Takeaways from Bryan Blair’s 1st press conference: Coach search, NIL
Syracuse introduced Bryan Blair as its 12th director of athletics on Thursday, beginning a new era of SU sports. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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Syracuse introduced Bryan Blair as its 12th director of athletics on Thursday. Previously, Blair served as Toledo’s athletic director since 2022 and is tasked with rejuvenating SU’s athletic department. He’ll take over once John Wildhack officially retires on July 1.
Search Committee Chair Steve Ballentine said SU’s seven-person board went through a public survey consisting of 300 responses, nine Zoom sessions and a dozen one-on-one calls. The search ran concurrently with the chancellor search.
“I was looking for somebody who looks at the sky and doesn’t see the ceilings,” Mike Haynie, SU’s Chancellor-elect, said.
Blair sees opportunity. The 40-year-old said he hopes to act as the “fullback” of the operation, leading the block for Syracuse’s coaches and athletes to succeed.
“We want to wake this sleeping beast,” Blair said. “We want to wake this thing up, take control of our destiny and make sure the world knows that Syracuse University is one of the top 10 brands in all of college athletics, and we’re here to stay.”
Here are the top points Blair hit on in his introductory press conference Thursday:
The elephant in the room
A flurry of Syracuse head coaches filled the Miron Victory Court, including Fran Brown, Felisha Legette-Jack, Gary Gait and more. Yet as March Madness kicks off Thursday, SU didn’t have a men’s basketball coach in the building after Syracuse fired Adrian Autry.
Blair joked that when he walked into his introductory press conference, he saw a packed crowd who probably thought they were hearing the announcement of the next men’s basketball coach. Of course, that didn’t happen. Yet Blair discussed the opening extensively Thursday.
“My full focus is on Syracuse University and this basketball program right now,” Blair said. “Certainly, there’ll be a time when I go back to Toledo, and certainly I want to leave things in the right way for whoever comes behind me.”
Blair said Jim Boeheim is one of the first people from SU to reach out to him. He added that Boeheim is synonymous with the Syracuse logo, and he even spoke with him about where to live once making the move to central New York.
When Blair was asked about the search for the next coach, he said Wildhack began the process of pulling candidates together. Blair reviewed the list, and the two will develop it further together. As for Siena’s Gerry McNamara, Blair said he’s cheering him on through March Madness, no matter what the search brings.
“We want to think about not only what’s the best basketball coach for Syracuse athletics historically, but what’s the best basketball for Syracuse athletics right now, in this moment in time,” Blair said. “I think there’s creativity and innovation.”
Adjusting to the NIL world
Blair categorized Syracuse as a unique place that needs unique solutions, collaboration and energy. He said SU will always have a growth mindset under his direction, challenging every aspect of the department to improve. The largest key, as Blair knows, is in the money game.
“NIL is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of what we do,” Blair said. “If we don’t have talented student athletes, if we can’t win and be competitive, we can’t drive the commercial enterprise to feed this entire ecosystem.”
At Toledo, Blair created one of the most robust NIL systems in the Mid-American Conference. He forged a Powerade partnership and grew fundraising by 282%. Blair said the role of a director of athletics is bigger than people understand, navigating daily conversations with parents and coaches to CEOs and donors. While leading a smaller school, he learned to outmaneuver opponents with fewer resources.
He called Syracuse donors to hear what support they need from the athletic department going forward. Blair still has plenty to wrap his head around when it comes to SU’s situation, but he knows he must make it as simple as possible for donors.
“You want to make it really, really easy with a one-stop shop and here’s how you can support us,” Blair said. “So, I think we need to think about that, and how that teamwork, how we all join forces to pull in the same direction, and not a bunch of different factions.”
Blair’s backstory
Blair grew up in Bennettsville, South Carolina. His mother, Dannie, was his middle school principal. His father, Woodrow, was an entrepreneur. Blair grew emotional when speaking on the impact of his parents, and took a second to compose himself. He uses their lessons on a daily basis and hopes to now bring them to Syracuse.
“I learned that there is no way but hard work. You cannot escape the work,” Blair said. “You gotta put in the time, you gotta put in the effort. And even when it gets hard, you work harder.”
Blair’s wife, Jenna, and their two children, William and Brielle, were in attendance Thursday. Brielle is seven and turns eight this summer, while William is five.
“They’re my everything. They’re my inspiration,” Blair said. “You’ll see them around all the time.”
Addressing the fans
The noise from Syracuse’s fanbase is apparent. Social media frustration boiled over into calls for Autry’s job. Blair has seen the online presence, even saying he checked the comments of SU men’s basketball’s post about its attendance totals to find fans livid, despite a top mark in the country. He sees it as an opportunity.
“They want to get back to that,” Blair said. “That passion, that energy, that conviction, certainly, we’ve got to channel it in the right ways. We got to channel it to bring us together, not separate us.”
Syracuse students in the 2025 and 2026 graduating classes never saw the Orange make March Madness while in school. Additionally, graduating seniors have seen only two winning seasons. Blair’s message to students is simple: Don’t sit on the sidelines and just watch. Of course, he meant it metaphorically.
Blair mentioned multiple times how he hopes to “weaponize” the JMA Wireless Dome. He hopes to build an immersive experience unlike anything else in the country. Blair compared the Dome to a Final Four court setup, and said controlling the sound and lights can be utilized more to make the experience for opponents miserable.
For the common fan, he sees a misconception in how they’re expected to contribute. Not everyone must donate millions of dollars, he said. Simply showing up and buying a T-shirt, ticket or bucket of popcorn can help drive revenue. Blair hasn’t done anything to upset the fanbase yet, but he’s attempting to unite it from the beginning.
“Let’s trust in each other,” Blair said. “Trust in the moment. I get there’s a lot of change, there’s a lot of speculation, and when you can’t fill the void, like you can’t during a search, then sometimes you feel it with negativity. And I understand that, but trust the process. We’ve got a clear process, a clear profile. We’re gonna end up in a really, really good spot, and I’m excited about that.”
Additional notes
Wildhack wasn’t in attendance Thursday, as he’s in Tampa Bay, Florida, fulfilling his obligations on the NCAA men’s basketball committee. Chancellor Kent Syverud was also not in the building. Haynie was, and Blair said he felt there was alignment to make athletics a priority throughout his hiring process. Haynie spoke fondly of Blair as their selection.
“I wanted somebody willing and equipped to commit to be the architect of something different, something better and something great. That’s because Syracuse University, at the moment, does not need an A.D. who will manage for the moment,” Haynie said. “We need an athletic director who will shape the moment and can even bend that moment to our will, and that’s who Bryan Blair is.”
Blair said he and his family will be at just about every SU sporting event, joking they don’t have any hobbies outside of sports. One thing is for certain: Blair is ready to turn things around.
“Let’s stop waiting. The time is now,” Blair said. “Our go button needs to be going. Our sense of urgency needs to be at an all-time high because college athletics is shifting, and if you fast-forward three or four years from now, there are a lot of things happening in the atmosphere. We need to make sure Syracuse athletics is the absolute best it’s ever been in that two-to-three-year period.”
