Syracuse co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sean Lewis will be the next head coach at Kent State, according to multiple reports.

Dino Babers saw this coming. In answering the last question of his final appearance with reporters this season, Syracuse’s head coach said he anticipated any changes among his coaching staff to happen “naturally.”

“We’ll lose staff just because our coaches will get hired from other people,” Babers said. “When you start doing the things that we’re doing, people notice.”

Count Kent State among them, as the Golden Flashes have hired Babers’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Lewis came to SU with Babers when he was hired after the 2015 season, and coached under Babers at each of his previous two jobs, Bowling Green and Eastern Illinois.

Lewis takes over a Kent State program that finished 2-10 in 2017. Like Syracuse, the Golden Flashes did not win a game on the road. They rank 127th in total offense with 275 yards per game. There are 129 FBS teams.

Leaving SU is the man who convinced Babers to put virtual reality in the quarterback room of a pass-heavy team. In two years with Lewis owning a share of the offensive leadership, the Orange passed more than it ever did in program history.

With the early signing period for the class of 2018 beginning on Wednesday, the move comes at an inopportune time for SU. Lewis is the primary contact for plenty of recruits. Several commits have told The Daily Orange his decision to leave does not change their standing.

Babers will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to introduce the incoming signing class.

Published on December 18, 2017 at 4:29 pm

Contact: jtbloss@syr.edu | @jtbloss