Feign surprise at this news
The Syracuse Orange will have at least one new member of the coaching staff in 2025. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that special teams coach James Vollono will not be returning next season.
Source: Syracuse special teams coach James Vollono is not expected to return next season. He’s a veteran special teams coach who has worked at Georgia, Mississippi State and the prior two seasons at Troy.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 30, 2024
The Syracuse special teams struggled this season. Orange kickers made only 13 of 22 field goal attempts as the team tried three different players at the position in the hopes of finding some consistency. Jackson Kennedy was 8-11 after taking over the job and his performance left fans wondering why he didn’t get a shot sooner.
Jack Stonehouse averaged 45.73 yards when he was able to get kicks away, but the punting unit surrendered three blocked punts. While the Orange won both games where they gave up a touchdown on blocks, it’s clear protection was an issue. While the Orange coverage units were solid all season, the best return all season was Davien Kerr’s 46-yard punt return against Holy Cross.
With the upcoming coaches convention, we’ll keep an eye out for news of a replacement, or any other staff changes for 2025.