Fran Brown is seeing good things happen across every facet of his life. He arrived in Syracuse just last year, and in year one alone, Brown is already establishing himself as a trailblazing coach. He took the Orange to their double-digit record (10-3) since 2018. Under his leadership, the team starring elite QB Kyle McCord, produced 4 draft picks; the most since 2006. Brown shook things up in the ACC, too, as a first-time HC. On the personal front as well, Brown is flourishing and finding joy in the growth and successes of his family.

At home, Brown shares a close-knit life with his wife, Teara Brown, and is a father to two sons and a daughter. Football runs deep in the Brown household. The HC’s eldest, Fran Brown Jr., is already at Syracuse, set to begin his sophomore season. His younger son, Brayden, is just 12 years old, but is emerging as a brilliant athlete. He is racking up heaps of ratings at such a young age. Also, Brayden plays on both sides of the ball. But that’s not all there is to the young man. Fran Brown is proud of Brayden’s performance at a recent basketball outing, another sport where this talented kid excels.

Brayden participated in a 3 v 3 tournament, which was part of the local ‘Let Me Be Great’ event, held annually. Fran Brown shared it on his Instagram story and wrote, “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 event was organised by Rasheada Caldwell [Rasheed’s mother] to bring the community together in memory of her son Rasheed Baker, a local Syracuse youth, who was brutally shot and killed at just 21 years old. Brayden led his team to a brilliant 5-0 victory on this important occasion.

The program has always been warm to the Brown family. Brown, in an interview with Mark Packer and Taylor Tannebaum, shared the program’s heartfelt gesture. “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.” It’s a family affair for Fran Brown at Syracuse. The deep bond was evident as he shared an emotional tale about his eldest son’s career.

Fran Brown shares a heartbreaking moment from son’s career

Being the son of a coach, Brown Jr. knew that the nepotism debate would soon surround the father-son duo. At that time, the HC worked as the staff at Georgia under Kirby Smart. Despite the appeal of staying in a top-tier program, Brown Jr. made an extremely difficult decision to leave. “I was in Georgia during his senior year. He came to me and said, ‘Dad, I don’t want to stay in Georgia. I want to go back to Jersey with my friends; I don’t want to be here.’ That was so hard, I mean, I literally cried,” Fran Brown revealed in the interview.   

But the emotional hurdles didn’t stop there. “That was tough for us as a family, but he did it. Got injured in his senior year, so imagine getting injured six games out, I mean into the season. So, it was just a lot that I had to deal with just helping him stay focused and him helping me stay focused,” he added. In 2024, Brown Jr. made more headway as a freshman and produced 33 tackles, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery. But now, he has reunited with his father in Salt Lake City. “I get to raise my son now,” Brown added. “I get to do it [coaching] with my son the same way I get to do it with all the players and go through it.”

Year two for Fran Brown already has the HC working like a busy bee. A playoff spot and another double-digit finish are realistic goals for an HC who has already shown what he’s capable of in just one season. With one son as a budding athlete and another under his wing at Syracuse, Brown is all set to continue displaying coaching genius for the second time.