SYRACUSE - Syracuse University head football coach Greg Robinson hired Major Applewhite as the team's quarterback coach.

A standout quarterback at Texas, Applewhite, 26, joins the Syracuse staff after spending two years as a offensive graduate assistant coach with the Longhorns.

"Major is a person who through his playing days displayed the unique qualities as a quarterback that are proving to be tremendous qualities as a coach," Robinson said.

"His development of the physical skills necessary to be a productive quarterback, coupled with his innate abilities to grasp the mental aspect of the game and his ability to function under adverse conditions, are what make him a valuable member of our staff."

Applewhite, who was 22-8 as a starter at Texas, set school records for passing yards (8,353), TD passes (60), total offense (8,059), completions (611) and attempts (1,065) from 1998-2001. The UT captain in 2001 and 2001 Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP, Applewhite was the Big 12 co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1999 and earned conference freshman of the year honors in 1998.

"I am grateful and appreciative of this opportunity to work with Greg at Syracuse," Applewhite said. "Greg is such an energetic and enthusiastic guy and that at ude breeds itself. It is an honor to come here to coach a position that has had so much success. Look at the quarterback history in the past 20 years — Don McPherson, Marvin Graves and Donovan McNabb. We are going to take that tradition and build on it."