May 6: Fran Brown Inc. Legendary sports agent urges Syracuse coach to think big about his brand
Article credit: Javon Edmonds
The legendary NBA agent said he believes Syracuse football coach Fran Brown has some of the same star qualities as the icons he represented during his career, part of the reason he encouraged Brown to seek help marketing himself nationally this offseason.
“I think he really cares about the players. I think he’s really honest — brutally honest,” Falk told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.
“I told him, ‘You remind me, in some ways, of a young John Thompson.’ He’s very open about his feelings. I think he’s straight and direct with players, and I think they really respect him for that.”
Falk, a Syracuse University graduate whose $15 million donation led to the naming of SU’s Falk College, helped brand Michael Jordan as “Air Jordan.” He helped Krzyzewski build a reputation at Duke as a teacher and the ultimate leader of men. He burnished Thompson’s reputation as a fighter for his Georgetown players, fairness and racial equality.
When Falk met Brown through a mutual friend from New Jersey, he came away thinking the SU football coach was capable of building the same type of long-lasting image for himself.
“He’s really smart, charismatic, young and very ambitious,” Falk said. “He’s breathed new life into the Syracuse football program.”
