Dino Babers
A proven winner and respected mentor, Dino Babers was named the 30th head football coach at Syracuse University on Dec. 5, 2015. He owns a 61-52 (.540) career record and boasts nearly 40 years of experience in the profession.
Known for his innovative, ultra-fast offense, Babers is in his fifth season on the Syracuse sideline. Since his arrival on campus, Babers has reshaped the culture of Orange football by fostering an atmosphere of fairness, family and accountability. An adherence to those core values has allowed Syracuse’s assistant coaches, staff and student-athletes to reach their full potential. On the field, the Babers era has featured record-setting production and a 10-win season in 2018.
In December 2018, Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack ensured the growth of the Orange would continue under Babers by announcing a contract extension that keeps the veteran coach at the helm of the program well into the future.
GROWING THE ORANGE
Babers planted the seeds of Syracuse’s revival during his first season in 2016. The Orange knocked off a ranked opponent for the first time in four years, toppling ACC Coastal champion Virginia Tech at home, 31-17. Additionally, he commanded an offense that set or tied more than 40 school records, including new season standards for completions (332) and passing yards (3,855).
Babers’ second campaign also featured a signature win, as Syracuse handed 2017 College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinalist Clemson its only defeat of the regular season. The Orange edged the second-ranked Tigers, 27-24. The triumph was on par with the Orange’s historic upset of No. 1 Nebraska more than 30 years prior and captured the attention of the nation.
Those flashes of success proved to be a preview of what was to come in 2018, as Babers guided the Orange to the seventh double-digit win season in program history. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team of the Year, Syracuse went from four wins to 10 and and posted a 6-2 conference record to finish second to national champion Clemson in the ACC Atlantic Division. The six-win increase matched the 1987 squad for the second-largest improvement from one year to the next in team history, and equaled Florida and Baylor for the best turnaround by a Power-Five team from 2017 to 2018.
The Orange opened the season with four straight wins and ended it with triumphs in six of their last seven games. Their 6-1 closing stretch included a 34-18 victory over West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl, the Orange’s first postseason appearance since 2013. Along the way, Syracuse protected its home field by going 6-0 in the Dome, returned to the national polls for the first time in 17 years, and made its debut in the CFP rankings.
Syracuse rose to as high as No. 12 in all three polls during the week of Nov. 11, the program’s highest ranking since 1998, and closed the season at No. 15 in the final AP and Amway Coaches polls.
For his efforts, Babers was named the AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year, the third time he was voted the top coach in the region by his peers in the American Football Coaches Association. A finalist for three 2018 national coach of the year awards, Babers received co-ACC Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press and was selected as the ECAC Coach of the Year.
Babers’ vision for all three phases working together fueled the breakthrough. The Orange featured an electrifying offense, a tenacious defense and superb special teams. Offensively, the Orange ranked 11th nationally in scoring (40.2 ppg) and set the school records for most plays (1,063) and most points scored (523). They tied the all-time program mark with 62 total touchdowns, including a record 38 rushing scores. In 13 games, Syracuse scored 50+ points a school-record five times and topped 40 points on eight occasions.
Syracuse’s opportunistic defense served as the perfect complement to the team’s high-flying offense. The Orange ranked in the top 10 nationally in five defensive categories: turnovers gained (3rd - 31), interceptions (5th - 18), fumbles recovered (5th - 13), sacks (6th - 3.31 per game) and third-down defense (7th - .286). They also totaled a school-record 43 sacks.
A special teams unit led by All-ACC punter Sterling Hofrichter and Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Andre Szmyt completed the trifecta.
In 2019, Syracuse went 5-7, but finished the season strong, winning two of its last three. The Orange scored 30+ points five times and averaged 40.7 points per contest over the final three games of the year. Syracuse was among the best at taking care of the football in the passing game, finishing second in the ACC for the fewest interceptions thrown (7). Defensively, the Orange ranked fifth nationally in passes defended per game (5.67) and recorded the program’s first true-road shutout since 1991 with a 24-0, season-opening victory at Liberty.
