Fran Brown has only been at Syracuse for two years, but in that short span, he’s made one thing very clear. His program won’t be dictated by money. In an era where recruiting has become a high-stakes NIL bidding war, Brown stands firm. And this attitude has shaped one of the biggest wins in the transfer portal when he landed quarterback Kyle McCord. But it was not without a risky discussion about the QB’s future and financial opportunities.

“I told him the truth. […] ‘I’m not going to have as much NIL money as everybody else. I won’t have all these things, but what I’m going to do is care about you more than any football coach has ever cared about you,’” Brown told ESPN about his chat with McCord when he was in the portal. Since then, recruiting has picked up big time under Brown, as he now has the 27th-best class in the 2026 cycle. But he still has a no-nonsense attitude about competing with other schools for players when it comes to NIL.

“I don’t really worry about that money,” Brown said in a September 18 episode of the I AM ATHLETE podcast. “I’mma be me. And if we close [in pay negotiations], I’m getting it. But if we not close, I’m going to tell them ‘You can’t come here,’” he added. At the end of the day, he leaves the final decision up to the players when it comes to playing for Syracuse. If the Orange is where they see a career, it’s got to be with a price tag that’s agreed upon by Brown. If not, he’s happy to let players consider those who are willing to go higher than him. Fran Brown @FranBrownCuse is one of the most authentic voices in college football.

Trebor Pena, for example, became a huge story at Syracuse after he and Brown ended up disagreeing on his paycheck amount. The HC stood his ground even then. “There were some numbers that were asked to me that I didn’t feel I would be able to do and move on,” he said after Pena’s exit. He even got bitter with his former WR. “I’m not giving no wide receiver $2 million in college. That ain’t me. I ain’t doing that unless they tell me we have a chance to have Travis Hunter come back to college,” Brown added.

This attitude is something that’s going to be a constant at Syracuse as long as Brown is the head coach. He prioritizes football and coaching over NIL. But when it comes to poaching players, it’s a different story. The HC is going to put up the strongest fight possible when other teams slyly cozy up to athletes.

Fran Brown warns other college football programs trying to poach his players

Fran Brown did not hold back on his comments when it came to teams trying to steal his players. “I don’t even care at all. It’s like dudes be trying to push up on my wife,” he said of the situation. “It’s just the game, right? That’s what they do. […] I don’t care,” he reaffirmed his stance. But if Brown gets wind of these stealth attacks at his own home, things will take a different turn. He warned potential poachers with a strong message.

“Don’t let me find out and then I see, [because] I ain’t no b—-,” he said boldly. “If they came and they did it illegally and I find out, I’m not going to go tell on you. But like, I’mma come at you like, ‘Yo, what’s up, y’all?’ Like, ‘Well, I’mma see you,’” Brown added. Bottom line is, other programs have to approach players and Syracuse up front if they want to target a player. He’s even helped negotiate terms with another school for one of his guys, admitting that Syracuse could not compete with the offer the other program made.

Fran Brown has had a lot of things said about him in these two years. But he continues to do what he does, without a care for who says what about him. The HC has always dedicated himself to the betterment of his players, but he can only offer a certain price for that. Brown is not going to push for players whom he can’t afford. But when it comes to outside forces trying to make away with his own men, they’ll be inviting Brown’s anger.