Football

Wheatley, Adkins rumored to be latest Syracuse coaching defections; Moore staying put

Syracuse has already lost Doug Marrone. It lost Nathaniel Hackett just a few days later – he’s following Marrone to the Buffalo Bills. Tyrone Wheatley could be the next one to go.

The Post-Standard’s Brent Axe reported Monday that several sources have told him the Orange’s running backs coach will be following Marrone and Hackett to Orchard Park, N.Y., to serve in the same capacity for the Bills.

Wheatley’s running backs were key during SU’s second half turnaround this season. Jerome Smith finished the year with 1,171 yards and Prince-Tyson Gulley tallied 617, including 213 in Syracuse’s 38-14 Pinstripe Bowl victory over West Virginia.

Offensive line coach Greg Adkins could also be departing to Virginia Tech, the Richmond Times Dispatch’s Mike Barber reported. Adkins spent much of the ’00s at Tennessee and has deep ties to territories typically recruited Southeastern Conference schools. VT may not be an SEC school, but it recruits at the same level, and in the same areas, as SEC schools do.

Wide receivers coach Rob Moore, though, is sticking around at SU, Dan Tortora of CuseNation.com reported. The Syracuse alum has coached the Orange’s wideouts since 2010. During that span SU has boasted a prolific passing offense in part because of quarterback Ryan Nassib, but also because of a talented group of wide receivers that includes Marcus Sales, Van Chew, Jarrod West and Alec Lemon, who set the Orange’s single-season receiving yards record last season.







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