SYRACUSE — Scott Shafer is the new coach at Syracuse, the school announced Wednesday.

Shafer, defensive coordinator the past four years for the Orange, succeeds Doug Marrone, who resigned to become the coach of the Buffalo Bills Monday. Shafer will be formally introduced at a press conference Friday.

Shafer’s defenses have ranked among the nation’s best in various categories during his four-year tenure.

In 2010, the Orange defense was No. 7 in the nation and he was nominated for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant. This past season, Syracuse, which finished 8-5 and beat West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl, was ranked sixth nationally in tackles for a loss.

Before Syracuse, Shafer was an assistant at Michigan, Stanford, Western Michigan, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Rhode Island.

■ Syracuse’s offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, is reportedly set to serve in the same position under Marrone in Buffalo. Before joining the Orange, Hackett, 33, was as an offensive quality control coach for Buffalo (2008-09) and Tampa Bay (2006-07).

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