The last time the Syracuse University athletic director hired a coach he used a checklist that placed a premium on defense and NFL experience. Those attributes apparently pushed other factors such as previous head coaching experience, having systems of offense and defense proven to work at the college level and intimate knowledge of Eastern Football down the list.

Those factors, in no particular order, should now take precedence. It is crucial that the man Gross hires have a keen understanding of Eastern Football and Syracuse's precarious perch in the pecking order for a limited amount of talent when compared to the bonanza annually produced in California, Florida and Texas.

He must understand and be able to overcome the dynamic working against SU, a small, private school located in a high school Football wasteland. Its historic recruiting territory has been trimmed by the emergence of Rutgers as a competitive team, the resurgence of Pittsburgh since moving into the Steelers' shiny digs at Heinz Field and the creation of three more Division I-A teams in Florida. The effects of the shrinkage have been compounded by the image created by Greg Robinson's four seasons of futility.

Gross, who whizzed into town from California chattering about not only Big East titles but runs at national titles, hinted Sunday that knowing the lay of the land is more critical than perhaps he thought it was when he first arrived.

"First of all, you know what you have talent-wise," he said. "You know the East Coast and what you're recruiting against. You know how you're networked out here. It's just different. I'm living out here now. There are a lot of things I didn't know when I got here."

Since Gross knew so little about Eastern Football he would have been wise to follow the lead of several other ADs in the conference, who decided that home-grown coaches produced the best chance of success:

Rutgers hired New Jersey native Greg Schiano following the failed fling of West Coaster Terry Shea.

Pittsburgh hired Pennsylvania native and alum Dave Wannstedt.

West Virginia did likewise with Rich Rodriguez.

South Florida hired Florida native Jim Leavitt.

Connecticut snared SU alum and Pennsylvania native Randy Edsall.

Cincinnati hired New Englander Brian Kelly, but Kelly had spent the previous 16 years coaching in neighboring Michigan and recruiting that state and Ohio.

Gross, meanwhile, hired California native Robinson, who had never been a head coach or even served as an assistant in the Northeast. The AD is four years older and, presumably, wiser now. His next head coach must also be wiser in the ways of Eastern Football.

He must understand that he will not be a national recruiter, at least not right away. He will not stock his roster with five-star prospects and will not have New York's best players knocking his door down just because SU is located in the state. And unlike Texas and California and Florida and other Football-rich states, if those players decide to go elsewhere there won't be three or four others with equal ability waiting to take their place.

That is the challenge. As Gross said, there are people out there who can do it.

East Carolina coach Skip Holtz has done a great job there and spent several years coaching at Connecticut. Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple had his team pass the ball all over the yard when he was head coach at UMass.

Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, while lacking head-coaching experience, runs a wide-open attack and spent 14 years doing the same at New Hampshire. Turner Gill has done a marvelous job making Buffalo competitive and should know the East well by now.

And then there is Edsall, who will remain in the picture until the end.

There are several other candidates out there who are intimately familiar with Eastern Football. It is an asset Gross would be wise to weigh heavily this time around. His competitors apparently do.

Dave Rahme can be reached at 470-2148 or drahme@syracuse.com