Syracuse Coaching Search: Bowling Green coach Dino Babers ‘likely’ to get job

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Bowling Green head coach Dino Babers is reportedly the likely choice to take the Syracuse head coaching job.

Dino Babers is the likely choice to be the next head coach of the Syracuse Orange, according to USA Today’s Dan Wolken. Babers is preparing his Bowling Green team to play Northern Illinois in Friday night’s MAC Championship Game and a formal announcement could come after that.

The news comes on the heels of Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash pulling his name from consideration on Wednesday and one day after Scott Frost took the job at UCF instead of the offer from Syracuse.

Babers was previously linked in connection to the UCF job, but the job with Syracuse could be his now with the other finalist, Ash, pulling his name from consideration. That would seem to indicate Syracuse has decided Babers is their guy.

And if the hire comes to fruition, this would be a home run of a hire for the Orange to replace the Scott Shafer who was fired with one week remaining in his third season.

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Babers has many stops during his coaching career, including offensive coordinator jobs at Arizona and Texas A&M, but his experience working under Art Briles at Baylor for four years helped was what launched him into his first head coaching opportunity with Eastern Illinois.

He led EIU to 19 wins in two seasons, including a 12-2 record in his second and last season with the Panthers and a No. 4 ranking after losing in the FCS quarterfinals.

He then jumped to Bowling Green in 2014 and led the Falcons to a 17-9 record and two MAC East division titles in his two years.

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He’s had success every stop as he climbs the coaching ladder and Syracuse fans should be optimistic Babers bring a high-powered offense to the program that has been desperate for some excitement surrounding the football program.