Assume new coaching staff. Predict wins/losses.
- Thread starter mildone
- Start date
That's the question - isn't it?
I've said for months - firing Flood (if it happens) isn't a solution - it's just another problem to solve.
9 conference game -- 3 non-conference games (soon to be FBS-only no D2). So, where do you find wins?
You have to get 2 non-conference wins (but more likely all 3) EVERY YEAR - which will be harder against the UCLA, UW, Miami of the future... But, say you can get all 3
you have to beat IU and UMD EVERY year... and that's going to get harder as well.....
maybe you are 5-0 there (more realistically 4-1/3-2 on average)
Cross-over games (yes, we have Illinois and Purdue coming up, but also NW, Iowa - and Wisconsin is back on schedule very soon too).
Hopefully you can be competitive against PSU MSU UM and steal 1-2 games. Do you see us beating tOSU more than once in next 4 year? I don't.
How do you ever go better than 8-4, even in a good year? 9-3 is a great year? hey, I'd love to be 9-0 heading into a week 10, but tell me how that happens?
this isn't a "don't fire Flood" post --- but this "fire flood, add black magic, win national championship" discussion is strange.
I've said for months - firing Flood (if it happens) isn't a solution - it's just another problem to solve.
9 conference game -- 3 non-conference games (soon to be FBS-only no D2). So, where do you find wins?
You have to get 2 non-conference wins (but more likely all 3) EVERY YEAR - which will be harder against the UCLA, UW, Miami of the future... But, say you can get all 3
you have to beat IU and UMD EVERY year... and that's going to get harder as well.....
maybe you are 5-0 there (more realistically 4-1/3-2 on average)
Cross-over games (yes, we have Illinois and Purdue coming up, but also NW, Iowa - and Wisconsin is back on schedule very soon too).
Hopefully you can be competitive against PSU MSU UM and steal 1-2 games. Do you see us beating tOSU more than once in next 4 year? I don't.
How do you ever go better than 8-4, even in a good year? 9-3 is a great year? hey, I'd love to be 9-0 heading into a week 10, but tell me how that happens?
this isn't a "don't fire Flood" post --- but this "fire flood, add black magic, win national championship" discussion is strange.
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So with a great coach, what do you see our record being for the next five years? What's our progression?
SOOOO whats your solution then??? continue to watch this train wreck year after year while the best from our state chose to go elsewhere because they know flood can't win big games!!! I'd rather rebuild with fresh faces than have to listen to this clown try and tell us why he isn't replacing a qb who hasn't thrown a TD in 4 games!!!
It's a free internet, but I was hoping to have a discussion about the future of the program, not yet another lynch mob thread about Flood. We have more than enough of those already.
After a new staff is brought in the reality of what it will take to compete in the top half of the conference will set back in.
I think a lot of people forget that this wasn't supposed to be easy. We will need 3-4 years recruiting well above what we've seen in the past to really compete.
And no this isn't in any way a defense of Flood.
I think a lot of people forget that this wasn't supposed to be easy. We will need 3-4 years recruiting well above what we've seen in the past to really compete.
And no this isn't in any way a defense of Flood.
trying to extend you own pathetic thread, if you love flood great, but you will have to follow him to the high school ranks at his next gig
Yeah i also want to discuss the future of the program and anyone with who has watched these games this year know's the future does not involve flood. The longer we wait to rebuild this program the worse of situation its going to be and the tougher its going to be to get a capable coach in here. The longer flood is here the worse its going to get.
I start a thread about expectations for the coaching staff we hire after Flood is fired. And you somehow translate that into me loving Flood? It's just a thought, but you might consider stepping away from the crack pipe every now and then.
And why is this thread pathetic? Are we not allowed to discuss the future of the football program here in the football forum anymore?
This thread is about the program after Flood is gone. I didn't say anything about keeping Flood. This thread isn't about Flood in any way.
I'm curious. Do you fear that you would cease to exist if you engaged in a discussion that wasn't about Flood in any way? Do the voices in your head threaten you if you don't make everything about Flood?
Those might be tough questions for you. Take your time. We'll wait.
Pretty much if you don't say FLood sucks and Fire him immediately, you are labeled a FLood lover.
