What Becomes of Rutgers Without Greg Schiano? Will They Hire Mario Cristobal?
By Ty Duffy
How Good is the Rutgers job? Schiano inherited a program that had not finished .500 in eight years and had last won eight games in 1979. He won eight or more games in five of his last six seasons, including 11 in 2006. Schiano recruited very well, ostensibly selling himself. Whatever capital the program has, Schiano built it. How much sticks with him when he leaves?
Signing Day: Rutgers has/had a great recruiting class coming in (No. 32 overall, No. 1 in the Big East). Still in play for New Jersey’s top two prospects, including five-star Don Bosco DE Darius Hamilton (No. 11 overall) and QB/ATH Devin Fuller (No. 37), the Scarlet Knights had potential to climb. The uncertainty should scare off kids from signing, and it could rattle their present commits.
Who Does Rutgers Hire? Mario Cristobal should be the first call. Should he decline, he should be the second call with an expanded offer. The FIU coach was an assistant under Schiano at Rutgers. He’s a tremendous recruiter with ties Rutgers needs in Florida. His miracle work, building FIU from perhaps the worst FBS program to a bowl team, warrants a chance at a better school. He nearly missed out on the Pitt job. Especially at this stage, it would be hard to find a more fitting candidate than Cristobal.
Bruce Feldman thinks former Dolphins’ special teams coach Darren Rizzi could be another name to watch. Rizzi, a New Jersey native, served five years as assistant and associate head coach at Rutgers from 2002 to 2007. He has head coaching experience at New Haven and URI. A major issue could be whether Rutgers’ cash-strapped athletic department will pay Greg Schiano money, for a coach that is not Greg Schiano.
[Photo via Getty]