Saw a tweet a couple weeks back that Indiana is the losingest team in D1 or I guess FBS now or maybe P5. They have like 700+ plus losses.
Fire Schiano!!!
- Thread starter mikemarc1
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AT least we have that going for us. Memories are short, and flavors of the day/week/year cause R fans to react angrily.
It's OK. Someday our day will come.
T.Y. Great post!
It is tough to ask a fan base for the one thing they ran out of a long time ago. Patience.
Yet that’s where we are now.
Ultimately it is Schiano’s fault he’s been building expectations.
Tough sledding now, but I don’t think the season is totally shot. I think there is still a lot of football to play and whether it’s one win or two and a bowl. I don’t see this team mailing it in.
You know the irony here is. Frank Burns, Dick Anderson and Doug Graber were pretty good coaches. If they had the resources ( primarily academic support). They might have made it.
Shea and Ash not a good fit.
Flood probably got less support than Frank Burns. If that’s possible.
I still think, if there’s a way to navigate through this abyss, Schiano will find it.
Until then, we have never lost a tailgate!
Good series of posts by you and @GoodOl'Rutgers . Fans tend to get a little ahead of themselves. RU fans had high hopes at the beginning of the season through the 4-0 start, but any realistic fan knew after the second half of VT and the Washington game, RU was teetering on the brink of losing close games and hurting. Nebraska happened, and we (me) excused it because of the heat and winds. But then reality set in with Wisconsin, then UCLA and then USC. However, 5 years ago if anyone thought Rutgers would be "in" a game with UCLA until the end (let's stop with the 1-5 narrative, they played excellent teams) and playing USC at 11 p.m. ET in the same season would have thought they were dreaming.
The season is still salvageable, and even if RU misses a bowl, perhaps this is a reset year like Narduzzi's 2023 at Pitt (save it-yeah, he has had more success). Maybe this will be like 2008 when Rutgers goes on a run and runs the table in the last 4 games. Onward/upward or sideways or downward.
I've been saying this with respects to Doug, forever. That man could coach and recruit but there was zero infrastructure. The true hero to RU football is BM, not Greg
We've essentially had 3 coaches with some actual support from the school. It's not as we've gone through 10-12 coaches with that same support to say no one else can do whatever here because there really isn't much comparison. In 24 years, we've had 3 coaches and without looking I'd bet that's less than a large majority of the P5 or frankly most of FBS.
agree and the search for those coaches or rather, approach to hiring, was abysmal.
once Greg is done, we need to be real smart,not cheap, and go for broke!
Honestly, I'm fine with whatever the money is just like I am with recruits wherever they come from. I never really complain about either.
As we see across the CFB landscape and frankly real life, throwing money at problems doesn't necessarily fix anything.
We are what we are and our limitations are what they are but you can still do things and accomplish things even under those circumstances. We see that across the landscape too. Main thing is try to be wise in how you go about it and see what avenues might provide the most potential. If it doesn't work try again and keep trying but don't put yourself in a situation where you're stuck longer than you might want to be. Try to make it work with whatever you have.
my point is with coaches like Flood and Ash in that we purposefully sought cheaper options.
I think we do a draft board of sorts and work our way down. We need a new coach and that is going to cost us but our approach has to remove that variable as priority i.e get someone under budget
Episode 43: Bob Mulcahy — Scarlet Spotlight
EP 43 "Mulcahy's Schiano Story" The Scarlet Spotlight is pleased to be joined by former Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy for Episode 43 of the podcast. Mulcahy, who served as AD from 1998-2008 reflects on hiring Greg Schiano as Rutgers football head coach in 2000, the chall
www.thescarletspotlight.com
Mulcahy didn’t make to many mistakes.
Other than thinking the Star Ledger was going to give us a fair shake.
This is a great listen. If you have time.
Episode 83: Doug Graber — Scarlet Spotlight
EP. 83 "The Dinner in New Brunswick" (Doug Graber) The Scarlet Spotlight is excited to be joined by former Rutgers football head coach Doug Graber for Episode 83 of the podcast. Graber discussed his path from the NFL to Rutgers, how he thought RU was in New York City and what we
www.thescarletspotlight.com
If you’re not a Graber fan you will be after this.
