What if Rutgers pulls the plug on Schiano? Who’s next?
· Yahoo Sports
I know more than a few people who start shopping for Christmas in July….well, actually they never stop shopping. They have a notebook (okay, a notes app on their phone) where they list who they give gifts to, and when they see something they think is a good gift, they jot it down. Or just buy it.
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Likewise, every athletic director worth their salt has a list in their desk of potential candidates for coaching jobs. Especially the biggies: football and basketball.
Think Keli Zinn has a list?
I’m thinking she does. And after UMassacre and then Friday night, she likely took a peek and made sure it was up to date.
And don’t we all have a list? Once upon a time, the head of athletic fundraising at Rutgers told me that a past AD asked him if he could raise something like $5 million to lure….wait for it….Joe Paterno to Rutgers. Yeah, that was his list. And that’s sorta the problem that Rutgers has. The “lists” we all have (in our dreams) include the likes of Lane Kiffin, Ryan Day, Sean McVay, Marcus Freeman, and Kyle Shanahan. More or less.
The list that Keli Zinn has likely doesn’t have any of those names on it, nor a lot of other names that we might think of (want?) as replacements for Schiano when that time comes. But I’ll venture out there, or as Rod Serling might have said, “You’re traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone!”
Let me throw out some ideas….for your consideration.
Long shots and shooting for the moonOkay, why not. No guts, no glory.
This name was in a comment to a post: Brian Kelly, late of LSU. He’d certainly create a buzz. People say he’s arrogant and wants too much power. Sound like anyone we know? They also point out that he is a known quantity to the powers that be at Rutgers. He’ll also be 65 in October, which might not be an issue since his name alone will bring in players.
While we’re looking at people named Kelly, what about Chip Kelly? He’s from the east, he’s done well coaching in Rutgers/SHI Stadium, and once again he’s a name. He’s currently the OC at Northwestern. But, he’s 63.
A little dreaming with some legit options. Who knows?
We need someone who is a current head coachI think most people are leaning this way. Yes, Schiano was a coordinator before his hiring….but so was Chris Ash. But, I think most people don’t want to take yet another chance on, well, anyone who hasn’t had the responsibility before. There may be absolutely phenomenal coordinators out there, guys who are poised to take the next step; sorry, we can’t risk it. And if I’m reading the room correctly, no one is interested in bringing up the best D2 head coach, even if he just won the national championship. Which means we’re looking at FCS and FBS coaches. Buckle up.
The Power 4Right off the bat, we eliminate every head coach in the Big Ten or SEC. I mean, you might look at Jeff Lebby at Mississippi State; entering his third year, he’s only 7-18. And that is his entire D1 head coaching career. He might be on the ropes if he doesn’t pick it up, but would he want to come to Rutgers? And who in the B1G is leaving unless they’re fired? Are we hiring Mike Locksley?
There are a few names in the ACC: Mike Norvell at Florida State hasn’t become Bobby Bowden in the six years he’s been there. Bill O’Brien – as we know! – hasn’t been lighting it up at BC, either. There were at least a few comments I saw about going after James Franklin at Virginia Tech. STOP IT! Sure, come back and slap PSU around as the opponent: shweeeet! Not happening. He’s at a very good place with great fans and lots of support. So, stop! Most of the others are successful or too new at their current schools. But there is an exception.
This is actually one of the more realistic: Fran Brown. The Syracuse head coach is a great recruiter, a Jersey guy and has been coaching in the east most of his career. But, he’s been around and learning from some heavy hitters, teams and coaches. And, he’s only 44.
I didn’t look a lot at the Big XII: six of the 16 are in their first or second season. Most of the others are established and are at schools that offer significant support; not leaving. I thought about Deion Sanders, but….
Group of 6PAC 12: Yes, I put the PAC 12 in the G5/6….so sad. But, west coast guys are, well, west coast guys. Five of the eight coaches in the PAC 12 are first or second year, and the others don’t light up any fireworks, at least not for me.
Mountain West: West coast guys are…. A lot of positions filled by new coaches. One name did jump out: Dan Mullen at UNLV. He’s an eastern guy, growing up in Pennsylvania and going to college in the east. He made the rounds as an assistant but became one of the winningest coaches in Mississippi State history before heading to Florida. Where not winning enough and losing to the wrong teams cost him his job. He was still 34-15 with the Gators. He’s a not too young or old 54.
Conference USA: The conference has more than a few names to consider. The one that intrigues me is Ryan Carty, currently at his alma mater, Delaware. Being where he is is nice; but if the Big Ten called? A Jersey guy, he’s 34-17 in Newark (pronounced new-ARK). And he’s only 46. At 49 years old, Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell is young and has had some pretty good success. He’s a southern boy (born and played in Tennessee) and has a 64-35 D1 record coming into 2026. I would throw Tyson Helton into the conversation. A college QB at Houston, he’s been the head coach at Western Kentucky since 2019.
The American: I saw Army’s Jeff Monken mentioned by a reader in a comment. The Army head coach is well over .500 and has been at West Point since 2014. He’s “only” 59, but why leave that pretty presigious and well supported position to start all over again at that age? The same can be said for K.C. Keeler, the current Temple coach. He struggled in Philly last year, his first at the school. He coached his alma mater, Delaware, for 11 years and was 86-52. And you folks in South Jersey may remember him as the coach at Rowan (nee Glassboro State) from 1993-2001. But he’s 67 and would have a big job in front of him at RU. Jeff Traylor is interesting. He’s a Texan and currently is at UT San Antonio with a 53-26 record. He’s coached at Texas, SMU, and Arkansas….but he’s 58; would he want to leave the Lone Star State for a rebuild across the country?
MAC: We play them in out of conference games, so why not hire their coaches. And there are a few to consider. Pete Lembo is 56, an eastern guy, and has a 15-11 record at Buffalo. He’s had winning records everywhere he’s been including Lehigh, Elon, and Ball State. Lance Taylor has a 20-19 record entering his fourth year at Western Michigan. He’s improved their record each year, including 10-4 and a bowl win in 2025. He’s an SEC product (Alabama) and is just 45. And you saw what he did against Michigan!
Sun Belt: Honestly, along with C-USA, this seems like the likeliest conference to find someone….stop laughing! I saw you roll your eyes….stop it! Look at South Alabama’a Major Applewhite….yeah, you’ve actually heard of him. He’s only 11-14 in his two years there, but he was also the head man at Houston for three seasons. And he’s a name – on offense! – and only 48. Georgia Southern’s Clay Helton is another offensive guy. While only 27-25 at GSU, he was 46-24 at….USC! Yeah, that USC. He’s just 54. Want a wild card out of the Sun Belt? How about Butch Jones? He’s been at Arkansas State since 2021 where he’s just 26-37. But he’s had winning records at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Tennessee. And, if I’m thinking correctly, Schiano talks about him as a mentor of sorts. Sweet!
Missouri Valley Conference: I know, we’re really stretching it here. Youngstown State’s Doug Phillips is a respectable if not glamorous consideration. Without his first season, the 2020 Covid mess, he’s 30-29 with two NCAA playoff appearances. We could do worse.
Well, that about wraps up….wait a minute. What? Apparently I missed someone from the Mid America Conference. He’s only been an FBS head coach for one full year, but he is pretty young, just 40. He’s a Jersey guy, has a winning FCS head coaching record, is 2-1 in FCS playoff games, and has experience at larger schools. I had his name here someplace….let me look. Hang on, I think it was on the slip of paper that fell under my desk….ah ha! There it is. It’s a tricky name….it’s Harry, no, it’s Harasymiak. That’s it. Joe Harasymiak.