Throughout spring practice, Syracuse’s players wore stripes of adhesive tape with their names on the front of their helmets, so the new coaching staff could learn who everyone was. Dan Conley and Derrick Jackson never had to look. While everyone else was trying to put numbers to faces to names, Conley and Jackson were the links to the past.

For defensive end Jared Kimmel, just their presence on the sideline is immeasurable.

‘It’s so nice to have them around and see familiar faces,’ said Kimmel, who will soon undergo knee surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. ‘The whole staff was new, so to have two guys we’re used to playing with is so comforting.’

Conley and Jackson are the lone holdovers on first-year Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone’s staff, serving as the reminders of the disappointment of the last four seasons and the links to the program’s overhaul.

Conley, who joined the staff last year, retained his position as linebackers coach. Jackson took over the defensive line, after serving as co-defensive coordinator last year with former head coach Greg Robinson. He served as defensive line coach for the Orange in 2007, his first year working under Robinson.

When asked to explain his decision to keep them, Marrone summed it up in one word.

‘Research,’ Marrone said last week. ‘Going back and looking at the research and their backgrounds, going back to how their positions played, how they were coached, the tradition and how much they love Syracuse University.’

Though for both coaches the end result is the same, how they were retained was quite different.

When Conley heard Marrone was hired, he immediately called him and wished him congratulations, not knowing at the time he would be retained. Conley played at Syracuse from 1990-94 and previously knew Marrone, who finished his playing career for the Orangemen in 1985. Marrone, then serving as offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, was the first person to call Conley when he was hired as SU linebackers coach before the 2008 season.

Marrone was introduced to the media as Syracuse’s new head coach Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. About three hours later, he met with Conley and offered him the opportunity to stay. Conley immediately accepted.

‘The greatest thing out of his mouth was, ‘This is our football program. You and I played here. This is our university,” Conley said. ‘I knew right away, because I had known him from the past. I said, ‘I’m so excited about this. We’re going to change everything. Change it back to the way it was when we were going to BCS games.”

For Jackson, it wasn’t so easy. The job hunt had already begun. He was expecting to coach somewhere else this year, but kept in the back of his mind his desire to remain at Syracuse.

‘I was praying coach Marrone would give me the opportunity to at least let him know why I felt I could bring a lot to the table and help this team get to where I felt it could get to.’

Jackson was out interviewing – he declined to say where – when Marrone called him. Not to offer him a job right away, but to discuss the possibility, just like Jackson wanted. It was his chance to make his case.

The two met in person Monday, Dec. 15, three days after Marrone was hired, and discussed their philosophies. Jackson again expressed his desire to stay with the program. Marrone obliged and offered him the D-line position.

The decision to retain Conley and Jackson was announced with a press release Dec. 17.

‘You worry about the controllables,’ Jackson said. ‘I couldn’t control who would call me, but I knew there was enough interest that he spoke to me, and I let him know this is where I want to be. At the end of the day, I think my passion came across.’

Conley is familiar with the 4-3 defensive scheme utilized by new D-coordinator Scott Shafer from his time as an SU player and graduate assistant.

Jackson has had to adjust to a new role. Last season, he led the entire defense with Robinson. Now, he answers directly to Shafer and is responsible for just one unit. He said he does not view it as a demotion, and the opportunity to remain at Syracuse made the switch worthwhile.

As far as the players are concerned, it’s all for the best.

‘I think he likes being able to focus on just one specific group and not have to worry about the whole defense,’ Kimmel said. ‘He seems more focused, more in-tune with us.’

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on April 21, 2009 at 12:00 pm