As mildone says, not conducive to having any kind of discussion.
Missing the point with this. To move the program forward, $ must be had and spent wisely on making progress. Without the $ and a wise hire, you're in the near exact same position as now, just with different personnel.
If Rutgers hires a great coach in year 1 can see them going anywhere between 5-7 to 7-5 as well as the team being more competitive against the top teams with minimal to no blowout losses where they didn't have a chance given current and incoming players for 2016 and competent assistants. If they can then jumpstart recruiting and keep some of the top NJ players and steal a few from other states where we have recruited well in the past then don't see why couldn't see improvement where the norm/expectation over years 2 through 5 goes from 6-6/7-5 early on from an 8-4 to 10-2 type years by year 5 and beyond if they decide to make the commitment to the program.
I think we might wind up OK next year if the team stays healthy, flirting with .500. The year after could be a disaster. I would hope the new coach keeps us at 5 wins or so while they rebuild the talent on this team. I think the damage that flood has done to the roster has been vastly understated.
100% depends on the coach we get. We need someone who can:
1. Recruit the top NJ talent and get them to stick
2. Turn the mentality of the team around
3. Create an identity for the program
4. Invigorate the fan base and donors
5. Coach the players up and get them prepared for the season
6. Game plan for each opponent effectively
7. Identify weaknesses and address them, both throughout the year and during the games
Look at what Harbaugh has done for Michigan in a VERY short time. Yes, he had better recruits to work with than we do. But someone like that could easily come in here and turn things around in 3-4 years.
1. Recruit the top NJ talent and get them to stick
2. Turn the mentality of the team around
3. Create an identity for the program
4. Invigorate the fan base and donors
5. Coach the players up and get them prepared for the season
6. Game plan for each opponent effectively
7. Identify weaknesses and address them, both throughout the year and during the games
Look at what Harbaugh has done for Michigan in a VERY short time. Yes, he had better recruits to work with than we do. But someone like that could easily come in here and turn things around in 3-4 years.
With at least a decent new coaching staff, I'd expect the team to achieve a 5-7 to 7-5 record the next two seasons, depending on performance in the quarterback position and OL/DL/secondary units. The caveat is that the team must play competitively, appear coached/schemed in a position to win even in most of its losses, and noticeably improve during the course of the season (all things that Rutgers football is not doing now). By seasons 3-5, I'd expect that the coach has brought in some good talent, kept some bright coordinators and has the team playing to a 7-5 level, with a minimum of 6-6 and 8-win season if the chips fall right. This is assuming that OSU, MSU, and Michigan remain top-tier teams, Wisconsin below but still very difficult to beat, PSU 40/60 W/L, Indiana 75/25 W/L, one very difficult crossover and OOC game each, and one winnable crossover as well as multiple OOC games.
Next year is when Rutgers will pay dearly for the 4 years of bad recruiting. Next year, just about all of Schiano's recruits would have been purged from the system.
Assuming the football gods grants us a new coaching staff, I have no expectations in terms of wins and losses. What I would like to see though are as follows:
- Leadership with a clear vision for the program
- Establishment of a TRUE identity
- Ability to recruit players that will fit that vision and identity
- Ability to develop players
I agree that firing Flood will not get us to 9-3. A very good coach and staff will not do better than 8-4 unless things change. So, how does a program similar to Rutgers become a force in the B10? I say three things 1) A great coach and staff 2) The culture and mindset has to change both within the university and state of NJ 3) Increase economic support.
How did Miami go from being a doormat to winning 5 or 6 National Championships? They hired an excellent HC. He was allowed to recruit "Excellent Athletes" that did not necessarily fit the UM mold. He coached up these kids to NFL caliber athletes and won a NC in two years. All this was not possible unless the UM's administration was on board. Many pros and cons to this example, but in the end 5 or 6 NC and hundreds of millions in revenue proved it could be done.
How did Miami go from being a doormat to winning 5 or 6 National Championships? They hired an excellent HC. He was allowed to recruit "Excellent Athletes" that did not necessarily fit the UM mold. He coached up these kids to NFL caliber athletes and won a NC in two years. All this was not possible unless the UM's administration was on board. Many pros and cons to this example, but in the end 5 or 6 NC and hundreds of millions in revenue proved it could be done.
