Syracuse's Secret Weapon? The Defensive Mind of John Odierna

John Odierna’s word carries tremendous weight throughout Syracuse’s defensive unit.

So much so that Riley Figueiras has developed a rule of thumb: When the Orange stick to Odierna’s game plan, they thrive. When they deviate, they falter.

“He’s probably the most elite defensive knowledge guy I’ve ever been around,” Figueiras said. “With some of the things he schemes up, I’m just like, ‘How did you even think of this?’ And then when we go out and execute, it’s special to see.”

Odierna, who left his first head coaching job at Manhattan for the Syracuse defensive coordinator role in August 2023, knew the career-altering move would test him in myriad ways.

He’s seen his comfort and confidence soar over the past three years.

“You’re coaching against the best coaches in the game every week,” Odierna said. “We played the toughest schedule in the country this year and are getting challenged schematically and tactically. When I got here, I hoped that I would be challenged. It’s been everything I’ve wanted it to be, and I just have a high level of confidence in our group.”

Odierna will coach in the NCAA tournament semifinals for the second year in a row on Saturday, when the Orange take on No. 2 seed Notre Dame in Charlottesville, Va. Syracuse knocked off No. 3 seed North Carolina 13-11 on May 16, avenging a pair of prior losses to advance to its 29th championship weekend.

When the Tar Heels attempted a rally in the game’s final two minutes, the Orange shifted into a zone and quashed the comeback effort. Syracuse held UNC’s Dominic Pietremala and Owen Duffy (limited by a hamstring injury) to just three combined goals in the win.

There were clutch plays, too. Like when Billy Dwan III kept the ball inbounds as he was shoved out of bounds, leading to the go-ahead goal on a fast break in the fourth quarter. And when Louis D’Agostino stripped Anthony Raio of the ball and Chuck Kuczynski swooped in to snare it before spinning through multiple players to clear it. And when Dwan soaked a shot with his back.

“We made some schematic tweaks each time we played them and tried to stay ahead in the chess match as best we could,” Odierna said. “I thought our guys executed at a high level. It was a deeper game plan than we’ve had for most of our games, and our guys ebbed and flowed well with UNC making a lot of adjustments, too.”

Both Figueiras and Dwan have started all 55 games since Odierna arrived on campus. Odierna often consults the duo when he constructs schemes and has entrusted Figueiras and Dwan with mentoring younger players in their position group.

For Odierna, the most successful teams are always player-led.

“I try to create an environment where the players feel comfortable taking ownership and leading the group,” Odierna said. “Riley, Billy, Jordan Beck and [goalie] Jimmy McCool all came in together in the same recruiting class and are guys that have logged a ton of miles for us. We’re starting to hit our ceiling as far as what we thought the unit could be and playing really well at a good time.”

While Syracuse’s high-flying offense — led by Tewaaraton Award finalist Joey Spallina — has generated significant buzz in 2026, the Orange defense has prided itself on an ability to make crucial stops in clutch moments. Statistically, they’re middle of the pack (10.61 goals allowed per game, 29th in Division I). But anyone who has watched Syracuse this season knows the defense can take over the game as it did late against North Carolina.

For Figueiras, everything starts with McCool, who has posted 226 saves on a 54.5% save percentage, racking up a 13-5 record this season.

“He’s the best goalie in the country,” Figueiras said. “I said this to my teammates the other night. I know if I mess up on ball, we have some of the best defenders behind me to clean up. Then, if everybody messes up, we got the best goalie in the country. There’s a lot of times throughout the year that I’m just like, ‘Wow, he’s on one right now.’”

Figueiras, who has recorded a team-high 25 caused turnovers and corralled 59 ground balls in 2026, said he and Odierna have forged a special bond over the past three years.

From Figueiras’ redshirt freshman campaign, the Syracuse staff entrusted the defender with guarding each opponent’s top matchup.

“I thought he should have been recognized last year for his efforts,” Odierna said. “He’s one of the best cover guys in the sport. This year, he’s really found his voice as a leader. He’s really come out of his shell and taken ownership of what we’re doing. He relishes the challenge when he gets to match up with the top attackmen in the country.”

The Orange are well-familiar with the challenges the Fighting Irish present on the offensive end. Syracuse fell 16-11 in the teams’ April 25 meeting.

Odierna labeled Notre Dame an “everybody eats” offense.

“They’re probably the most athletic offense in the country,” Odierna said. “They have football players playing lacrosse, guys that run a 4.50, 4.40 [40-yard dash] out there… They’ve provided some real matchup issues and tactical issues for everyone they’ve played. It’s our job to play better than we did last time and throw some new stuff at them.”

As Figueiras prepares for Saturday, he and his teammates are carrying a one-play-at-a-time mindset. The defenseman said the ups and downs of the Orange’s year have led to a shot at the title.

“There’s a reason why we played this schedule — to build us for now,” Figueiras said. “When we lost to Harvard and Princeton, our coaches were like, ‘We are going to win because of these types of moments.’”