Some of the things he spoke about in the interview, were great examples of what this program has had to overcome.
Graber also a big proponent of Schiano.
Mulcahy thought Schiano was the guy.Episode 43: Bob Mulcahy — Scarlet Spotlight
EP 43 "Mulcahy's Schiano Story" The Scarlet Spotlight is pleased to be joined by former Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy for Episode 43 of the podcast. Mulcahy, who served as AD from 1998-2008 reflects on hiring Greg Schiano as Rutgers football head coach in 2000, the chall
Mulcahy didn’t make to many mistakes.
Other than thinking the Star Ledger was going to give us a fair shake.
This is a great listen. If you have time.
Mulcahy was horrible. A big part of being an AD at Rutgers is being able to fundraise. He was horrific at it.
Beyond that he destroyed every program to make football better. I guess it worked on some level but he wasn't some incredible AD. Great AD's don't have departments ranked in mid 150's.
Mulcahy thought Schiano was the guy.Episode 43: Bob Mulcahy — Scarlet Spotlight
EP 43 "Mulcahy's Schiano Story" The Scarlet Spotlight is pleased to be joined by former Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy for Episode 43 of the podcast. Mulcahy, who served as AD from 1998-2008 reflects on hiring Greg Schiano as Rutgers football head coach in 2000, the chall
Mulcahy didn’t make to many mistakes.
Other than thinking the Star Ledger was going to give us a fair shake.
This is a great listen. If you have time.
will do, thanks!!!!!If you’re a Graber fan you’ll love this one.Episode 83: Doug Graber — Scarlet Spotlight
EP. 83 "The Dinner in New Brunswick" (Doug Graber) The Scarlet Spotlight is excited to be joined by former Rutgers football head coach Doug Graber for Episode 83 of the podcast. Graber discussed his path from the NFL to Rutgers, how he thought RU was in New York City and what we
If you’re not a Graber fan you will be after this.
Some of the things he spoke about in the interview, were great examples of what this program has had to overcome.
Graber also a big proponent of Schiano.
could be a one step back ( maybe a big step ) like 2010 and considered a reason for the fanbase to give up hope if the season winds up 8 losses in a row.
Nut 2025 might be like 2011 was and a good year that was.
I believe Schiano can build a pretty good program, but it will be one that until the season is almost over no one can be sure if it's good enough to earn a bowl bid or sit at home.
With Greg the RU fans expectations are high, but the results are not exactly what the fans want
In my opinion Schiano was just about the best RU could get, but with what Hobbs probably was willing to pay for someone better and I was not thrilled with Greg getting extended at the end of 2023 with 4 years left before his contract expired . He did lose the last 4 regular season games that year and even though RU took the U in the yankee bowl to go 7-6
I like Greg but he won't make RU FB an elite program, but will build it into one that can be made elite from the mess he topok over by his replacement.
The building is what he does, winning big is not his forte.
I like these discussions much better than that other thread, and why I am here. Did you listen to/watch the podcast done by Riche and Mike B with Mike Teel? It was about the 2008 season, when they started 1-5. I don't actually remember the mindset around here at that time, but it must have been pretty brutal. But Rutgers reeled off 7 wins in a row, and went 9-4 in 2009. Then 2010 happened, and I rarely like to give excuses, but considering what happened in 2010, will give Greg a pass for 2010. They roared back in 2011. And while Greg was no longer the coach, they went 9-4 in 2012 with his recruits and 8-5 in 2014, Rutgers' inaugural year in the B1G.
Wearing my most Scarlet glasses, if you throw out the 2010 season,
From 2006 to 2011, Rutgers notched, 11, 8, 8, 9, and 9 wins under Greg, and won all 5 bowls they played in.
So, is year 5. Maybe RU will get to 6 wins and win a bowl and finish 7-6 like 2005. Even if not, perhaps RU will bounce back in 2025. Not read to fire Schiano this year (if it was my choice).
