Syracuse football will not retain long-time strength and conditioning coach Will Hicks, a source close to the situation confirmed Monday night. The source said that new head coach Dino Babers informed the team of this during his first team meeting Monday afternoon.

The news comes on the same day that Babers was introduced as the 30th head coach in program history. When asked if Hicks would remain with the program as Babers shapes his new staff, the former Bowling Green head coach gave a two-sided answer.

“I’m not going to talk about any individual futures, because I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to any of the old staff. I just don’t think it’s fair to jump out there on social media or something like that,” Babers said. “But I think the biggest thing that I think everyone needs to understand that when there’s a change, for it to be a change, there needs to be a change.

“There has to be some people in the building that still recognize as people. There has to be someone in the building that can link the new with the old. But there’s going to be change. Unfortunately. That’s what happen when you don’t win.”

That person will apparently not be Hicks, who started with the Orange as the head strength and conditioning coach in 2000. He was promoted to assistant athletics director for athletic performance in 2007, and has been revered by past and present players every step of the way.

Sports editor Sam Blum, sblum@syr.edu, contributed reporting to this story