Perry Eliano previously worked with Sauce Gardner at Cincinnati.
The Syracuse University football program lost quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile to Connecticut on Friday morning, but it also gained defensive backs coach Perry Eliano, according to a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Per Thamel:
Sources: Syracuse is expected to hire veteran coach Perry Eliano as the school’s defensive backs coach. He was last at Toledo and has worked at Ohio State, Cincinnati and is the former defensive coordinator at Bowling Green.
Eliano worked as Sauce Gardner’s position coach at Cincinnati. He developed a strong relationship with Syracuse coach Fran Brown when Brown coached defensive backs at Georgia and Eliano worked at Ohio State.
Gardner, now with the Indianapolis Colts, is one of the more elite defensive backs in the NFL, so that's a good feather in Eliano's cap.
Important staff continuity
Eliano just worked at Toledo with defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, who is now the defensive coordinator at Syracuse. Together, the two helped the Rockets have the No. 2 defense in the nation in terms of yards per game this season (254.3). Toledo was also sixth in the nation in ppg allowed (13.3).
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About the Orange's defense
The Orange are coming off a horrific 3-9 season that went sideways when quarterback Steve Angeli was hurt in the fourth game of the season. Syracuse lost eight consecutive games to end the campaign.
The offensive woes that followed put both the defense and special teams units in a bind, and Syracuse's defense allowed 34.9 ppg, the seventh-worst in the nation.
Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, who helped lead Syracuse to a 10-win season in 2024, was demoted to defensive line coach after the season. He recently left for the same position at Texas A&M.
About Syracuse heading into 2026
Like all teams, the Orange are dealing with the transfer portal. The roster won't be more settled until after the new year, but there is optimism for the program moving forward. Angeli will be back from his injury, and the Orange just brought in top receiver recruit Calvin Russell.
The hire of Kehres also has people in Central New York excited.
Also on campus
--The Syracuse women's basketball team are 11-1 right now and off to a fantastic start. They've won six straight games and will resume ACC play on Dec. 28 when they host Duke at the JMA Wireless Dome. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET. SU is 1-0 in the conference right now, having already beaten SMU.
--The Orange men will start league play on Dec. 31 when they host Clemson at 2 p.m. ET.
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