Player development has been a hallmark of Babers’ Syracuse tenure. He’s coached six All-Americans in four seasons. To put that perspective, Syracuse had one All-American in the four years prior to Babers’ arrival in Central New York. Szmyt, who led the NCAA in nearly every kicking category in 2018, and safety Andre Cisco, who tied for the national lead in interceptions that season, were the fourth and fifth Orange players, respectively, to earn All-America honors under Babers. In 2019, Hofrichter added his name to that list. The Valrico, Florida native garnered seven All-America nods and became Syracuse’s first Ray Guy Award finalist following a campaign in which he ranked No. 3 nationally in net punting average (43.03).
Receivers Amba Etta-Tawo, Steve Ishmael and punt returner Brisly Estime were Babers’ first three Orange All-Americans. Quarterback Eric Dungey and receiver Ervin Philips are additional examples of players who flourished with Babers’ guidance.
In 2016, Etta-Tawo left an indelible stamp on the program. He set 10 school receiving records in his one year with the Orange. He was an All-ACC First Team choice and was named to four All-America teams.
The following season, Ishmael picked up where Etta-Tawo left off. Ishmael ranked second in the FBS in receptions per game (8.8) and total catches (105). He also finished in the top 10 in receiving yards per game (4th - 112.2) and total receiving yardage (7th - 1,347). Like Etta-Tawo, Ishmael was an All-ACC First Team choice and an All-American, earning recognition from nine outlets, including four of the five NCAA consensus selectors.
Philips caught 179 of his school-record 223 passes in the two seasons he played for Babers. In 2017, Philips and Ishmael combined for an ACC-record 194 catches to close their careers ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the program’s all-time receptions list.
A four-year starter who played three of his collegiate seasons for Babers, Dungey finished his Orange career as the holder of 25 school records. Among the most prominent are the all-time Syracuse marks for passing yards (9,340) and total offense (11,333 yards).
Overall, 20 of Babers’ Syracuse pupils have earned All-ACC honors with five – Ishmael, Etta-Tawo, Hofrichter, Cisco and Szmyt – being named to the first team.
Twenty-one of Babers’ former Orange players have gone on to sign NFL contracts, including draft choices Zaire Franklin, Chris Slayton, Alton Robinson and Hofrichter.
MAKING THE FALCONS FAST
Babers took over the Bowling Green program in 2014 and led the Falcons to an 18-9 record in his two years there, including victories over three Big Ten teams (Indiana - 2014; Maryland, Purdue - 2015). The Falcons went 8-6 in Babers’ first season and captured the MAC East Division championship with a 5-3 league mark. Bowling Green lost the MAC title game to Northern Illinois, but rebounded for a 33-28 win versus South Alabama in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, BGSU’s first bowl victory since 2004.
In 2015, Bowling Green was 10-3 under Babers and 7-1 against MAC competition to win the MAC East once again. The Falcons got the better of MAC West champion Northern Illinois in the league title game to win BGSU’s second conference championship in three seasons. Babers presided over one of the most explosive offenses in the country, as the Falcons ranked in the top 10 nationally in first downs (1st - 389), total offense (4th - 546.8 ypg), passing offense (5th - 366.8 ypg), third-down conversion percentage (5th - .502) and scoring (6th - 42.2 ppg).
Babers mentored 17 All-MAC performers at BGSU, including 11 in 2015. Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson was the recipient of the 2015 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award, presented to the conference’s top football player, and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, Johnson finished second nationally in passing yards (4,946), touchdown passes (46) and ranked fifth in passing yards per game (353.3). He set the MAC single-season record for touchdown passes and eclipsed Ben Roethlisberger’s conference record for the most passing yards in a season.
Another of Babers’ charges – Roger Lewis – also had a standout 2015 campaign. Lewis finished second in the FBS in receiving yards (1,544), third in touchdown catches (16) and fifth in receiving yards per game (110.3). He became the first Falcon since 1994 to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press (third team) and he received second-team recognition from the FWAA.
