Father’s Day is about honoring the best in our dads. For football coaches, the occasion is a lot closer to the heart. Fran Brown added a heartwarming twist to his recruiting process on this special day. From the day he took on the job of Syracuse’s HC, Brown was always adamant that he was going to be a changemaker. And as he grows into the role, that part of him couldn’t be any clearer. He is giving his all to this team, ensuring that Syracuse reaches even greater heights during his tenure. On Father’s Day, he pulled a huge sacrifice.

“I can tell you that you’re going to come play for a head coach that’s going to get you coaching with your faith. I’m going to get you locked in on your family to understand what family is more,” Brown said about his recruiting style at Syracuse, in an appearance for The Triple Option. “I’m locked in with our players, I’m around them, like, I’m in it with them.” That mindset has led the program’s class of 2025 to jump up to the 50 position, and then to No. 38 in the 2026 class. Syracuse still loses out on prospects. But that isn’t stopping Fran Brown from going the extra mile.

Class of 2026 commit Jimmy Gregg shared an extremely selfless gesture made by Brown on Father’s Day. It’s something you won’t typically see coaches doing. He told CNY Central’s Samantha Croston, “We’re in his home on Father’s Day. He has children, right, he has a wife and children. It’s a Sunday, it’s Father’s Day. He doesn’t need to be spending this time with us, but he did.” Brown’s hospitality doesn’t end there. Gregg also revealed that the HC had gifts ready for each of the players’ fathers! Fran Brown has 3 children, who must also make it a special day for their dad. But the coach is taking his relationships with these young men seriously.

This kind of a sacrifice resonates deep within these young minds. “You know, making that sacrifice because you genuinely care about these kids,  and you want these kids to come play for you, that sacrifice shows me what he’s going to sacrifice for me as a coach, what he’s willing to do for us as a coach,” Gregg added. The elite prospect is the No. 1 punter of the 2026 class and committed to Syracuse yesterday. He comes in as a great replacement for Jack Stonehouse, the star punter who saved Syracuse’s special teams from being an absolute disaster. Fran Brown’s recruiting push sealed the deal for Gregg, who was also leaning towards West Virginia during his recruitment.

In perspective, this move doesn’t really stand as something extraordinary for Fran Brown. He knew what it would take to help shape these boys into better men for the future. The Syracuse HC is also making sure to be there for his kids. Fran Brown Jr. is already in Syracuse and ready to build a family legacy. His younger son, Brayden Brown, is a budding athlete at just 12 years of age. Coach Brown looks on as a proud dad for Brayden’s recent achievement.

Fran Brown’s ‘proud’ of son’s basketball achievement

Brayden, at 12 years old, dabbles in football and basketball. Who knows, maybe he’ll follow his brother to Syracuse as well. But until then, he’s showing the world what he brings to the table. At a community event, Brayden won a 3 v 3 basketball tournament, and Fran Brown shared his victory with fans. “Proud of you, Bray, for all your hard work at the Let Me Be Great tournament in memory of Rasheed Baker. Keep doing great things!🏀❤️,” the coach shared on his Instagram story, along with a clip of Brayden during the game.

Football is family for Fran Brown. It extends to his own and also to everyone else in the program. He said in an interview with Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum, “They raise my son, too… When I bring my son around, I don’t blink an eye, I know they’re gonna take care of him. They’re doing the right thing, showing him how to be a little man.” Brayden is growing up into a thorough Syracuse guy from the ground up. It won’t be surprising if the budding star chooses the Orange as his college football home in the future.

Fran Brown made it a point to let CFB know that he is not going to do things according to the norm. Very few coaches actually believe in striking a chord with their future recruits. Brown, with this unique and special gesture on Father’s Day, showed that these boys are not just players to him. They’re family.