DeAndre Smith is Syracuse’s new running backs coach, SU Athletics announced on its website Sunday morning.

Smith fills the void left by former SU running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley’s departure with former head coach Doug Marrone to the Buffalo Bills. Smith’s spent 14 years in college coaching, in which he’s coached nine different 1,000-yard rushers, according to SU Athletics.

“Our running backs will be physical and very intelligent on the field,” Smith said in the announcement. “We have to secure the football and we have to make plays. It is an honor to be part of the great running backs tradition at Syracuse. When you walk through the Carrier Dome and see the history and tradition of running backs it is inspiring.”

Smith first worked with head coach Scott Shafer and offensive coordinator George McDonald at Northern Illinois from 2001-2004. NIU won the Mid-American Conference West division title each of those four seasons, and one of Smith’s backs was an all-conference selection each season.

Smith began his college coaching career in 1999 at Indiana State where he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two seasons.

“DeAndre Smith is a dynamic recruiter who has experience covering all parts of the nation to bring in some of the best student-athletes.” Shafer said. “He has a proven track record, year after year, after year, tutoring several high profile running backs every team he has coached in college football.”

Smith coached the running backs at Miami (Ohio) from 2005-07, UNLV in 2009, Illinois from 2010-11 and New Mexico in 2008 and 2012.

Last season he oversaw Kasey Carrier’s school record-setting 1,469-yard season. Carrier ranked 12th in the country and rushed for 122.4 yards per game in an All-Mountain West performance.

He takes over a running back stable led by juniors Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley. Smith rushed for 1,019 yards in the 2012 regular season, giving the Orange its fifth consecutive season with a 1,000-yard rusher. Short-yardage sophomore Adonis Ameen-Moore and the versatile freshman Ashton Broyld add to the backfield corps.

The Orange rushed for 2,431 yards in 2012, averaging 187 yards per game.

Published on January 21, 2013 at 2:57 pm

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_