After watching Doug Marrone raise the George Steinbrenner Trophy in Yankee Stadium just eight days ago, SU fans have gone through a roller coaster of emotions.
Since seven NFL coaches were fired on New Year's Eve, Doug Marrone's name was thrown around in NFL circles concerning NFL teams interest and possible interviews. At the same time, conflicting reports surfaced saying Marrone was either staying at Syracuse, or 'poised to go the NFL.'
"I was at the Pinstripe Bowl and Doug Marrone raised the George Steinbrenner Trophy and said, 'Syracuse all the way,' and now a few days later, he's been interviewing with this team, and that team, it's been a whirlwind as a fan," Don Brown, a season ticket holder for 32 years, says.
On Sunday, the questions were answered, and for Syracuse fans, it was not the answer they were looking for, as reports say Marrone was hired to be the next coach of the Buffalo Bills. Several fans looked back at the two Pinstripe Bowl victories and the evolution of the program the last few years and say Marrone's departure was a "bittersweet" feeling.
"It seems like he's taken a program where losing kind of became a part of our lives, and he's turned the program around," Shannon Moynihan, a season ticket holder says. "We've won and been to two bowl games, it's been pretty awesome, we're going to miss him."
Moynihan added that she is a little worried about the football team's future, but was encouraged about the impact Marrone had on the football program. Other fans say they believe since Daryl Gross made a good hire in Marrone, he will do the same with the next head SU football coach.
