Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse football is set to hire former Georgia Tech special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield as its new special teams coach, according to multiple college football reporters.

The first to report the expected hiring was ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. All the reports cited anonymous sources.

Brumfield was also Georgia Tech’s associate head coach and cornerbacks coach when this past year began. It was his second season with the Yellow Jackets.

Brumfield left the Georgia Tech program in October amid unclear circumstances. He didn’t travel with the Yellow Jackets for a game and, shortly after, the school announced he was no longer part of the program.

When asked about Brumfield’s absence, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key did not provide much information.

“He didn’t make the trip and that’s all I have,” Key said. “That’s all the information I have.”

Key had been critical of the teams’ special teams play prior to Brumfield’s departure but had also thought enough of Brumfield’s performance during his first year with the Yellow Jackets that the school brought him back for a second season, promoted him to associate head coach and added the responsibility of coaching the team’s cornerbacks.

On a social media post in which he said goodbye to Georgia Tech, Brumfield said it was his decision to leave the program and that it was “difficult decision to step away.”

In addition to Georgia Tech, Brumfield also coached for four seasons under the widely-respected Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia. Brumfield also spent time at Florida International, Texas-San Antonio, Nichols State, Fairmont State and Union College. He played collegiately at Utah State.

Brumfield is a veteran coach who has been working in college football for more than 20 years. His results at Georgia Tech over the past two seasons were mixed.

During his first year with the Yellow Jackets, the team blocked four kicks, tying for third nationally. Georgia Tech identified freshman kicker Aiden Birr who made 17 of his 19 field-goal tries. Overall, the Yellow Jackets finished 9th out of 14 teams in the ACC in field-goal kicking (77.3 percent) and tied for sixth in net punting at 38.7 yards per kick.

Birr regressed last season as Georgia Tech finished 14th out of the 17 teams in the ACC in field-goal percentage at 68.2 percent (15 of 22). The team finished 13th in net punting at 37.2 percent and was last in the ACC in kickoff coverage, netting an average of 39 yards per kick.

While not highly ranked last year, Georgia Tech’s special teams units were better than Syracuse’s.

The Orange finished the year ranked last in the ACC in field-goal kicking at 59.1 percent (13 of 22), 15th in net punting at 36.2 yards and 14th in kickoffs with a net yardage of 39.9.

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