A failed two-point conversion was the difference-maker in triple overtime. An Orange Bowl berth died on an incomplete try for two. Rutgers’ Greg Schiano earned Coach of the Year honors days before Saturday’s 41-39 (3OT) loss at West Virginia.
How little does that award mean after going down in gut-wrenching fashion with millions in bowl revenue on the line? Ask runner up Jim Grobe.
Wake Forest won the ACC and is Miami-bound to take on Louisville. I’ll bet Grobe woke up Sunday a lot happier with and Orange Bowl berth, than a trophy from the Home Depot.
Schiano and the Scarlet Knights wrapped up the season a more-than-respectably at 10-2. The highlight – a last second, 28-25 win over #3 Louisville. After that win, Rutgers went 1-2 down the stretch, losing at Cincinnati and West Virginia.
The Miami rumors have been persistent and with Rutgers’ regular season finally over, it’s time for Schiano to mull it over a few days and make a decision. Recruits, a fan base and the nation await.
This has loomed for weeks now, as much as it’s publicly been denied. Schiano will be en route to Miami tomorrow, the day after. Soon. It’s in the works. Paul Dee made the call today.
Schiano will get Donna Shalala and Dee’s best sales pitch and then it’s time to choose. It’s a huge fork in the road for him, personally and professionally. What will be the deciding factor?
Before we get into that, I’ll say I think Schiano is Miami’s best bet. Still, I’m not completely sold yet. There are some solid traits, but there might be a better fit out there. This process can’t be taken lightly. Chuck Nienas better earn his consultant’s fee and help The U figure it all out.
Schiano turned around a Rutgers program which could’ve easily been confused for Temple a few years back. Both were bottom dwellers and punching bags for the rest of the Big East. In 1999, Miami beat both the Scarlet Knights and Owls, 55-0.
Today Rutgers is 10-2. A few weeks back they peaked, knocking off #3 weeks ago. Yesterday they came within an overtime of an Orange Bowl berth. A far cry from 2-9 in Schiano’s inaugural season of 2001. That’s more than “progress.”
Hell, it’s just short of a miracle.
Schiano also proved he can recruit South Florida. He’s known this neck of the woods just shy of a decade now. He also cut his teeth at The U. It was 1999-2000. The end of the probation era and the dawn of a new day. Schiano saw the difference between a four-loss season at Miami and a one-loss campaign. He knows the culture and expectations.
Does he want to take on that challenge again, running the whole show this time, or is he comfortable in Jersey?
There’s your million dollar question. Schiano’s career-altering “fork in the road.” This move determines what kind of man he really is.
There’s no right or wrong here. I wouldn’t fault Schiano for staying put, though I’d respect him more if he accepted the bigger challenge. Rutgers is the seemingly easier route. He’s already the Prince of Piscataway. They were thisclose to an Orange Bowl berth this year. Combine that with the love he’ll get for turning down big, bad Miami for his New Jersey hometown roots.
Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi could write a dozen songs between them on the subject matter.
Schiano can make Rutgers a consistent top-20 program with random bright spots due to overachieving and good coaching. 2006 is a prime example. Signature wins here and there. Two BCS berths a decade. Competitive football played by a once laughing stock. He’d be a god among men up there.
But he’d never sniff a National Championship unless he came to Miami.
Today’s golden boy could also string together a couple of four-loss seasons. 2006’s Coach of the Year, when? Fans have a short memory once you’ve showed them you can win and then lose your mojo. Larry Coker, who?
This is a case for getting out while the getting is good. Anything less than 10-2 last year is now considered a “down year” at Rutgers. That won’t bode well for a coach some speculate is waiting out the Penn State job. Schiano’s star has to keep burning bright if he expects to succeed a living legend. A few three-loss seasons with the Scarlet Knights and there will be another “coach of the year” type dominating the headlines then.
How high up the coaching ladder does Schiano want to climb?
Is Rutgers a high enough peak, or is there a more appealing challenge in Coral Gables? Schiano turned 40 this year. A new decade brings new challenges. He’s in his prime. This is an ideal time for a Type A, “go getter” to take a leap of faith.
If he’s got that fire in the belly and sky’s the limit, then Greg Schiano will be the next coach of the Miami Hurricanes.
