Syracuse Coach Fran Brown Ejected After Confrontation With Referee
Brown received a penalty for his actions and later admitted to using expletive language towards the official.
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct following a second-quarter incident during the Orange's 27-13 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday. The confrontation occurred after a pass interference penalty against Syracuse extended a Pittsburgh drive.
Brown appeared to motion aggressively toward a referee and accused the official of cheating. The referee immediately threw a flag, drawing a penalty against Brown. The ESPN broadcasters criticized Brown's behavior, with one calling it "unacceptable."
Following the game, Brown acknowledged his actions and language. "I spoke out of tone, which I shouldn’t have said," Brown stated. "I just stated that, ‘I feel like you’re effing cheating us.’ I said that. I said, ‘You guys are effing cheating.’ I shouldn’t have said that. I should be able to hold my composure as being the face of our football program. Can’t say words like that to a referee."
Brown also added that he felt he needed to stand up for his players, but admitted he handled it the wrong way and that his outburst was "very immature."
The loss dropped Syracuse to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. The team committed 10 penalties for 94 yards in the game.