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Shortly after Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening win over Ohio, becoming the first Orange QB with those statistics since 2016, head coach Fran Brown joked he owed McCord’s old head coach, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, a bottle of champagne.
The quip, made by one friend to another, went viral. But that’s not the only thing Brown said about his offense in the days after the 38-22 win. He also spent a lot of time heaping praise on the man who called the plays for Syracuse, offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon.
“Coach Nixon is a leader,” Brown told reporters this week. “He’s been a leader for a long time. I’ve worked with him places where he’s led a good offense. … He does a good job. He’s a great leader. Good husband. Good father. He’s a classy dude.”
The 49-year-old Nixon is a long-time NFL veteran. He’s coached Reggie Bush, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, among others. Nixon is also a proven play-caller. He served as Baylor’s co-offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2019 as the Bears jumped from 1-11 in Year 1 to 11-3 and a Big 12 championship game appearance in Year 3; Nixon, Brown and Orange defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson were on the same Baylor staff in 2017.
Nixon’s coached a bit of everything in his career. He’s mainly worked with running backs but also spent time with tight ends, wide receivers and special teams.
The play-calling ranks are typically dominated by former quarterback coaches. Nixon’s worked with his share of great ones — Andy Reid, Mike Sherman, Chip Kelly and Day — but views his diverse positional background as an advantage. Running backs and tight ends, particularly, touch every element of an offense. It’s informed the way Nixon thinks about his…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/meet-syracuse-oc-jeff-nixon-coach-to-nfl-superstars-someone-whos-quickly-elevated-the-orange/
Author : Chris Hummer
Publish date : 2024-09-06 04:01:32
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