Arizona has hired Dino Babers, a former Syracuse coach, as its offensive coordinator, according to 247Sports and several reports. Babers was Arizona’s offensive coordinator in 2000, working alongside new Wildcats coach Brent Brennan, who was a graduate assistant on the same staff.
Babers, who has vast experience on the offensive side of the ball, has spent the past decade coaching at various levels. He was hired at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and has a 19-7 record, including two FCS playoff appearances. He was Bowling Green’s coach from 2014-15, leading the Falcons to their second 10-win season in three years and a Mid-American Conference championship.
He used his accomplishment to land the Syracuse position, where he has spent the previous eight seasons. The Orange achieved their pinnacle under Babers in 2018, finishing 9-3 and second in the ACC Atlantic, ending the season with a victory against West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. Syracuse finished 15th in the final AP Top 25 that season, marking the first time since 2001 that it was rated.
Syracuse did not make another bowl game until 2022, and it never finished higher than third in its division over the next four years. The Orange started the 2022 season strong with a 6-0 record, including a win over No. 15 NC State that put them back into the AP top 25 for the first time in four years, but dropped 1-5 in the second half and lost to Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Babers was dismissed 11 games into the 2023 season, after Syracuse’s 5-6 start. Prior to becoming a head coach, Babers spent over 30 years coaching in various offensive capacities around the country. His first offensive coordinator position came in 1998 at Arizona.
After three years with the Wildcats, he accepted the same position at Texas A&M. From 2003 to 2011, Babers coached at Pittsburgh (running backs), UCLA (wide receivers/running backs/associate head coach), and Baylor.
