The attack of Scott Shafer was coming from every direction. First in the form of a question about the status of Eric Dungey, a quarterback he left in a blowout game to get injured.

Then a question about two suspended defensive ends. Another about his job security. Then another, this time as it related to his conversations with Mark Coyle. Each answer, Shafer’s tone got sharper and shorter. His patience had run drier than Syracuse’s nonexistent postseason hopes.

The phone provided no barrier. He was a piece of meat that was tossed around and picked apart by vultures circling around Syracuse’s dying season. His only defense, a few choice clichés that have become his calling card retort for negativity — or reality, depending on how you look at it — that’s thrown his way.

“We’re just fighting the good fight,” Shafer said.

Scott Shafer is a man in misery. The fight, though worthy, has produced results that are far from good. Each game proves to be more unceremonious than the last. Each press conference providing less of a front because there isn’t much left for him to say. When Syracuse plays Boston College on Saturday, it will be Shafer’s last as the Syracuse head coach, it was reported on Monday. It needed to be.

It’s not because Syracuse’s players didn’t play hard for him — they did. And it has nothing to do with the lack of talent he brought in — most of Syracuse’s young players came under his watch. The offense is far improved this season and the defense was making strides with its developing talent.

It’s because you can’t keep a coach that’s shown no tangible success, one that doesn’t even live up to his overused, clichéd sayings. Syracuse needed a culture change, and firing Shafer was the most effective way to do that. Shafer talked about culture and process, but it was repetitive jargon and never tangible enough to keep his job.

“We’ve got to control the controllables,” Shafer said.

Brisly Estime storming off the field in disgust after shoving an opponent in the face. Eric Dungey wobbling off the field he should never have been on, flanked by a training staff. Shafer himself giving Clemson 15 extra yards as he argued a different penalty.

Those are all controllables that Shafer showed no control over.

The marks of potential success can be found in some aspects of the program Syracuse runs, but not where it matters most. Not in the aspects that he preaches the strongest.

This firing didn’t serve as a reflection of Mark Coyle’s first public instance of leadership. It didn’t happen because the fed up fans were clamoring for it through verbal disgust or through half-empty Carrier Domes. You can chalk it up to time, place and instance. But reality shows a 6-17 record over the past two seasons. The best wins over Wake Forest twice.

The pressure got Shafer, and understandably so. He’d never admit it — or at least hasn’t yet. He puts on a face because he has to. Because, as he said his wife reminds him, there’s still a team that relies on him.

When he coaches on Saturday, in his final game, his inevitable ending now right in front of him, don’t expect that to change.

“You play as hard as you can,” Shafer said, ”…play the game the right way.”

Shafer was genuine in his desire to win. His frustration was and still is palpable. But a desire to win only means so much. “Playing hard” and “playing the right way” is a silver lining of a collapsing season and now a finished head-coaching tenure.

Shafer’s clichés got too old, and Syracuse is sick of losing.

Said Shafer: “Next man up.”

Published on November 23, 2015 at 10:19 am