EXCELLENCE AT EASTERN ILLINOIS
Babers excelled in his first head coaching position, leading Eastern Illinois to a 19-7 record in two seasons, including a 14-1 mark against Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) foes. His 2012 and 2013 Panther teams won the conference championship and earned FCS playoff berths. For his work, Babers was named the OVC Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year after both seasons.
In 2013, the Panthers finished 12-2, including an 8-0 conference record, and reached the FCS quarterfinals. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 2 in the polls and led the nation in total yards (589.5) and points per game (48.2). EIU averaged 372.4 passing yards per contest and 217.1 rushing yards per game on its way to outscoring its opponents, 636-270. The offense was diverse with four different receivers totaling at least 700 yards and eight touchdowns apiece, and two running backs who combined for 2,539 yards rushing.
One of those receivers was 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Erik Lora, who set league single-season records with 136 receptions and 1,664 receiving yards. Lora followed up his stellar season with 123 catches for 1,544 yards and a conference-record 19 touchdowns in 2013.
Upon his arrival at EIU in 2012, Babers took a Panthers team that had finished last in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2011 and led them to a first-place finish with a 6-1 league mark. It was just the fourth time in OVC history that a team went from worst to first in the span of a season.
THE $138 MILLION MAN
The cornerstone of Babers’ Eastern Illinois teams was quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who won the Walter Payton Award (the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) after throwing for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior in 2013. Garoppolo, now the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, passed for 8,873 yards and 84 scores in his two seasons with Babers to transform himself into a second-round draft pick. After spending his first three NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in 2017. He signed a $137.5 million contract with San Francisco in February 2018, making him one of the league’s highest paid players. In 2019, Garoppolo guided the 49ers to the NFC title and an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.
PROFESSIONAL BUILDING BLOCKS
Prior to taking the helm at Eastern Illinois, Babers spent four seasons at Baylor in various capacities. Before that, he worked for four years at UCLA as assistant head coach, running backs coach and wide receivers coach.
A native of San Diego, California, Babers has also made assistant coaching stops at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Arizona, San Diego State, Purdue, Northern Arizona, UNLV and Eastern Illinois. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hawaii in 1984. Babers spent the next two seasons in a similar position at Arizona State before landing his first full-time job at Eastern Illinois in 1987.
Babers’ time at both Texas A&M and Arizona included stints as the offensive coordinator. In 1998, he directed an Arizona attack that ranked in the top 20 in scoring offense (15th) and total offense (18th). The Wildcats were 12-1 that season and finished fourth in both polls.
Babers has coached or recruited more than 70 NFL players, including 33 draft picks, four All-Pros (Lance Briggs, Matthew Slater, Josh Gordon, Az-Zahir Hakim) and three Pro Bowlers (Briggs, Slater, Gordon).
Thirteen of his protégés have been picked in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, including six in the first two rounds. Arizona running back Trung Canidate was the first-round choice of the St. Louis Rams in 2000. Along with Jimmy Garoppolo, wide receivers Brian Alford (Purdue), Will Blackwell (San Diego State), Dennis Northcutt (Arizona) and Josh Gordon (Baylor) were selected in the second round.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s degree in education, Babers started at three different positions (outside linebacker, strong safety, running back) for the Warriors during his career, while earning Western Athletic Conference All-Academic honors. As a senior, he served as Hawaii’s special teams captain and was the squad’s leading rusher.
Babers tried out for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League before an injury in training camp ended his playing career.
Babers, who received his master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Arizona State in 1987, and his wife, Susan, have four daughters – Breeahnah, Tasha, Jazzmin and Paris. Jazzmin was a member of the Texas A&M volleyball team from 2012-16. She is married to former Orange offensive lineman Koda Martin. Breeahnah married Vincent Palmieri in June 2018.A proven winner and respected mentor, Dino Babers was named the 30th head football coach at Syracuse University on Dec. 5, 2015. He owns a 61-52 (.540) career record and boasts nearly 40 years of experience in the profession.
