There are five college football games in action Friday night, including an in-state battle between the Syracuse Orange and the Colgate Raiders. Not only do these programs share ties to New York, but their coaching staffs do as well.
Colgate head coach Curt Fitzpatrick recently revealed that Syracuse head coach Fran Brown had offered him a position on the Orange staff before Fitzpatrick eventually took the Colgate job.
Colgate’s Curt Fitzpatrick Explains Connection to Syracuse and Fran Brown
One of the names circulating in Division I coaching circles this past offseason was Fitzpatrick’s. He was coming off an impressive season at Cortland, a Division III program, where he led the Red Dragons to a perfect 10-0 regular season and a playoff win before falling in the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs to Springfield.
Fitzpatrick drew head coaching interest from several FCS programs, including Colgate, but he was also being considered for staff roles at FBS Power Four programs, including Syracuse.
In a recent interview with “Cuse Sports Talk,” Fitzpatrick revealed that while he was in the process of accepting the Colgate job, Brown offered him a position with the Orange, a role he seriously considered.
Colgate football head coach Curt Fitzpatrick (@_CoachFitz) says he has tons of respect for Fran Brown and confirmed he considered joining the Syracuse staff, but loves being a head coach at @ColgateFB. pic.twitter.com/aFr9ZvIdbr
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) September 11, 2025
“We were going through our NCAA playoff run at Cortland last year, and he [Brown] reached out with some potential interest on the staff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was flattered, flattered by that, definitely interested, and the Colgate was opening was open at the same time and was kind of going simultaneously.”
Fitzpatrick ultimately declined Brown’s offer and took over as Colgate’s head coach. While he didn’t take the job at Syracuse, he said Brown was still happy for him and even called to congratulate him after he accepted his new position.
“Coach Fran was very gracious, and he gave me a call after the news broke that I had accepted the job at Colgate as the head coach,” Fitzpatrick said. “You know, he was happy. Happy for me and for the opportunity.”
It’s clear that Fitzpatrick and Brown have a lot of respect for each other. It will be interesting to see if Fitzpatrick, who is off to a 0-2 start at Colgate with losses to Monmouth and Villanova, can compete against the Orange, who are 1-1 and fresh off a comeback win over UConn.
Syracuse enters this game as the heavy favorite, with ESPN Bet listing Colgate as 35-point underdogs. Fitzpatrick and the Raiders will travel to Syracuse for the in-state battle tonight, September 12. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
