Posted by: Josh Kendall on January 23, 2013

Scott Shafer wanted to put together a coaching staff at Syracuse that would hit the ground running. He accomplished that by reaching back into his past to bring in assistants he knows personally.

"It's just great to get the band back together," Shafer told Syracuse.com at a news conference introducing his coordinators - offensive coordinator George McDonald and defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough - running backs coach DeAndre Smith, quarterbacks coach Tim Lester and linebackers coach Clark Lea. All but Lea spent time coaching together in the Mid-American Conference.

"You can talk to people you know who have worked with people, and sometimes you have to go that route," Shafer said. "But I feel like I'm extremely pleased and somewhat blessed to have prior work experience - especially with these two guys who will be our coordinators."

Smith was lured away from New Mexico by his relationship with McDonald, who spent a month at Arkansas before coming to Syracuse.

"Coach McDonald is one of my best friends in the world," he said. "I usually get calls when he's making moves. It's ironic that a couple of weeks ago it was the move to go to Arkansas. Then it was 4:30 in the morning and it was the move to come to Syracuse, and the next that came out of his mouth was 'Hey, I need you here with me.' Obviously, being close to Coach Shafer, it was a no-brainer for me."

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Josh Kendall is a staff writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered the SEC for more than 15 years for papers such as the Athens Banner-Herald, Macon Telegraph, and The State. He’s the father of two boys who he’s hoping don’t inherit his wide receiver frame and offensive guard feet. Follow @EyeOnCoaches on twitter and send your feedback to josh@coachingsearch.com