Known for his innovative, ultra-fast offense, Babers is in his fifth season on the Syracuse sideline. Since his arrival on campus, Babers has reshaped the culture of Orange football by fostering an atmosphere of fairness, family and accountability. An adherence to those core values has allowed Syracuse’s assistant coaches, staff and student-athletes to reach their full potential. On the field, the Babers era has featured record-setting production and a 10-win season in 2018.
In December 2018, Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack ensured the growth of the Orange would continue under Babers by announcing a contract extension that keeps the veteran coach at the helm of the program well into the future.
GROWING THE ORANGE
Babers planted the seeds of Syracuse’s revival during his first season in 2016. The Orange knocked off a ranked opponent for the first time in four years, toppling ACC Coastal champion Virginia Tech at home, 31-17. Additionally, he commanded an offense that set or tied more than 40 school records, including new season standards for completions (332) and passing yards (3,855).
Babers’ second campaign also featured a signature win, as Syracuse handed 2017 College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinalist Clemson its only defeat of the regular season. The Orange edged the second-ranked Tigers, 27-24. The triumph was on par with the Orange’s historic upset of No. 1 Nebraska more than 30 years prior and captured the attention of the nation.
Those flashes of success proved to be a preview of what was to come in 2018, as Babers guided the Orange to the seventh double-digit win season in program history. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team of the Year, Syracuse went from four wins to 10 and and posted a 6-2 conference record to finish second to national champion Clemson in the ACC Atlantic Division. The six-win increase matched the 1987 squad for the second-largest improvement from one year to the next in team history, and equaled Florida and Baylor for the best turnaround by a Power-Five team from 2017 to 2018.
The Orange opened the season with four straight wins and ended it with triumphs in six of their last seven games. Their 6-1 closing stretch included a 34-18 victory over West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl, the Orange’s first postseason appearance since 2013. Along the way, Syracuse protected its home field by going 6-0 in the Dome, returned to the national polls for the first time in 17 years, and made its debut in the CFP rankings.
Syracuse rose to as high as No. 12 in all three polls during the week of Nov. 11, the program’s highest ranking since 1998, and closed the season at No. 15 in the final AP and Amway Coaches polls.
For his efforts, Babers was named the AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year, the third time he was voted the top coach in the region by his peers in the American Football Coaches Association. A finalist for three 2018 national coach of the year awards, Babers received co-ACC Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press and was selected as the ECAC Coach of the Year.
Babers’ vision for all three phases working together fueled the breakthrough. The Orange featured an electrifying offense, a tenacious defense and superb special teams. Offensively, the Orange ranked 11th nationally in scoring (40.2 ppg) and set the school records for most plays (1,063) and most points scored (523). They tied the all-time program mark with 62 total touchdowns, including a record 38 rushing scores. In 13 games, Syracuse scored 50+ points a school-record five times and topped 40 points on eight occasions.
Syracuse’s opportunistic defense served as the perfect complement to the team’s high-flying offense. The Orange ranked in the top 10 nationally in five defensive categories: turnovers gained (3rd - 31), interceptions (5th - 18), fumbles recovered (5th - 13), sacks (6th - 3.31 per game) and third-down defense (7th - .286). They also totaled a school-record 43 sacks.
A special teams unit led by All-ACC punter Sterling Hofrichter and Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Andre Szmyt completed the trifecta.
In 2019, Syracuse went 5-7, but finished the season strong, winning two of its last three. The Orange scored 30+ points five times and averaged 40.7 points per contest over the final three games of the year. Syracuse was among the best at taking care of the football in the passing game, finishing second in the ACC for the fewest interceptions thrown (7). Defensively, the Orange ranked fifth nationally in passes defended per game (5.67) and recorded the program’s first true-road shutout since 1991 with a 24-0, season-opening victory at Liberty.
