Paul Pasqualoni had just been fired as Syracuse’s head football coach. Recruiting coordinator Chris White didn’t have a new boss and wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the new head coach’s staff.

But White picked up the phone anyway. He called the high school football players who Pasqualoni and his staff recruited. White tried to reassure them that the Orange were still interested in having them on campus in the fall.

Nick Chestnut didn’t even wait to hear who the new head coach would be. The day after Pasqualoni’s firing on Dec. 29, White’s phone call to Chestnut’s Houston home did the trick. He made his commitment to SU the following day, before Greg Robinson was appointed as head coach and White was retained as recruiting coordinator. Chestnut was recruited by former offensive line coach George DeLeone but he felt confident in his choice.

‘I would’ve probably stayed anyway,’ Chestnut said. ‘But that call, it erased all the doubt if there was any. It was good to hear from one of the coaches. It let me know that everything wouldn’t be Greek if I went up there still.’

‘(White) did a good job up until the time he and I made the decision for him to stay on,’ Robinson said. ‘He is a hard-working guy. I think he stands for a lot of good things. I’ve been to several homes where he has recruited. He has more than athletics on his mind, and I think those young people can feel that – that’s a real good quality to have.’

Robinson said that 18 of Pasqualoni’s 20 commitments stayed on after his departure. He got two more commitments from local star wide receivers, Bruce Williams and Lavar Lobdell, both members of state-champion Christian Brothers Academy.

White credits Robinson for the strong results the staff got in only three weeks.

‘Our major focus was that we had to get Coach Robinson out to see all these kids,’ White said. ‘We were flying all over the place. But Coach Robinson is unbelievable once he gets in front of (the recruits).’

White’s familiarity with the recruits was beneficial, but he said his experience in recruiting was a key for signing the talent.

‘Some of (the new staff) are from the NFL and haven’t recruited before, or they’re young guys who haven’t had experience,’ White said.

Robinson didn’t retain any other coaches from Pasqualoni’s staff. Reggie Terry, director of football operations, was the only other holdover from the Pasqualoni era.

‘You just have to work hard and do your job,’ Terry said. ‘I don’t think you get caught up in staying or going. You just have to do what’s expected of you. It’s nice that we have the opportunity and the ability to stay around.’

‘That’s the hard part about the whole business,’ White said. ‘You almost feel like you’re letting them down when they’re looking for jobs. But they understand everyone is looking out for their families.’

Published on February 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm