Here is my list of uninspiring options:
Rutgers Coaching Hot Board - UPDATED!
ScarletNation.com Staff
Scarlet Nation has confirmed that Kyle Flood is out as Rutgers head coach as the search now begins for his replacement. Here's a look at the current Rutgers Coaching Hot Board.
Mario Cristobal: Alabama offensive line coach
Cristobal was supposed to be the guy at Rutgers instead of Flood, although negotiations faltered and he ultimately wound up moving on from his head coaching job at FIU to become the offensive line coach at Alabama. Cristobal is one of the leading candidates for the Miami job, although if things fall through there, he would likely consider Rutgers. He already began following most of the current RU commits on Twitter and he spent three years as a Rutgers assistant under Schiano. Cristobal took over a winless FIU squad and posted a 27-47 record (2 bowl games in 6 years) before being fired in 2012. Despite the setback, he has quickly become one of the hotter names on the coaching circuit.
Greg Schiano: NFL Television Analyst
The former Rutgers head coach built the program and brought it to respectability. He left Rutgers just before signing day 2012 for the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Schiano was fired by Tampa Bay after two seasons in which he compiled a record of 11-21. The fact that Julie Hermann is out might make Rutgers a more attractive landing spot for Schiano, who was rumored to have not wanted to work under her or leave the state of Florida. His name has surfaced for other jobs, but he has not been a front runner for a position since leaving the Bucs.
Matt Rhule: Current Temple head coach
Best known for the amazing turnaround he did at Temple, Rhule currently has the Owls ranked in the top 25 and set to play for an AAC Championship with a 10-2 record. Rhule has been expected to be a hot name on the coaching circuit at the conclusion of this season. He has been able to recruit very well and really brought football to a place of legitimacy at Temple. It is a safe bet that Rhule will likely demand a high price tag as he also brings with him the ability to recruit at a high level. He is also quite familiar recruiting New Jersey as he landed some unexpected prospects.
Al Golden: Former Miami head coach
The former Temple head coach walked into a tough situation at Miami, where sanctions limited what he could do with the program. He was fired earlier this season, after putting together a 32-25 record. Public sentiment was strong against Golden in Miami, who, like Schiano, is a prodigy of Joe Paterno. Golden has proven that he can recruit and being a native of Colts Neck, NJ, provides him with ties to the area as he has been recruiting New Jersey since his days at Temple. Prior to his hire at Miami, Golden was one of the hottest coaches on the market.
Robb Smith: Current Arkansas defensive coordinator
A proven defensive coordinator, Smith previously spent four seasons at Rutgers as an assistant coach. During Rutgers' 2012 season, Smith served as the defensive coordinator and helped put together one of the best RU defenses in recent years. He followed Greg Schiano to Tampa Bay for a season and has spent the past two seasons as the Arkansas defensive coordinator. Smith's strengths is from an x's and o's standpoint while there could be some question about his ability to recruit as a head coach. He's done well at Arkansas, although he has never held a head coaching position.
P.J. Fleck: Current Western Michigan head coach
He coached the RU wide receivers for two seasons under Schiano before leaving with him to be part of the Bucs coaching staff. Fleck stayed for just a year and then in 2013, he landed a head coaching job at Western Michigan, where he has compiled a 16-21 record. Fleck did, however, lead WMU to a bowl game last year and finished 7-5 this season. Fleck is a young, energetic coach who would definitely be able to change the culture at Rutgers. He proved to be a reliable recruiter, although he does not bring in a wealth of head coaching experience. He also does not have experience as a coordinator, which is an issue Rutgers fans often pointed to when debating the Flood coaching hire.
Bob Diaco: Current UConn head coach
The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator has managed to get UConn back to bowl eligibility with a 6-6 finish to this regular season. Diaco has strong ties to New Jersey as he is a native of Cedar Grove. He has also recruited the area for quite some time and he had been rumored to have previous interest in the Rutgers position. A former standout linebacker at Iowa, Diaco could be able to bring back a stout defensive mindset to the Scarlet Knights. One of the young, up and coming coaches, Diaco's stay at UConn might only be temporary as he is continuing to climb the coaching ladder.
Joe Mogila: Current Coastal Carolina head coach
Over the last four season, Mogila has strung together a 41-13 record running the spread offense at Coastal Carolina. Mogila is also a former CEO of TD Ameritrade, who made millions in the business world. He re-entered the coaching profession in 2009 when he worked as an assistant for Nebraska. Mogila's CEO background helps with recruiting as well as endearing the program to boosters. Mogila might be a more unconventional hire, but would bring something a little bit different to Piscataway.
Dino Babers: Current Bowling
Green head coach Babers has been around as he has held assistant coaching jobs at nine different FBS schools before landing the head coaching job at Eastern Illinois in 2012. A successful two-year stint there propelled him to the head coaching job at Bowling Green where he has gone 17-9 over the past two seasons. Babers is an older coach at 54 years of age, although he brings an exciting offense with a spread attack. Babers would likely fit right into Rutgers' anticipated budget and would also be expected to change the entire offensive dynamic.