"I like these discussions much better than that other thread"
agree 100% and I should just try and stick to discussions like this because I'm one of the first to complain about the other kind, even though I one of the biggest offenders .
As for podcast , don't listen to them but should so I'm better informed about what's going on within the program.
My excuse is hearing problem and even with hearing aids miss words at times then get pissed.
Poor excuse, but the best I can come up with on short notice .
Greg can build and have some frustrating years, but I think for now he's good for Rutgers , but his pay scale now might entire someone better to come and I wouldn't cry about that.
The buyout will prevent change for 3 more years and if change happens, hope the replacement isn't a hire on the cheap but pay whet it takes to be among the elite
They are informative, and I like Mike T a lot, but he sounded like the President's (any President-pick one) press secretary. LOL. Seriously- talked about the "developmental program" phrase (which makes me want to scream--it makes it sound like RU is on the slow track to mediocrity!!!) and the CHOP, etc., etc. But he did do a really nice job laying out how the 2008 season unfolded after starting out 1-5. But nothing is similar here. The defense is decimated, and the schedule is more difficult, just off the top of my head, think we have a 50/50 chance of getting two more victories, 30/70 for 3, and 10/90 for 4.
I think he was trying to be delicate as his facial expressions and body language were clear in that he's in the 'concern' camp
just my opinion
Oh goodness, what a quote from Cignetti. Guess Indiana is not a developmental program 🤣 😖:
“I’m not necessarily a guy that lives by the portal year and year out, but I mean, this was a necessity,” Cignetti said. “Look, I wasn’t going to take four or five years to win. Like, back in the day, you just try to build a program by your fourth year. Nowadays, you’ve got to win now, because this is the I-want-it-now society and times.
“And I’m not used to not winning, so we were going to win now. And it all worked out.”
Cignetti, in just the first year of a six-year, $27 million deal,
www.nbcsports.com
“I’m not necessarily a guy that lives by the portal year and year out, but I mean, this was a necessity,” Cignetti said. “Look, I wasn’t going to take four or five years to win. Like, back in the day, you just try to build a program by your fourth year. Nowadays, you’ve got to win now, because this is the I-want-it-now society and times.
“And I’m not used to not winning, so we were going to win now. And it all worked out.”
Cignetti, in just the first year of a six-year, $27 million deal,
What college football should learn from 8-0 Indiana and first-year coach Curt Cignetti
The Hoosiers are winning now, and Curt Cignetti, in just the first year of a six-year, $27 million deal, is the runaway favorite for National Coach of the Year.
www.nbcsports.com
Graber was recruiting great athletes.. but not great students. We'd lose players every year for a variety of reasons. But "Hey 'oug, where's the D".. that did him in. Coming in as a defensive coach, it was the offense that was good and the defense bad. That made him look bad.
HC Flood: Emergency rushed hire of an on staff OL coach because HC Schiano ran from the team a week before signing day
HC Ash: Career defensive coach with zero offensive experience.
Very easy argument could be made that someone of Ash's profile should have barely been considered at the time - and hopefully that profile won't be considered in the future.
HC Schiano 2.0: Seemed to be a fait accompli with many saying he needed to be rehired mid-season.
We've literally never come close to hiring a HC who has successfully run an offense.
Posted an article about Narduzzi in the games thread. His 2 best years (11 wins and possibly this year) at Pitt were when his offense was near the top of the country like top 10-15.
Quite surprising and unusual the defense has held up okay (50s area) given the low TOP. YPP is actually quite good. Tougher competition coming up.
The comment I posted:
Just to add to how much of a departure this must be from a Narduzzi mindset. Awhile back I saw a stat that they were 3rd lowest in the country in TOP. Was just looking and to date they're actually lowest in the country in TOP. They're not terrible in defense (YPG/Scoring) despite that plus both stats are probably skewed by that 3 pick 6 Cuse game. In YPP defense, they're actually ranked 11, that's pretty good considering.
SMU/Clemson/Louisville in the coming weeks, will be interesting to see how that holds up.
