Greg Schiano Confident Rutgers Is Back to Their Winning Ways

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“It’s time to make a mark.” Greg Schiano has been coaching Rutgers football for 15 years.

He’s seen the rebuilding phase of Rutgers football, the glory days and now he’s experiencing the Scarlet Knights in a loaded Big Ten Conference.

A New Era for Rutgers

Rutgers is coming off their first winning season and first bowl victory since 2014. It finished 7-6 record last season, capped off with a Pinstripe Bowl win against the University of Miami. In 2023, Rutgers helped give its fan base all the confidence they need to reach that same mark this season. But the hope is for an even better one.

Rutgers finished 4-8 season in 2022, placing last in the Big Ten's East Division. Fast forward a year later, though, and the Scarlet Knights finished fifth in the Big Ten with a bowl victory. Why the sudden turnaround? Schiano offered his thoughts.

“In 18 months, we went from a coaches-led program to a players-led program. To me, that’s when the program begins to shift and get results.”

Greg Schiano, Rutgers, Head Coach

Schiano was a part of that shift in the mid-to-late 2000s, when Rutgers was peaking in the old Big East Conference. 

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Greg Schiano Eyes Winning

However, the Big Ten is not the old Big East where Schiano thrived. “The Big East was an 8-team league and it was a good league," he said. "But we’re talking about the Big Ten, the best college football conference in the country.”

To maintain a winning program, Schiano knows that recruiting is key.

“It’s not just looking for New Jersey and New York players, we are looking for the right New Jersey and New York player.”

Greg Schiano, Rutgers, Head Coach

This summer, Rutgers put together a solid 2025 recruiting class. The Scarlet Knights have 3 four-star recruits from New Jersey. Keeping the best kids at home will be the backbone of a stable program in the Big Ten. 

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2024 Outlook

This season possesses a new challenge from the past couple of years. For the first time, Rutgers will travel coast to coast to play a conference game on October 26 against USC. However, that could be the season's most challenging. Rutgers’ toughest games last season were Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. Those teams are all off the schedule this season. Back-to-back winning seasons could be in the cards for the Scarlet Knights. It's a mark that Rutgers hasn’t equaled since the 2011 and 2012 seasons.