Syracuse will dismiss head coach Scott Shafer after final game of season

Following the team's eighth consecutive loss, Syracuse has officially announced its plans to fire head coach Scott Shafer.

Shafer will coach the final game of the regular season against Boston College, after which he'll be relieved of his duties, the school said Monday. The move comes almost five months after the school introduced Mark Coyle as its new athletic director. He held the same role at Boise State.

"I want to thank Scott, his wife Missy, and their family for their seven years of dedication and service to SU Athletics and Syracuse University," Coyle said in a statement. "Scott has worked tirelessly to educate our students on and off the field and to build our program. However, I feel a change in leadership is needed at this time. A national search will begin immediately."

In Coyle's introductory press conference, he made it clear that winning ACC championships and going to "special bowl games" was a priority.

That put the writing on the wall for Shafer, who, in three seasons at the helm of the Orange, owned a meager 13-22 record. After leading his inaugural 2013 team to a 7-6 record, it all went downhill from there.

Last season, Syracuse won its first two games before going 1-9 to end the season. This year, the Orange opened up 3-0 before losing every game since.

Shafer was promoted to head coach from defensive coordinator in January 2013. He succeeded former head coach Doug Marrone, who left to take the same position with the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

Prior to coming to Syracuse, Shafer also served as the defensive coordinator at Michigan, Stanford, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois.

The number of vacant FBS head coaching jobs now goes up to 13.