Oh goodness, what a quote from Cignetti. Guess Indiana is not a developmental program 🤣 😖:
“I’m not necessarily a guy that lives by the portal year and year out, but I mean, this was a necessity,” Cignetti said. “Look, I wasn’t going to take four or five years to win. Like, back in the day, you just try to build a program by your fourth year. Nowadays, you’ve got to win now, because this is the I-want-it-now society and times.
“And I’m not used to not winning, so we were going to win now. And it all worked out.”
Cignetti, in just the first year of a six-year, $27 million deal,
What college football should learn from 8-0 Indiana and first-year coach Curt Cignetti
The Hoosiers are winning now, and Curt Cignetti, in just the first year of a six-year, $27 million deal, is the runaway favorite for National Coach of the Year.
But he had the NIL $$ "to get done what had to be done". What if you don't have the NIL $$?
I posted that article in the games thread and in response to his comment about NIL, don't think it's incongruous with my thinking of figuring out how to make it work with whatever you have.
This was my response:
I get it but I've given the makeup of his roster and it's not a bunch of superstars. 90% 0-3 stars out highschool, 44 0 stars out of high school, Rourke recruited by Vandy, BYU, WF in the portal, same OL as last year etc.....this isn't some big high profile roster, it's a bargain basement one where he probably used whatever resources he had to put it together. It's not incongruous with my repeated statement of try to make it work with what you have.
It goes hand in hand with these quotes from the same article:
.But he — and those of us outside of Bloomington — may have underestimated Cignetti’s portal savvy and player development. He’s a great evaluator of talent, for sure. He’s also pushed every right button as he’s built a disciplined, sound team that, just a week ago, survived its first full game without its starting quarterback.
Two agents who spoke to NBC Sports under the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the coaching market said that there are a few lessons that other athletic directors and coaches should take from Cignetti’s Year 1 success. First, there’s a huge benefit to hiring a sitting head coach — because he can bring good players from his previous stop with him. They can not only become key contributors on the field, but they can help instill the coach’s culture quickly.
Sitting head coaches, especially those who have won at lower levels (like Cignetti, who began his head coaching career in Division II), may also be better equipped to handle roster construction in the current era. They’ve previously had to deal with their best players getting poached by others. They’re used to making tough budgetary decisions. They’re used to doing more with less in general. (“There’s nothing more frustrating for an AD than a head coach who always asks for more and is never satisfied with his resources,” one agent said.)
There are more factors In Indiana's success than just NIL. Coaching has a lot to do with it.
Those ADs whose coach is asking for more resources can just point to Indiana and say "Look what their coach is doing with less than you're asking for. Maybe I should hire him."
It’s all year to year and they should squeeze everything out of it that they can. Who knows what next year brings. The main thing is you see the possibilities of so many things happening now that haven’t happened ever or in a long long time.
All schools are what they are and it’s not a secret of what the wherewithal of each is. It’s all known going in and these are multimillion dollar jobs even on the low end. It should be all eyes wide open. Don’t take the multimillion job if you can’t handle it and what the profile of said school is. They’re paid that much to figure it out.
NIL is the new flavor of excuse. Nevermind the litany of mind boggling coaching decisions
Hyperbole. Rutgers was not even ranked pre season, and T 4-4 the sky is falling for some. Nobody thought RU would beat USC. UCLA is better than their 1-5 record when RU played them. Wisconsin is only WTF game. We have some delusional fans with unrealistic expectations. Here is some perspective.
Hard to say what’s realistic or unrealistic when it comes to the final wins/losses this season = VT and UW were great but we almost gave VT away and UW simply played their worst game ever. But watching the last three games has been painful. I’ll cut the D some slack because of key injuries. But the play calling on O makes me want to puke. We are a decent D coordinators dream. So predictable and lack any element of surprise to keep D off-balance.
Terrible example. Indiana is going to give him more money after this season. Plus, the other coach could say give me 3mm in NIL and I’ll bring in 24 new guys to upgrade the team.
Oklahoma and Florida State show how hard it is to win in college football. Throw in Oklahoma State who is 0-5 in conference.
But, but, but everyone said Rutgers would be 8-0 or 7-1 by now. How does that explain Rutgers?