This is not a job for the weak, but succeed here and the reward is that much sweeter. Miami was college football’s punching bag in 2006. Everyone made sure to get their licks in now because they know the Canes don’t stay down long. They know the right coach will come in here and right this ship and when they do, to the victor goes the spoils.
When Miami was tabbed NFL U, that wasn’t just for players. Hurricane coaches get snatched up like first round draft picks. Howard. Jimmy. Dennis. Butch. All went on to big money at the next level.
During the Rutgers/West Virginia game, the commentators stated that Schiano and Butch Davis were slated to talk early this week. You don’t even have to read between the lines on this one.
Schiano is asking Davis about the upside/downside to taking over the program and Davis is telling him what five years and some success at that program will do for an up and comer. Davis rebuilt Miami and Cleveland turned it into a huge NFL payday. Things crapped out, Butch still got paid and spent this season pimping himself on the NFL Network as a commentator.
Weeks ago, North Carolina ponied up some big money to bring Davis to Chapel Hill. Those opportunities happen to “Miami” guys , not Rutgers.
By week’s end, Schiano will have visited The U and talked to Davis. Rutgers top brass has answered back with a 10-year/$20M extension, waiting for him when he returns. It’s real life “Let’s Make a Deal” and Schiano is days away from choosing doors #1 or #2.
Stay at Rutgers, lose no more than three games a year, earn a few BCS berths per decade and you’re a hero.
Or, Door #2. Come to Miami and play with the big boys. The stakes are higher, but so are the rewards when you get the job done. There’s been a lot of negative focus on the media cracking down on Larry Coker as of late, but ask him about 2001-2002.
During the 24-0 run, Coker was Teflon and received nothing but praise as the good guy who finished first.
Schiano needs to look no further than Urban Meyer, another up and comer facing an identical situation, this time in 2004.
Meyer’s Utah Utes rolled to 12-0 and whooped Big East champs Pittsburgh, 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Urban One knew his star wasn’t going to shine any brighter, so he got out while the getting was good. Utah is only going so far – which never sits well with a guy who wants to win it all. They’re always ready to pounce on the next great opportunity.
Meyer accepted the Florida job weeks before the Fiesta Bowl, yet still coached his kids in the big game. His Florida team went 9-3 in 2005. Instant improvement from the back-to-back 5-loss seasons under Ron Zook, showing Florida had some talent but needed someone more skilled to run the show.
A year later, Meyer and his Gators (12-1) were voted #2 in the BCS and head to Glendale, AZ to take on #1 Ohio State for the National Championship.
Coach Schiano, here’s your Urban-like moment. Miami or Rutgers. One or the other. You can’t have both. You currently have a seemingly safe and secure out. Ride that wave and lay low for that Penn State dream gig, if you think that’s the play.
Or you head to Miami for that “next level” kind of opportunity.
The good and the bad are all intensified down here. You want to climb the coaching ranks? Having “The U” on the resume gives you instant credibility. Hell, you already saw that first hand. After two years as Miami’s defensive coordinator (1999-2000), Rutgers rolled out the scarlet carpet to bring you home.
The orange and green carpet is being rolled out now. Big time. Miami is digging deep. Schiano has supposedly been identified as their #1 and Randy Shannon is a distant #2. Dee and Shalala aren’t going to hold back. Schiano will get their best pitch and then it’ll be on him to make his move.
Whatever the choice, it’s the “right” answer.
If Schiano has the stones to accept the Miami gig and invites the challenge, then good things are in store for The U. If he can turn around Rutgers, he can flat out make Miami a winner again.
If he stays put and takes the cushy route, then he lacks the character Miami needs out of its next coach who will clean up this current mess. Step up to the challenge of putting this program back on the map. Miami should have to sell someone on the premise. This is the most dominant program in the game these past 25 years. It always claws its way back to the top unconventionally. Just watch.
Schiano downplayed things well the past few weeks, but it’s decision time. My take? The chat with Davis is a difference-maker. Schiano’s old boss let’s him know that while torn, Miami is too big of an opportunity to pass up.
The U is ripe for the taking. Schiano needs to speak now or forever hold his peace. Academic standards? Money? Facilities? He has a very captive audience who’s been vocal he’s their top choice. Don’t hold back with demands that will help the program. Lay it out there. Chop that wood.
Schiano’s facing a tough decision and a no-brainer all at once. Curious to see how it all plays out. Right now I’ll put the “Schiano Bolts” odds at 53% entering Monday.
