Former Wisconsin co-offensive coordinator Brian White was named Syracuse’s quarterbacks coach on Friday. White, who coached in Madison, Wis., for the past 11 years, replaced Major Applewhite, who left last week to take the offensive coordinator job at Rice.

‘I’m very excited about (White) coming to be our quarterback coach,’ Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said. ‘I’ve been very impressed, and I’ve talked with him about his philosophy, his fundamentals and the teaching progression that a quarterback or a group of quarterbacks goes through. He’ll do a fine job in that area.’

White’s brother, Chris, recently finished his eighth season on the Syracuse staff as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. In recent years, the brothers recruited for their respective schools in the Maryland and Eastern Pennsylvania areas.

Brian White said his brother talked with him when Applewhite was leaving Syracuse to see if he was interested in the job. When Barry Alvarez stepped down as head coach at Wisconsin after last season, Brian White was without a job.

‘I met with coach Robinson at (coaching conventions) a couple times and went to dinner with him and his wife and my wife and I really felt comfortable with the energy,’ White said. ‘We have two kids who are 9 and 7, so this is a family move also, and you just don’t make these decisions cavalierly. We just felt it was good and it was the right decision and something we could enjoy together as a family.’

One of the first things White did after his hiring was to call Andrew Robinson, a senior at Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore. Robinson is SU’s only quarterback recruit for next season, and he was close with Applewhite.

Andrew Robinson said he talked with Brian White for about 10 minutes on Thursday night and that he is pleased with the hire. White had recruited Robinson at Wisconsin against his brother before Robinson committed to Syracuse in the fall of 2005.

‘He took us around on the tour (at Wisconsin),’ Andrew Robinson said. ‘He’s a great guy.

‘It turned out real well, because I knew him and what he was all about. (Brian and Chris White) are both great guys.’

Robinson had dinner with Greg Robinson and Chris White on Wednesday night to discuss the hire. The high school senior said he asked the coaches why Brian White was interested in a job that may seem like a step back.

‘That was one of the questions we had for him,’ Andrew Robinson said. ‘Coach Robinson said (Brian White) is gonna help out offensive coordinating. He’ll be a big help for (offensive coordinator Brian) Pariani. It sounds like he is going to be a quarterbacks coach first, but also he’ll help with the offensive coordinating.’

On Friday, Greg Robinson said White and offensive line coach Bob Wylie will assist Pariani next season, though Pariani will remain the offensive coordinator.

Brian White doesn’t consider the SU job as a demotion, though.

‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I love to coach. When you’re in this profession, you want to be surrounded by good people that are going to allow you to coach. The bottom line is that good things happen for everybody. That’s the only way you move forward in this profession – when you have consistent productivity and when you win games.’

White has coached in 12 bowl games during his career. He served as the running backs coach during the Badgers’ 1998 Big Ten championship season and was the offensive coordinator the next year when Wisconsin repeated as Big Ten champions.

Andrew Robinson said he’s heard rumors that Pariani may be headed for the NFL’s Houston Texans. Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, a friend of Pariani’s, will reportedly accept the head coaching position in Houston after the Broncos’ season ends. Robinson said Greg Robinson and Chris White did not say that was a possibility, though.

Regardless, Brian White is happy to be in Syracuse alongside his brother for the first time in their coaching careers.

‘I’ve never worked on the same staff as Chris,’ Brian said. ‘This is pretty exciting to share this. I’m very friendly with the Stoops family – Mark, Bobby and Mike – and they’ve always talked about what an unbelievable joy it is to be able to share what you love to do with your family members.’

Published on January 22, 2006 at 12:00 pm