Syracuse football: Jeff Nixon brings NFL pro-style offense to revitalize Orange

Nixon’s style has Syracuse’s offense flying high and soaring into the record books

LeQuint Allen smiled as he talked about his offensive coordinator, Jeff Nixon.

“He’s been around football for as long as I’ve been breathing,” said Allen. “So, you know, I have no choice but to trust him.”

Trust is a word that gets floated around the Syracuse Orange football program a lot these days. Fans and media analysts often use the word to describe the relationship between Fran Brown and Kyle McCord. It’s the relationship that stands out the most on this Orange team. The new head coach brought in the veteran quarterback with a chip on his shoulder to help lead the program.

But trust is found everywhere among this Syracuse roster. It’s a big reason why the Orange are 5-1 halfway through the season in the first year under Brown. And while big recruiting and transfer portal wins are what jumps out about Brown’s program building in Central New York, his coaching hires were equally as impactful.

The one name most people know is Elijah Robinson, who was Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator and interim head coach. But while Brown and Robinson worked with the Orange defense, someone needed to work with the Orange offense.

Enter Jeff Nixon. He and Brown first crossed paths as coaches on Baylor’s staff from 2017 to 2018. Now, after 14 years of NFL coaching experience, Nixon joined Syracuse for his first solo full time offensive coordinator job.

You see the relationship that Brown and Nixon have during practice. Both coaches are not ready to back down from each other. Both gentlemen, when given the opportunity, speak glowingly about the challenges and battles that their respective sides of the ball give each other.

“I talk a lot of trash at practice,” said Brown. “He loves to compete. He wants to be the best.”

The drive to be the best certainly comes from Nixon’s experience in the NFL. His first taste of working at the pro level was as an offensive and special teams assistant for Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. Nixon’s first coaching job in the NFL was as a running backs coach under Brian Daboll’s offense with the Miami Dolphins in 2011. He later served as Chip Kelly’s tight ends coach during his lone season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Those are just some of the names that Nixon brought up as his influences when developing his offensive style.

“I’m very fortunate to work with some great offensive minds,” said Nixon.

However, amongst all the name-brand offensive coaches Nixon has worked under, one of his very first coaches he worked for helped him learn football and set his foundation. After a season at Princeton, Nixon joined Shippensburg University in the Division II ranks as its running backs coach under Rocky Rees. Nixon credited Rees with teaching him the wing T formation and about football in general. Rees would eventually end as the all-time winningest football coach at Shippensburg.

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All of that coaching experience that Nixon developed has helped him lead Syracuse’s offense to record setting numbers. McCord is only the third quarterback in school history to throw for 300 yards six times in a season, and he’s done it in every game. The Orange are averaging 10.3 points per game more than in 2023. Syracuse is also averaging 126.2 more total yards and 194.2 more passing yards than in 2023.

A large reason for the increase in stats is Nixon’s offense, which has been described as “pro-style.” While Nixon’s foundations were built at Division II football, his NFL experience has seeped into the Orange ranks. The inspiration for Syracuse’s offense doesn’t come from current college offenses. It comes straight from the pros.

“You go and watch the cut ups for them, it’s all NFL teams running them,” said McCord. “It’s what you want as a college player.”

What that has translated to on the field for the Orange is a versatility in attack. Six different receivers have over double digit catches, over 100 yards receiving, and at least one touchdown catch. McCord has completed passes to as many as eight players in a single game.

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“It gives our weapons different opportunities to mix and match where they are on the field,” said Trebor Pena. “Just getting our weapons better looks and better chances to get the ball.”

Brown has mentioned at the beginning of the season that the wide receiver group was one of the most improved positions, and Nixon’s offense has allowed that talent to flourish. Syracuse fans have been used to an up-tempo, single formation look throughout most drives. Now, based on the NFL film that Nixon installs, the Orange have been creative in formation, routes, personnel and technique to gain the advantage over their opponents.

“We don’t ever want to have us stuck in one thing,” said Brown. “We don’t rely on one guy. We rely on the team.”

As McCord alluded to, watching the NFL tape is exactly what Syracuse’s offensive players have been looking for. Many players have said that studying professional tape and professional football players have helped them prepare and mold their game for the top ranks of football.

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“He was coaching great NFL backs,” said Allen. “I want to be a great back and I want to eventually be in the NFL. So any little tip that he got, I want him to tell me.”

And while a lot of credit goes to Nixon for developing the NFL pro-style system that has Syracuse’s offense humming and clicking, he gives much of the credit to the players that he coaches every day.

“The game is still about catching the ball, throwing it, being really good, fundamentally sound, and then making plays when it’s your time to make plays,” said Nixon.