Scott Shafer did not address Syracuse this past Friday night before his final game as the Orange’s coach. It was a departure from weekly protocol, but after being fired (effective after the season) four days earlier, Shafer pulled captain Rob Trudo aside and handed him a stack of papers to be read to the team instead.
From Syracuse.com’s Stephen Bailey:
There's no [freaking] way I'll be able to say this tonight without getting all emotional," Trudo recalls Shafer telling him. "I want the seniors to run the meeting."
"It changed my complete mood from relaxed and focused up to, 'OK, this is some serious (stuff) now,'" Trudo said.