Staff Directory
John Scott Jr.
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach/co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line
John Scott Jr., a veteran defensive line coach with NFL and Power 4 experience, joined Head Coach Fran Brown’s defensive staff at Syracuse in January, 2026.
Scott comes to the Orange with 25 years of coaching experience, including stops with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets in the NFL, and collegiate stints at Penn State, Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas Tech and more. He will serve as ‘Cuse’s Associate Head Coach, co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach.
“I’m thrilled to be at Syracuse University,” Scott said. “This is a tremendous opportunity to come to a place where they have great tradition and pride. This program has a history of winning, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity to work with these coaches and young men. I’d like to thank Coach Swinney for the opportunity to be around one of college football’s all-time winningest coaches for the last two years and learn from him how to run a program, win and have a positive culture.
“The opportunity to work with Coach Fran, who is one of the top college football coaches in the country, was very appealing to me. He’s sharp, authentic, driven and talented. He has a great way of capturing the hearts and minds of young men with the way he shares vision for this program, which is to compete for ACC Championships and Playoff appearances. I’m also excited about the defensive staff that he’s put together, with coach VK, who is an amazing developer of talent. I’m looking forward to working with him and the rest of the defensive staff to build this defense to be a top-10 defense in the country.”
Scott most recently spent the past two seasons as a member of the Clemson, helping the Tigers win the ACC Championship and reach the College Football Playoff in his first season. This past season, the Tigers had a top-20 rushing defense nationally and finished third in the ACC in scoring defense.
“I’m extremely excited and thankful that John Scott decided to come here,” Brown said. “For the last 10 years, he’s been a top-five defensive line coach in the country. He’s coached on every level, including the NFL. Usually when guys get picked up from college to go to the NFL, it means they’re developing pros. He knows how to develop a professional. He started at smaller schools and developed at every stop all the way to the pros”
Prior to Clemson, Scott was the Defensive Line Coach for the Detroit Lions, helping end a six-year playoff drought for the franchise and reaching the NFC Championship Game. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was selected to his first Pro Bowl under Scott’s tutelage, becoming the first Lions Pro Bowl defensive end in over 30 years.
He spent the 2020-22 seasons at Penn State as the Nittany Lion’s defensive line coach, before adding run game coordinator to his duties in 2022. Scott mentored five All-Big Ten defensive lineman in his three seasons in state college, including All-American Arnold Ebiketie, who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft. Scott had six defensive linemen drafted in his time in State College, including two first round selections, one second, one third and two seventh-round picks.
Scott spent the 2019 season coaching at South Carolina, helping Javon Kinlaw go on to be picked 14th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Teammate Kobe Smith also signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Prior to South Carolina, he spent two seasons at Arkansas, where he’d mentor McTelvin Agim to be selected in the third round by the Denver Broncos, Armon Watts, a fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, John Marshall, a sixth-round selection by the New York Jets and T.J. Smith, who inked a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Scott spent two seasons with the New York Jets from 2015-16. In his first season in New York, the Jets allowed the fewest rushing scores in the NFL and had the league’s best red zone defense. They finished second in rushing defense and fourth in total defense, and defensive tackle and current Syracuse staff member Muhammad Wilkerson reached the Pro Bowl. The following season, the Jets were fifth in the AFC in rushing defense, while defensive tackle Leonard Williams was invited to the Pro Bowl.
Scott also spent two seasons at Texas Tech (2013-14), where he helped Kerry Hyder earn All-Big XII accolades and go on to a 10-year NFL career, alongside teammate Branden Jackson, who played four years in the NFL.
He spent the 2010-12 seasons at Georgia Southern, where the Eagles had back-to-back trips to the FCS Semifinals in his final two seasons there. He mentored Brent Russell to become a three-time All-American and finish his career as Georgia State’s career sacks leader. He also led Roderick Tinsley to All-America status in 2011, and become a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS’ national defensive player of the year) in 2010.
Scott also coached at Missouri State (2009), Western Carolina (2006-08), Norfolk State (2005), Louisiana Lafayette (2002-04) and West Davison High School (2001). Brown and Scott overlapped for one season at Western Carolina during Brown’s playing career.
A Greer, South Carolina native, Scott graduated from Western Carolina in 2000 with a degree in Communication, before earning a Masters of Education from Louisiana-Lafayette in 2006. He was a four-year letterman at defensive end for the Catamounts, earning All-Southern Conference honors in 1998.
