The other side of the field

Matt Rhule is more than familiar with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who he spoke highly of when asked on Monday. But what is the other side of the field saying?

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

Matt Rhule is more than familiar with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who he spoke highly of when asked on Monday.

“There’s lots of coaches who are regarded as the best coaches in college football. Not many could do what he’s done,” Rhule said. “Speaking as a guy who won at Temple, you go win at Rutgers, not many people have won there. He won at a high level and he came back and he’s winning on a high level. He’s a great football coach zero point blank. He’s a great builder. He’s elevated that entire university. I have the utmost respect for him. 

“When he speaks, I listen. I just have a lot of respect for him.” 

To quickly quantify what Rhule said, here’s a brief review of Schiano and Rutgers:

First Tenure (2001-2011):

• Schiano took over the Rutgers football program in 2001. The Scarlet Knights recorded losing seasons from 2001-04.

• The 2006 season marked a turning point for Rutgers under Schiano, finishing the year 11-2. That included a win over No. 3 Louisville. The Scarlet Knights ended that season No. 12 in the AP Poll.

• Schiano kept things steady for Rutgers through 2011, developing NFL-caliber talent that included players like Ray Rice, Kenny Britt and the McCourty brothers.

• Schiano departed Rutgers following the 2011 season for the head coaching position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was fired after two seasons.

Second Tenure (2019-present):

• Schiano returned to Rutgers in Dec. 2019, a move that was welcomed by many in the fanbase.

• While Schiano was away, Rutgers joined the Big Ten. As a result, his focus since returning has been on defense and player development to best compete in the conference. 

• His breakthrough season since returning was 2021, when he led Rutgers to a 5-8 season and an invitation to the Gator Bowl following a withdrawal from Texas A&M. It was Rutgers’ first bowl appearance since Schiano left in 2011.

• Rutgers went 7-6 in 2023.

Long story short: Schiano is widely credited with his development of Rutgers during his time with the program. It’s more challenging in his second stint, of course, because of the competition that the Big Ten brings. However, the Scarlet Knights are off to a 4-0 start in 2023 that includes wins over Virginia Tech and Washington. Things get tougher for Rutgers this week going forward though, which starts with Nebraska.

We spend a lot of time talking about Nebraska and what it says about an opponent every week, but what happens if we flip the script around? Rhule wasn’t the only one to meet with the media on Monday, after all. Schiano did too.

Let’s take a look across the field and what the Scarlet Knights’ head coach is saying ahead of Saturday.