Is Rutgers on the verge of a breakthrough?
Greg Schiano's first stint at Rutgers was historic. What he has planned this time around might be even better.
INDIANAPOLIS — Greg Schiano is Jersey through and through, which means he speaks with his hands. So when he closed his podium session at Big Ten media day by declaring his desire to earn some hardware, he did it as demonstratively as you would expect.
“I didn't come out of retirement to go to a bowl game,” he said Tuesday, putting his left hand on his chest. “I came out of retirement to win a championship at Rutgers.”
He placed his right hand on the podium in front of him for emphasis.
“And hopefully we'll do that.”
Bold talk?
Perhaps, but what else is the guy supposed to do for an encore after orchestrating one of the biggest rebuilding jobs in college football history?
Rutgers football, by any objective measure, is on its way back. The Scarlet Knights are coming off their first winning season in nine years. They beat Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl, their first bowl win since that 2014 season as well. Their 2025 recruiting class, remarkably, ranks 19th nationally, per the 247Sports Composite.
And, most importantly, the program brings back a ton of key pieces from last year’s outfit, particularly from its top-20 defense.