Watch it play out and check back Tuesday…
.:Canes305:.
Wow, Canes fans are real assholes. Nothing to root for this season so you revel in another group of fan’s pain. No class; absolutely none. Let me ask you a question: is there anything to be proud of at U of Miami besides the football team? What a joke.
Uh, I notice you conveniently didn’t mention Dan Hawkins as another “example.”
“If he stays put and takes the cushy route, then he lacks the character it’ll take to clean up this current mess.”
Wow…Just, wow. I’ve seen stupid things written on blogs before, but this close to takes the cake.
Hey Lame RU Fan – You ever think he didn’t mention Dan Hawkins because that’s a bad example? Urban Meyer took over a talented Florida team and has them on the brink.
Hawkins took over a Colorado team which was in shambles. Give him time and he could fix things there. If he winds up at Miami, Schiano gets a program a few years removed from back to back title games and four straight BCS games. A LITTLE bit better than the situation in Boulder.
Either way, Boise State proved to be more of a “system” than a successful program based on Hawkins skills. First year coach Chris Petersen got them to 12-0 and the Fiesta Bowl, which is MORE than Hawkins ever did!
305 was right. The Meyer/Schiano analogy is a great one. Two guys on the fast track at smaller programs with big time programs in the Sunshine State luring them in?
And for the record, F Schiano. I’m not even calling for the guy to come to The U. I’d rather see us bring in Mike Leech from Texas Tech and keep Randy Shannon at defensive coordinator.
Oh don’t I love our Anonymous friends in Jersey who never log in with an email address and let us know who they are…
Regarding Anonymous #2… what’s stupid about stating that taking the cushy route proves Schiano doesn’t have what it takes to rebuild Miami?
All that means is Miami needs a guy salivating at the opportunity to retool this program and get it back to winning ways. Even our AD Paul Dee said this isn’t a job for the weak.
If a guy like Schiano is hungry and is on the coaching fast track, there’s no way he turns down Miami.
Conversely, if he stays at Rutgers that means he’s the type of guy who plays it safe. That’s not right or wrong. It’s a personal decision.
With great risk comes great reward. Schiano can stay at RU and work toward 2 or 3 loss seasons annually… or he can come to Miami where the spotlight will be on him, but he’s also in the National Championship hunt annually.
The way this article reads, someone reading it might think that he is leaving Miami for Rutgers. How far have the mighty fallen. Why did Butch take the NC job over the F#$ked up “U”!
Why did Butch take the NC job over the F#$ked up “U”!
Uhh, maybe because Miami never called him and offered him the position? Why do you think he took the UNC gig so quickly? No one at Miami ever called Davis to invite him back.
Just because the fan base was clamoring for him out of mid-season desperation, it doesn’t mean the top brass wanted him back.
Davis burned a lot of bridges on his way out of town. He lied about wanting to stick around and when the Cleveland deal fell in his lap, he did an about face, lied to his players and bailed days later.
Point being, Miami didn’t want Davis back. If they did, they’d have signed him a month ago.
Schiano just announced he is staying. This is great for Rutgers. For Miami, I don’t see that it’s that big of a deal. There are plenty of other qualified candidates who would love the job.
I strongly disagree with the notion that staying at Rutgers shows Schiano doesn’t have guts or drive, because he is sticking with the “cushy” “safe” job. How does that even make sense? Schiano made a commitment to building Rutgers into a NC caliber team: what kind of character would it show to bolt after one season for more money? If anything, Miami is the safe bet. The U will always have rich recruiting opportunities and a supportive base of fans and boosters. Rutgers will have to fight desperately to hang on to what they’ve built this season. THAT is the challenge here, not getting a powerhouse back into the spotlight after a down year for a huge salary.
Schiano showed today that he has character, class, AND loyalty.
Big pimpin here…I guess anonymous #1 doesn’t follow college baseball !!! And from things I’ve been reading, a large portion of you bloggers have taken great joy in the ‘Canes less than admirable season…..so I guess you’re an asshole as well. I also noted that you didn’t bother to put what team you supported this year. People like you are gutless.
Jeeze,,, I guess Jersey boy got so tired of being ignored on the Rutgers Woman’s Syncrhronized Swimmimg Team blog, that he came here to show the world that fine example of the Rutgers academic standard. Who would have ever guessed that it has seeped to that level.
