MIAMI -- Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Shafer will be named the Orange's new coach.

Shafer replaces Doug Marrone, who left his alma mater to become coach of the Buffalo Bills.

The school confirmed Shafer's promotion Wednesday.

"I look forward to representing the hard-nosed city of Syracuse and the great state of New York as the head coach of Syracuse University," Shafer said in a statement. "We will go to work every day to put a quality product on the field as we storm our way into the Atlantic Coast Conference. We are very motivated to start preparing for the 2013 campaign with our current team and incoming student-athletes."

Shafer, 46, has been Syracuse's defensive coordinator since 2009. He also was defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Stanford and Michigan.

Under Shafer's guidance, the Orange defense ranked 48th overall in the nation in 2012.

"Scott Shafer is an experienced, intelligent, motivating coach who has dedicated his life to coaching and developing college student-athletes," Syracuse athletics director Dr. Daryl Gross said in the news release. "I can't think of a coach in America who is more deserving of having an opportunity to be a head coach. His commitment to developing the total student-athlete is unmatched."

Although the university had not made an announcement, his son and former players Rob Long and Antwon Bailey congratulated him on Twitter.

CBSSports.com earlier reported that Shafer would replace Marrone.

Shafer, a 1990 graduate of Baldwin Wallace University, was one of Marrone's first hires when he arrived in 2009 and has built the Orange defense into a top unit. Although he's never been a head coach, Shafer expressed interest in taking that next step and was a candidate for the Western Michigan job that went to P.J. Fleck last month.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.