Scott comes to the Orange with 25 years of coaching experience, including stops with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets in the NFL, and collegiate stints at Penn State, Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas Tech and more. He will serve as ‘Cuse’s Associate Head Coach, co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach.
“I’m thrilled to be at Syracuse University,” Scott said. “This is a tremendous opportunity to come to a place where they have great tradition and pride. This program has a history of winning, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity to work with these coaches and young men. I’d like to thank Coach Swinney for the opportunity to be around one of college football’s all-time winningest coaches for the last two years and learn from him how to run a program, win and have a positive culture.
“The opportunity to work with Coach Fran, who is one of the top college football coaches in the country, was very appealing to me. He’s sharp, authentic, driven and talented. He has a great way of capturing the hearts and minds of young men with the way he shares vision for this program, which is to compete for ACC Championships and Playoff appearances. I’m also excited about the defensive staff that he’s put together, with coach VK, who is an amazing developer of talent. I’m looking forward to working with him and the rest of the defensive staff to build this defense to be a top-10 defense in the country.”
Scott most recently spent the past two seasons as a member of the Clemson, helping the Tigers win the ACC Championship and reach the College Football Playoff in his first season. This past season, the Tigers had a top-20 rushing defense nationally and finished third in the ACC in scoring defense.
“I’m extremely excited and thankful that John Scott decided to come here,” Brown said. “For the last 10 years, he’s been a top-five defensive line coach in the country. He’s coached on every level, including the NFL. Usually when guys get picked up from college to go to the NFL, it means they’re developing pros. He knows how to develop a professional. He started at smaller schools and developed at every stop all the way to the pros”
Prior to Clemson, Scott was the Defensive Line Coach for the Detroit Lions, helping end a six-year playoff drought for the franchise and reaching the NFC Championship Game. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was selected to his first Pro Bowl under Scott’s tutelage, becoming the first Lions Pro Bowl defensive end in over 30 years.
He spent the 2020-22 seasons at Penn State as the Nittany Lion’s defensive line coach, before adding run game coordinator to his duties in 2022. Scott mentored five All-Big Ten defensive lineman in his three seasons in state college, including All-American Arnold Ebiketie, who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft. Scott had six defensive linemen drafted in his time in State College, including two first round selections, one second, one third and two seventh-round picks.
Scott spent the 2019 season coaching at South Carolina, helping Javon Kinlaw go on to be picked 14th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Teammate Kobe Smith also signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Prior to South Carolina, he spent two seasons at Arkansas, where he’d mentor McTelvin Agim to be selected in the third round by the Denver Broncos, Armon Watts, a fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, John Marshall, a sixth-round selection by the New York Jets and T.J. Smith, who inked a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Scott spent two seasons with the New York Jets from 2015-16. In his first season in New York, the Jets allowed the fewest rushing scores in the NFL and had the league’s best red zone defense. They finished second in rushing defense and fourth in total defense, and defensive tackle and current Syracuse staff member Muhammad Wilkerson reached the Pro Bowl. The following season, the Jets were fifth in the AFC in rushing defense, while defensive tackle Leonard Williams was invited to the Pro Bowl.
Scott also spent two seasons at Texas Tech (2013-14), where he helped Kerry Hyder earn All-Big XII accolades and go on to a 10-year NFL career, alongside teammate Branden Jackson, who played four years in the NFL.
He spent the 2010-12 seasons at Georgia Southern, where the Eagles had back-to-back trips to the FCS Semifinals in his final two seasons there. He mentored Brent Russell to become a three-time All-American and finish his career as Georgia State’s career sacks leader. He also led Roderick Tinsley to All-America status in 2011, and become a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS’ national defensive player of the year) in 2010.
Scott also coached at Missouri State (2009), Western Carolina (2006-08), Norfolk State (2005), Louisiana Lafayette (2002-04) and West Davison High School (2001). Brown and Scott overlapped for one season at Western Carolina during Brown’s playing career.
A Greer, South Carolina native, Scott graduated from Western Carolina in 2000 with a degree in Communication, before earning a Masters of Education from Louisiana-Lafayette in 2006. He was a four-year letterman at defensive end for the Catamounts, earning All-Southern Conference honors in 1998.
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