Oh well,,, for the remainder of those of us in here with the full complement of brian lobes, I find the Leech/Shannon combo interesting as well.
JMG
Tampa
Brian lobes?
Classic.
Point being, Schiano didn’t want F#$ked up “U”. Good luck with your new coach Dee Shlalalalala!.
Zamn,,,,,, I HATE it when I do that.
My apologies to “Brian”. lol
JMG
Tampa
and nice job hurricanes, very classy, contributing no more than 1 thousand dollars for reward money in to the murder of your own player Brian Pata.. haha they dont care pathetic school
Schiano stays, I guess he’s is just a cop out. Or he can keep reeling players in from So Fla, continue improving the type of New Jersey recruit he gets, and continue to keep RU in the right direction. Why would he want to go to the ACC anyway, for the Duke UNC hoops games?
Just a small tip… if you’re going to run a “blog”, you might want to keep up with current events. Schiano is staying HOME where he belongs, and if you didn’t know that, then your “blog” isn’t worth even thinking about looking at, let alone adding to. By the way, Joe Paterno didn’t get to be JoePa by shuttling around teams for the next big paycheck, he got there by being steadfast and loyal to his program. Count on Schiano to take that route, not one that leads to a temporary payoff from a sad old program like Miami.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Come to Miami and play with the big boys? I’m sorry but the last time I checked playing Duke, Florida A&M and FIU was not playing with “the big boys.” Your conference is no more powerful than the Big East. Anyway you look at it. Our games are just as challenging and just as exciting as an ACC matchup. Sure we have teams that lag…but so do you.
Why would Schiano have wanted another challenge of building back a disaster of a program? He already accomplished that at Rutgers, and it’s time for you ignoramuses to wake up and see that the top 3 in the Big East are just as good as the top 3 in the ACC. You guys had the guts to play Louisville this year…you saw that and you were defeated. Apparently that was not enough. Maybe if more teams had the guts to play us, you’d learn this.
So I hope you guys are happy to know that you’ve just been stonewalled by a coach of a team in a supposed weak conference. The “cushy” route may very well land our program a national title If “the U” knew a thing or two, they’d realize that the landscape of college football is changing and has changed. Just ask every major conference basketball team that’s been upended by a “mid-major.” The same thing has begun in football. It’s not what it used to be….time for “the U” to realize that.
Just a small tip… if you’re going to run a “blog”, you might want to keep up with current events. Schiano is staying HOME where he belongs, and if you didn’t know that, then your “blog” isn’t worth even thinking about looking at, let alone adding to.
Ian – A thousand apologies for not being the media whore that ESPN is. I don’t have a team of trained monkeys working around the clock. This site is a one-man show, hoss.
The “news” was reported about 6 minutes before you chimed in here and hours after it was reported.
Schiano ain’t the only story in town, champ. There was some other news to report.
Regarding Schiano, when this all comes out you’ll see that the feeling was mutual. You REALLY think Paul Dee and staff gave him the full court press and threw big money at him? No way. If Miami fully pursued him, they’d still be talking. This was a courtesy call and a smoke screen for Miami’s real #1 candidate… Just watch.
I can assure you that Schiano will not get fired even if Rutgers has a true down year and goes 5-7 or 6-6 without a bowl berth …
Schiano has accomplished making Rutgers a program with the chance to be in the top 25 every year ..
The W. Va game was heart breaking, but it was also great football.
RU got a tough break to go to Texas Bowl but should still go 11-2.
Go Rutgers!
It takes character to take a risk with Rutgers to begin with because you believe the potential is there to turn around the worst program in the country. It takes character to finish that job. It is a joke to think that taking the Miami job takes character. In fact, the only character trait you have described in favor of taking the Miami job is avarice.
Schiano has also said on numerous occassions that it is his goal to turn Rutgers into a national championship. Which was, and still is, a much harder goal than returning Miami to its thuggish glory. He doesn’t want JoPa’s job, he wants to be JoPa for Rutgers. Try to understand the magnitude of that statement before you say that Miami offers a greater challenge. Schiano wants to turn Rutgers into a perennial national championship contender. It is a challenge so huge that you don’t even acknowledge it as a possibility. But, that is exactly what coach Schiano has and will continue tp endeavor to accomplish. Now, you may call him derranged for thinking that is possible, but it is a far cry from a lack of balls or character.