Player development has been a hallmark of Babers’ Syracuse tenure. He’s coached six All-Americans in four seasons. To put that perspective, Syracuse had one All-American in the four years prior to Babers’ arrival in Central New York. Szmyt, who led the NCAA in nearly every kicking category in 2018, and safety Andre Cisco, who tied for the national lead in interceptions that season, were the fourth and fifth Orange players, respectively, to earn All-America honors under Babers. In 2019, Hofrichter added his name to that list. The Valrico, Florida native garnered seven All-America nods and became Syracuse’s first Ray Guy Award finalist following a campaign in which he ranked No. 3 nationally in net punting average (43.03).
Receivers Amba Etta-Tawo, Steve Ishmael and punt returner Brisly Estime were Babers’ first three Orange All-Americans. Quarterback Eric Dungey and receiver Ervin Philips are additional examples of players who flourished with Babers’ guidance.
In 2016, Etta-Tawo left an indelible stamp on the program. He set 10 school receiving records in his one year with the Orange. He was an All-ACC First Team choice and was named to four All-America teams.
The following season, Ishmael picked up where Etta-Tawo left off. Ishmael ranked second in the FBS in receptions per game (8.8) and total catches (105). He also finished in the top 10 in receiving yards per game (4th - 112.2) and total receiving yardage (7th - 1,347). Like Etta-Tawo, Ishmael was an All-ACC First Team choice and an All-American, earning recognition from nine outlets, including four of the five NCAA consensus selectors.
Philips caught 179 of his school-record 223 passes in the two seasons he played for Babers. In 2017, Philips and Ishmael combined for an ACC-record 194 catches to close their careers ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the program’s all-time receptions list.
A four-year starter who played three of his collegiate seasons for Babers, Dungey finished his Orange career as the holder of 25 school records. Among the most prominent are the all-time Syracuse marks for passing yards (9,340) and total offense (11,333 yards).
Overall, 20 of Babers’ Syracuse pupils have earned All-ACC honors with five – Ishmael, Etta-Tawo, Hofrichter, Cisco and Szmyt – being named to the first team.
Twenty-one of Babers’ former Orange players have gone on to sign NFL contracts, including draft choices Zaire Franklin, Chris Slayton, Alton Robinson and Hofrichter.
MAKING THE FALCONS FAST
Babers took over the Bowling Green program in 2014 and led the Falcons to an 18-9 record in his two years there, including victories over three Big Ten teams (Indiana - 2014; Maryland, Purdue - 2015). The Falcons went 8-6 in Babers’ first season and captured the MAC East Division championship with a 5-3 league mark. Bowling Green lost the MAC title game to Northern Illinois, but rebounded for a 33-28 win versus South Alabama in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, BGSU’s first bowl victory since 2004.
In 2015, Bowling Green was 10-3 under Babers and 7-1 against MAC competition to win the MAC East once again. The Falcons got the better of MAC West champion Northern Illinois in the league title game to win BGSU’s second conference championship in three seasons. Babers presided over one of the most explosive offenses in the country, as the Falcons ranked in the top 10 nationally in first downs (1st - 389), total offense (4th - 546.8 ypg), passing offense (5th - 366.8 ypg), third-down conversion percentage (5th - .502) and scoring (6th - 42.2 ppg).
Babers mentored 17 All-MAC performers at BGSU, including 11 in 2015. Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson was the recipient of the 2015 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award, presented to the conference’s top football player, and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, Johnson finished second nationally in passing yards (4,946), touchdown passes (46) and ranked fifth in passing yards per game (353.3). He set the MAC single-season record for touchdown passes and eclipsed Ben Roethlisberger’s conference record for the most passing yards in a season.
Another of Babers’ charges – Roger Lewis – also had a standout 2015 campaign. Lewis finished second in the FBS in receiving yards (1,544), third in touchdown catches (16) and fifth in receiving yards per game (110.3). He became the first Falcon since 1994 to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press (third team) and he received second-team recognition from the FWAA.