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A lot of interesting thoughts so far. Here's my thinking and my projections, for what it's worth...
It was never going to be easy for us to get to the point of being highly competitive in the Big Ten East. We're competing with teams that have a massive head start heavily investing in coaching and recruiting.
We have some things going for us, but we have some things going against us as well. For example, we're in a region w/a decent amount of talent, but we're also in a region where fans have a large number of choices of teams to follow. So if we find a coach that can sell the program to NJ kids, that's good, but in order to sell the program to financially benevolent fans, we need to consistently win a lot of games.
We all know that spending a lot of money will not ensure success. But I think many of us also realize that without spending a lot of money, consistent success is unattainable. We can try to do this for middle-of-the-road salaries for middle-of-the-road people. But even if lightning strikes and we start winning that way, if we don't spend enough, those coaches will get quickly poached by programs with deeper pockets. So we can have success, but it won't be consistent.
I tend to enter seasons w/pessimistic projections. For example, I thought we'd be lucky to get 6 wins last season and was happy to be proven wrong. I thought we'd have somewhere between 3-5 wins this season and that was before all the arrests, the Hamilton injury, etc.
Looking forward, if RU spends low-average money on a coaching staff, which is what I think is most likely, then I think we'll see an initial recruiting hit (due to the natural uncertainty a new staff engenders) that will be unmatched by any excitement for the change among recruits. Remember that recruits have a very different perspective about the program than the adult fans of the program. Excitement over a new coaching staff will be muted unless it's a highly recognizable and respected name and those people cost more than low-average money.
Also, if the Big Ten does implement it's FBS OC scheduling rule, then that combined with the addition to the 9-conference-game mandate means easy wins will be even harder to come by. There are easily beatable FBS programs, but we'll be competing with schools with deeper pockets to schedule those teams. And one of the OOC teams is supposed to be a P5 team.
So combining my natural predictive pessimism with my thoughts about the likely nature of the hire and the realities of our situation, I would predict something along these lines for the number of wins over the next five seasons:
2016: 3-5 wins
2017: 5-7 wins
2018: 6-9 wins
2019: 6-9 wins
2020: 5-8 wins
This isn't a pretty picture. It means that we aren't winning consistently enough to sell the program to either recruits or to deep-pocket donors and we're not selling out the stadium for more than a couple games a season, if that. It means that we're reaching for skilled players and more likely to wind up with some problem kids again which tarnishes the perception of RU in a way most of us would prefer not to see.
This is why I want the RU admin to spend $10MM on a new coaching staff. If we do that, there's still the possibility it won't make a huge difference in wins/losses. But I think it has a much, much better chance. I think it means we can find someone recognizable and attractive to HS kids right out of the gate. I think it means we can count on a staff that has the sort of knowledge of a Fridge and can get the best out of the players. I think it means we can excite the fan-base and sell more tickets.
Spend $10MM and I think the projections look more like this:
2016: 5-7 wins
2017: 7-9 wins
2018: 7-10 wins
2019: 8-11 wins
2020: 9-12 wins
In other words, a better, faster start and an upwards trajectory as the excitement builds. Recruiting will improve over time. Donations will improve. Ticket sales and parking sales will improve. And after 5 years, we'll be edging into the territory where the program starts to become self-promoting and self-sustaining.
If we spend that kind of money and wind up with a lemon of a hire, at least we'll have some better recruits on the team and in the pipeline and we can find another high level coach because we're way above average in pay.
Unfortunately, from all appearances, selling Barchi and the BOG on this sort of investment will not be an easy thing. I think the ROI on such an investment would be great for the school, and I think it's possible to sell it. I'm just not very confident that the buyers are interested enough to listen to the sales pitch right now.
It was never going to be easy for us to get to the point of being highly competitive in the Big Ten East. We're competing with teams that have a massive head start heavily investing in coaching and recruiting.
We have some things going for us, but we have some things going against us as well. For example, we're in a region w/a decent amount of talent, but we're also in a region where fans have a large number of choices of teams to follow. So if we find a coach that can sell the program to NJ kids, that's good, but in order to sell the program to financially benevolent fans, we need to consistently win a lot of games.
