a positive reaction. Orange fans have no logical reason to not respect the job he did with the defense.
But did Rhule send a message to White and to the world in his press conference?
If he did, does it matter to White if the Orange are on his radar?
Time will tell, but in that time, Syracuse University is best served to get its ducks in a row to be competitive in their region and in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) if they hope to attract anyone to their campus that will not just lead the football program, but will want to stay and grow the program instead of seeing the Syracuse job as merely a stepping stone.
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