EXCELLENCE AT EASTERN ILLINOIS
Babers excelled in his first head coaching position, leading Eastern Illinois to a 19-7 record in two seasons, including a 14-1 mark against Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) foes. His 2012 and 2013 Panther teams won the conference championship and earned FCS playoff berths. For his work, Babers was named the OVC Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year after both seasons.
In 2013, the Panthers finished 12-2, including an 8-0 conference record, and reached the FCS quarterfinals. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 2 in the polls and led the nation in total yards (589.5) and points per game (48.2). EIU averaged 372.4 passing yards per contest and 217.1 rushing yards per game on its way to outscoring its opponents, 636-270. The offense was diverse with four different receivers totaling at least 700 yards and eight touchdowns apiece, and two running backs who combined for 2,539 yards rushing.
One of those receivers was 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Erik Lora, who set league single-season records with 136 receptions and 1,664 receiving yards. Lora followed up his stellar season with 123 catches for 1,544 yards and a conference-record 19 touchdowns in 2013.
Upon his arrival at EIU in 2012, Babers took a Panthers team that had finished last in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2011 and led them to a first-place finish with a 6-1 league mark. It was just the fourth time in OVC history that a team went from worst to first in the span of a season.
THE $138 MILLION MAN
The cornerstone of Babers’ Eastern Illinois teams was quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who won the Walter Payton Award (the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) after throwing for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior in 2013. Garoppolo, now the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, passed for 8,873 yards and 84 scores in his two seasons with Babers to transform himself into a second-round draft pick. After spending his first three NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in 2017. He signed a $137.5 million contract with San Francisco in February 2018, making him one of the league’s highest paid players. In 2019, Garoppolo guided the 49ers to the NFC title and an appearance in Super Bowl LIV.
PROFESSIONAL BUILDING BLOCKS
Prior to taking the helm at Eastern Illinois, Babers spent four seasons at Baylor in various capacities. Before that, he worked for four years at UCLA as assistant head coach, running backs coach and wide receivers coach.
A native of San Diego, California, Babers has also made assistant coaching stops at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Arizona, San Diego State, Purdue, Northern Arizona, UNLV and Eastern Illinois. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hawaii in 1984. Babers spent the next two seasons in a similar position at Arizona State before landing his first full-time job at Eastern Illinois in 1987.
Babers’ time at both Texas A&M and Arizona included stints as the offensive coordinator. In 1998, he directed an Arizona attack that ranked in the top 20 in scoring offense (15th) and total offense (18th). The Wildcats were 12-1 that season and finished fourth in both polls.
Babers has coached or recruited more than 70 NFL players, including 33 draft picks, four All-Pros (Lance Briggs, Matthew Slater, Josh Gordon, Az-Zahir Hakim) and three Pro Bowlers (Briggs, Slater, Gordon).
Thirteen of his protégés have been picked in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, including six in the first two rounds. Arizona running back Trung Canidate was the first-round choice of the St. Louis Rams in 2000. Along with Jimmy Garoppolo, wide receivers Brian Alford (Purdue), Will Blackwell (San Diego State), Dennis Northcutt (Arizona) and Josh Gordon (Baylor) were selected in the second round.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s degree in education, Babers started at three different positions (outside linebacker, strong safety, running back) for the Warriors during his career, while earning Western Athletic Conference All-Academic honors. As a senior, he served as Hawaii’s special teams captain and was the squad’s leading rusher.
Babers tried out for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League before an injury in training camp ended his playing career.
Babers, who received his master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Arizona State in 1987, and his wife, Susan, have four daughters – Breeahnah, Tasha, Jazzmin and Paris. Jazzmin was a member of the Texas A&M volleyball team from 2012-16. She is married to former Orange offensive lineman Koda Martin. Breeahnah married Vincent Palmieri in June 2018.