We all know that spending a lot of money will not ensure success. But I think many of us also realize that without spending a lot of money, consistent success is unattainable. We can try to do this for middle-of-the-road salaries for middle-of-the-road people. But even if lightning strikes and we start winning that way, if we don't spend enough, those coaches will get quickly poached by programs with deeper pockets. So we can have success, but it won't be consistent.
I tend to enter seasons w/pessimistic projections. For example, I thought we'd be lucky to get 6 wins last season and was happy to be proven wrong. I thought we'd have somewhere between 3-5 wins this season and that was before all the arrests, the Hamilton injury, etc.
Looking forward, if RU spends low-average money on a coaching staff, which is what I think is most likely, then I think we'll see an initial recruiting hit (due to the natural uncertainty a new staff engenders) that will be unmatched by any excitement for the change among recruits. Remember that recruits have a very different perspective about the program than the adult fans of the program. Excitement over a new coaching staff will be muted unless it's a highly recognizable and respected name and those people cost more than low-average money.
Also, if the Big Ten does implement it's FBS OC scheduling rule, then that combined with the addition to the 9-conference-game mandate means easy wins will be even harder to come by. There are easily beatable FBS programs, but we'll be competing with schools with deeper pockets to schedule those teams. And one of the OOC teams is supposed to be a P5 team.
So combining my natural predictive pessimism with my thoughts about the likely nature of the hire and the realities of our situation, I would predict something along these lines for the number of wins over the next five seasons:
2016: 3-5 wins
2017: 5-7 wins
2018: 6-9 wins
2019: 6-9 wins
2020: 5-8 wins
This isn't a pretty picture. It means that we aren't winning consistently enough to sell the program to either recruits or to deep-pocket donors and we're not selling out the stadium for more than a couple games a season, if that. It means that we're reaching for skilled players and more likely to wind up with some problem kids again which tarnishes the perception of RU in a way most of us would prefer not to see.
This is why I want the RU admin to spend $10MM on a new coaching staff. If we do that, there's still the possibility it won't make a huge difference in wins/losses. But I think it has a much, much better chance. I think it means we can find someone recognizable and attractive to HS kids right out of the gate. I think it means we can count on a staff that has the sort of knowledge of a Fridge and can get the best out of the players. I think it means we can excite the fan-base and sell more tickets.
Spend $10MM and I think the projections look more like this:
2016: 5-7 wins
2017: 7-9 wins
2018: 7-10 wins
2019: 8-11 wins
2020: 9-12 wins
In other words, a better, faster start and an upwards trajectory as the excitement builds. Recruiting will improve over time. Donations will improve. Ticket sales and parking sales will improve. And after 5 years, we'll be edging into the territory where the program starts to become self-promoting and self-sustaining.
If we spend that kind of money and wind up with a lemon of a hire, at least we'll have some better recruits on the team and in the pipeline and we can find another high level coach because we're way above average in pay.
Unfortunately, from all appearances, selling Barchi and the BOG on this sort of investment will not be an easy thing. I think the ROI on such an investment would be great for the school, and I think it's possible to sell it. I'm just not very confident that the buyers are interested enough to listen to the sales pitch right now.
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What's your answer to your own question? How much homework are you willing to do on the subject?
I didn't want to bias the discussion by posting my thoughts first. But if you look just above your post, I posted my thoughts, in my usual overly verbose way.
Most of your post is spot on but the last sentence is where RU fans have a problem with. If you really think that our program could be at the level of UM in a few years is totally unrealistic IMO. Why isn't, ILL, Ind, Purdue, NW, Minn.... at that level?
UM is one of the best schools in the country on so many levels. $$, Academic, facilities, Alum support, name brand, $$. We have none of these other than some academics.
Agreed that a name coach like Harbaugh would help with recruiting but since we do not have the money or prestige to bring someone like that in we are back to square one.
There are some that think this is the only year we will have 3-5 wins if Flood stays. I think we sink further to 2-4 wins every years and be the bottom of the Big Ten. He really can not recruit and coach. We are giving up 45 points to any good team we play basically no defense. We can not keep changing the DC and not hold the HC accountable. We are the worst or the next to worst team in the Big Ten this year. I expect 6-8 win season in the future with another coach. The 3-4 games difference with be the difference of 15-20,000 fans in the stadium.
