Scott Shafer named new head coach at Syracuse

Scott Shafer had been Syracuse's defensive coordinator before being named the team's head coach after Doug Marrone's departure.

Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Scott Shafer is the new coach at Syracuse, the school announced Wednesday.

Shafer, defensive coordinator the past four years for the Orange, succeeds Doug Marrone, who resigned to become the coach of the Buffalo Bills Monday. Shafer will be formally introduced at a press conference Friday.

Shafer's defenses have ranked among the nation's best in various categories during his four-year tenure.

In 2010, the Orange defense was No. 7 in the nation and he was nominated for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant. This past season, Syracuse, which finished 8-5 and beat West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl, was ranked sixth nationally in tackles for a loss.

Prior to Syracuse, Shafer was an assistant at Michigan, Stanford, Western Michigan, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Rhode Island.