Here's what Greg Schiano's looking for in Rutgers' new defensive coordinator
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PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football’s terrible defensive showing all season forced Greg Schiano to fire co-coordinators Robb Smith and Zach Sparber after just one year in their roles, and now Schiano’s in the market for a replacement.
What is Schiano looking for exactly?
“We’re looking for someone that’ll lead the defense,” Schiano said Tuesday, Dec. 16 while meeting with a small group of local reporters. “Lead the defensive staff, lead the defensive players and get us back to playing what we’re accustomed to here and that’s great Rutgers defense.”
The Scarlet Knights’ defense was far from great this past season, though.
The unit ranked among the worst in the nation, allowing 432.8 yards per game (126th in the country), 7.6 yards per play (dead last in the nation) and 31.8 points per game (tied with Purdue for 115th in the country).
Rutgers’ offense performed well enough for the Scarlet Knights to have a more successful defense, but the defense’s ineptitude was the culprit in what ultimately became a disappointing 5-7 campaign.
Schiano, who also fired defensive line coach Colin Ferrell, now is essentially looking for the defensive version of offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca – not just someone to hold the coordinator role, but someone he trusts completely and who will have full command of the unit.
The coach, who just completed his sixth season in his second stint leading Rutgers, also said any narrative that he’s tied to a specific scheme or system is untrue, just that he wants someone with a similar general philosophy.
“I’m not tied to any scheme,” Schiano said. “People who say that – that isn’t true. Now, are there things that I’m in favor of? There certainly are. But that usually gets hammered out in the process when you’re interviewing people. You won’t go down the path with someone who isn’t philosophically different. You shouldn’t even really interview them because you should’ve known that before you sat down with them.”
But within that framework, the new coordinator will have the ability to lead the defense how he sees fit.
“So philosophically you want someone you’re aligned with, but as far as the details and the X’s and the O’s, and the alignments – there are certain techniques that are non-negotiable that you believe strongly in in a football coach,” Schiano said. “But in other ways there are many ways to skin a cat. If you think it’s better to do this technique than that technique, that’s yours. You run the defense.”
The Scarlet Knights have had some instability at DC during Schiano’s second stint. Smith held the role for two seasons before Joe Harasymiak replaced him and held the job for three seasons. He left after last year to become the head coach at the University of Massachusetts.
Schiano hired Smith and Sparber but those hirings backfired.
Now he has a chance at a redo.
“What I have here with Coach Ciarrocca is exactly what I’d like to have on defense,” Schiano said. “I have a guy who leads the room, calls the plays, and really leads the players. If we can get that on the other side, that would be perfect.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: What Greg Schiano wants in new defensive coordinator
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