Some say why change coaches if there very little change in WL, why did Maryland, Illinois, Miami change coaches? Because it gives them a chance.
With a new coaching staff, things can turn around quick, there is some talent on this team. Our running backs, for example, are underachieving this year. The Rossi's defensive schemes are piss poor and not helping our young secondary.
There's no mystery behind the difference between the Michigan team we beat last year and lost by a very big margin this year. In addition, UNC, a team that our school annihalated last year, are playing for a spot in their conference championship. With the right coaching, a very good year would mean 8 to 9 wins.
There's no mystery behind the difference between the Michigan team we beat last year and lost by a very big margin this year. In addition, UNC, a team that our school annihalated last year, are playing for a spot in their conference championship. With the right coaching, a very good year would mean 8 to 9 wins.
I'd say a "Great Coach" should be able to have RU be at .500 or bowling the first year. This may be done with luring a few top JUCOs into the mix -- maybe even more than Rutgers has ever done or would feel comfortable with.
IMO, a great coach could land 1-2 difference makers in recruiting right away. Maybe it's a guy on defense, maybe a playmaker on offense. Either way, we've all seen the difference Carroo makes when he's healthy and plays versus when he's not on the field. I realize he's a senior, but I've seen true freshmen who make a difference as well.
Most importantly to me, a great coach would focus on the one thing that seems to be true of ALL BIG TEN TEAMS -- you play extremely hard at home. Winning on the road in the Big Ten should be difficult for every team -- even when you're the #1 team. We have had NO DIFFERENCE in play between at home and on the road. That's unacceptable imo and something a great coach would change instantly.
IMO, a great coach could land 1-2 difference makers in recruiting right away. Maybe it's a guy on defense, maybe a playmaker on offense. Either way, we've all seen the difference Carroo makes when he's healthy and plays versus when he's not on the field. I realize he's a senior, but I've seen true freshmen who make a difference as well.
Most importantly to me, a great coach would focus on the one thing that seems to be true of ALL BIG TEN TEAMS -- you play extremely hard at home. Winning on the road in the Big Ten should be difficult for every team -- even when you're the #1 team. We have had NO DIFFERENCE in play between at home and on the road. That's unacceptable imo and something a great coach would change instantly.
Yes, we have some talent. But so do most of the teams in the Big Ten and many have a lot more talent.
So I would say that with the right coaching staff, things can turn around quickly. With a low-average coaching staff, it's not very likely. Harbaugh appears to be the right guy for Michigan, although he has to do it consistently over time to prove it. We need our version of a Harbaugh.
And remember that they had a pretty loaded roster for him to work with. We are not nearly so loaded, roster-wise. So any expectations for any new coach to come in and immediately get to 8 wins are unreasonable, IMO.
To put it another way, even if we hire one of the most expensive, best coaches in the country, they still have to go up against other expensive great coaches. Only we will have less ammunition initially.
But at least hiring a great coach puts us on the right trajectory. If we hire an up-and-comer, it's going to be a lot harder, take a lot longer, and there will be lower odds of success, no matter how good that coach might at football. We're not playing Pitt and Syracuse. We're playing OSU and Michigan from now on. The deck is stacked against us. We need to change the game and that's not likely to happen w/out a game-changing coaching staff.
Next year will be the bottom of the Flood.... The full impact of just how bad Flood's recruiting classes have set the Program back. The new Coach will probably get us to 5-7... Which is respectable considering the sh#tbag he inherited, See the gradual improvement in '17 and '18 ... 7 or 8 wins each year.
I agree with all that. It's why I think the fan base should unite behind the idea of spending big-time money for a big-time coach. This is a vastly more important conversation, IMO, than bitching about Flood. Flood is the past.
People shouldn't be writing Julie saying "Dear Julie, fire Flood or I'll cancel my season tix". They should be writing Julie saying "Dear Julie, spend $10MM on a the next coaching staff or I'll cancel my season tix".
