Syracuse University names French acting director of athletics

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud has appointed Daniel French as the school’s acting director of athletics.

In addition, Syverud has also promoted Herman Frazier to the position of senior deputy director of athletics, the school announced Thursday.

The appointment and promotion follow the announcement that Mark Coyle left Syracuse to take over as director of athletics at the University of Minnesota.

French and Frazier are part of what Syracuse is calling a “management team” that will “lead and guide” the athletics department during “this time of transition.”

The search for a new athletic director will “commence immediately,” the school said in a news release.

About French
French, a 1995 graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law, has served as the university’s general counsel since 2014. The school’s Office of General Counsel is responsible for all the legal work arising from its activities and provides “advice and counsel” to university leaders, faculty, and staff on a “broad” range of issues and topics.

French is also a member of the chancellor’s executive team and the chancellor’s council.

Since 2014, French and his staff have “restructured, managed and overseen” Syracuse’s office of athletic compliance, according to the news release.

He also played a “key role” in the development of the west-campus project announced earlier this week. That project includes the eventual replacement of the Carrier Dome’s roof with a permanent fixed roof.

While French is serving as acting director of athletics, he will continue in his role as Syracuse’s general counsel, the university said.

French previously was U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, where he was the chief federal law-enforcement officer for 32 of New York’s 62 counties. French also served as an assistant U.S. attorney assigned to the criminal division in Syracuse, according to the news release.

“As general counsel, Dan French has played an important role working with and supporting the athletics department during the past several years,” said Syverud. “He has provided strong leadership, particularly overseeing the restructuring and enhancement of the university’s office of athletic compliance, and developing the west campus project. He is the right person to lead the department during this time.”

About Frazier
In his new role as senior deputy director of athletics, Frazier will oversee all day-to-day athletic and administrative operations within the athletics department.

He has been serving as deputy athletics director and chief of staff, the school said.

Frazier “boasts” nearly 40 years of experience in athletics administration, including eight years of experience as an athletics director.

Before joining Syracuse in 2011, Frazier was the senior associate athletics director for sports administration at Temple University.

Prior to joining the Owls’ staff, the Philadelphia native served six years as the director of athletics at Hawaii from 2002 through 2008.

Frazier also previously was director of athletics at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, beginning in 2000.

An eight-time All-American track performer at Arizona State University, Frazier was the leadoff runner for the gold medal-winning 4×400 relay team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, according to the Syracuse news release.

“Herman Frazier has an impressive track record as an athletics administrator, and I am grateful for his leadership during this time of transition,” said Syverud. “As a former Olympian, an All-American college athlete and a two-time college athletics director, Herm brings a wealth of knowledge and unique experiences to this new role. He is dedicated to the success and well-being of our student-athletes — both in the classroom and on the playing fields.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com