Miami, a team so loaded with talent, that a monkey could coach them to a 10-2 record. Or, Rutgers from worst to best.
It is really funny thug u is almost at the bottom of the barrell of the ACC. What happened to the program, too many weapons arrests? Too many players that could not get past the VERY weak admissions standards (god knows what the admission dept. does for athletes, admit anything with a heartbeat)? Whats goes around comes around!
First of all, all you Rutgers fans shut the hell up! You’ll all losers!! You team is Rutgers… Rutgers… who the hell is Rutgers.. so you had one good season. Who cares. ONE GOOD SEASON. You haven’t won any national championships. Until you guys win A championship. shut up! You didnt’ even make it to a BCS GAME. We don’t want Schiano, if he doesn’t want to come here, fine we don’t want him. Great article Chris, Canes will be back… We’ll get the right man for the job. It’s All About The “U” baby!!
Too many players that could not get past the VERY weak admissions standards (god knows what the admission dept. does for athletes, admit anything with a heartbeat)?
God, you’re an ignorant moron.
Miami has an 84% graduation rate for it’s football program and it’s WELL DOCUMENTED that the academic standards are extremely high, which is why Miami lost Ali Highsmith and Ricky Jean-Francois to LSU as well as a few other big time starters at other programs.
Butch Davis was complaining about the academic standards in 2000 when he was leaving the program and many believe it was a big reason he didn’t want to return.
Do your homework next time before shooting off your “Anonymous” mouth, Alice.
THE IMPORTANT INCENTIVE FOR SCHIANO BEYOND THE SALARY ETC THAT KEPT HIM AT RUTGERS IS THE FACT THAT IT IS ON TOP OF THE CENTER OF MEDIA AND ADVERTISING IN THE U.S.–IE NEW YORK CITY. IF HE KEEPS GOING LIKE HE IS, HE WILL EARN A BUNDLE FROM ENDORSEMENTS AND TV SHOWS. IF HE HAD ACHIEVED A SIMILAR TURN AROUND FOR LET’S SAY THE KANSAS FOOTBALL TEAM, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED SUCH PUBLICITY. COMBINE THE FACT THAT RUTGERS IS CLOSE TO N.Y.C. AND ALL THE MEDIA WITH THE HISTORY OF BEING THE COLLEGE THAT IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND YOU HAVE A NATURAL STORY FOR THE TELEVISION MEDIA AND ULTIMATELY THE ADVERTISERS. WHAT A BONANZA FOR RUTGERS AND SCHIANO. MIAMI COULD NOT COMPETE WITH THAT.
IF HE WENT TO MIAMI ALL HE WOULD BE DOING IS TRYING TO REBUILD IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THE REPUTATION OF MIAMI AND IF HE BROUGHT THEM BACK TO NUMBER ONE—NICE BUT MIAMI HAS ALREADY DONE THAT. NOT THE SAME AS WHAT SCHIANO HAS AND WILL DO FOR RUTGERS.
ADD TO THAT, THE FACT THAT NEW JERSEY HAS THE HIGHEST HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE COUNTRY AND IT HAS THE MONEY TO SUPPORT A TOP PROGRAM.
FINALLY, FOR THE SAME REASONS AND ONE OTHER HE WILL NOT GO TO PENN STATE. THE OTHER REASON IS YOU CANNOT REPLACE A LEGEND. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
SO IF SCHIANO CONTINES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT RUTGERS, WHAT WILL HIS NEXT JOB THAT HE WILL SEEK OUT. THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER JOB FOR A JERSEY GUY, LIKE SCHIANO, AND THAT IS SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AS COACH OF THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS.
A JERSEY GUY
SO IF SCHIANO CONTINES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT RUTGERS, WHAT WILL HIS NEXT JOB THAT HE WILL SEEK OUT. THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER JOB FOR A JERSEY GUY, LIKE SCHIANO, AND THAT IS SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AS COACH OF THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS.
Dude, Schiano will be at Penn State in 2-5 years. Bank on it. He’s not at Miami beacuse Shalala wouldn’t lower the academic standards. Unless he got the perfect scenario he wasn’t leaving RU for Miami and eventually Penn State.
Schiano is on loan to Rutgers. He’s the next JoePa in Happy Valley. Bank on it.