2016 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football Schedule
Sep. 3
at Washington Huskies
Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 10
Howard Bison
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Sep. 17
New Mexico Lobos
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 24
Iowa Hawkeyes
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 1
at Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 8
Michigan Wolverines
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 15
Illinois Fighting Illini
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 22
at Minnesota Golden Gophers
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 29 --- Open Date --- ---
Saturday
Nov. 5
Indiana Hoosiers
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 12
at Michigan State Spartans
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI TBA
Saturday
Nov. 19
Penn State Nittany Lions
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 26
at Maryland Terrapins
Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD TBA
Sep. 3
at Washington Huskies Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 10
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Sep. 17
New Mexico Lobos High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 24
Iowa Hawkeyes High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 1
at Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 8
Michigan Wolverines High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 15
Illinois Fighting Illini High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 22
at Minnesota Golden Gophers TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 29 --- Open Date --- ---
Saturday
Nov. 5
Indiana Hoosiers High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 12
at Michigan State Spartans Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI TBA
Saturday
Nov. 19
Penn State Nittany Lions High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 26
at Maryland Terrapins Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD TBA
This is so stupid. How can it be said what the ceiling would be with a coach who could recruit Jersey better? Especially with no qualifier of who that new coach would be.
With that schedule and the talent on this team, you are looking realistically at 9-3/10-2 even with Laviano.at QB. A couple of breaks and you are talking playoffs. Washington, Howard, NM, Ind, Maryland, MN, Illinois, those are Ws. Toss ups: Penn State, Michigan State, Iowa. Tough games: Michigan, Ohio State2016 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football Schedule
Sep. 3
Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 10Howard Bison
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Sep. 17
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA ---
Saturday
Sep. 24
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 1
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 8
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 15
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Oct. 22
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN TBA ---
Saturday
Oct. 29 --- Open Date --- ---
Saturday
Nov. 5
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 12
Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI TBA
Saturday
Nov. 19
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ TBA
Saturday
Nov. 26
Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD TBA
It's not "so stupid" unless you choose to inject assumptions into what he said that make it stupid.
He didn't specify who the coach might be nor any exact time period. You seem to be injecting assumptions that we'll have some kind of great coach that can out-recruit OSU/Michigan/PSU/etc. in and around NJ. Which would be great. If it happens.
But if we inject more realistic assumptions that we hire an up-and-comer coach on a low-average salary, then there's no particular reason to think we'll be killing it in recruiting right away. In which case, he's probably right that it will be a while before we start beating Michigan or PSU.
Al, is that you? [winking]
My friend, that's one heck of an optimistic prediction. But I sure hope you're right. [thumb2]
The big unanswered question is what Rutgers is willing to pay for a coach and staff. Urban Meyer isn't available for $1.25 million per year and Jeff Haffley won't come back for $150k. Given the historic salary levels it seems the RU will have to gamble on an assistant, and not from an Ohio State or Alabama, and hope they hit a home run. What an unknown probably means for 2016 is the following:
* Russo goes elsewhere
* Hamilton graduates, transfers and plays his 5th year elsewhere
* Longa enters the NFL draft
The defensive backfield will all be back and should probably improve. The RBs will be solid once again but the WRs will only have one playmaker in Grant.
Looks pretty damn bleak (3-5 wins) to me.
Beyond 2016 is where the question of did they hit a home run or not really kicks in. A home run will bring in a class ranked somewhere between 20 & 30 nationally and things will be inconsistent but improving. Bring in someone who's true ceiling is a coordinator and it's 3-4 win seasons for as far as the eye can see.
* Russo goes elsewhere
* Hamilton graduates, transfers and plays his 5th year elsewhere
* Longa enters the NFL draft
The defensive backfield will all be back and should probably improve. The RBs will be solid once again but the WRs will only have one playmaker in Grant.
Looks pretty damn bleak (3-5 wins) to me.
Beyond 2016 is where the question of did they hit a home run or not really kicks in. A home run will bring in a class ranked somewhere between 20 & 30 nationally and things will be inconsistent but improving. Bring in someone who's true ceiling is a coordinator and it's 3-4 win seasons for as far as the eye can see.
We always had a go to 4 star WR that helped us score, Britt, Harrison, Sanu, and Carroo. Sanu was a high 3 star. We don't have that in the near future because our recruiting. Yet, NJ had about 15 4 stars WR in the last 4 years and we got none of them.
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