Report: Greg Schiano Meets with Rutgers About Coaching Vacancy

Greg Schiano may be looking to make a return to Rutgers and met with school officials but had a strong list of requests.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano met with university officials about the team's head coaching vacancy Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, according to NJ.com's Steve Politi and Keith Sargent.

Politi and Sargent report Schiano is hoping the university can promise improvements to the football facilities including an indoor practice space. Among Schiano's list of requests are significant pay increases for assistant coaches.

Schiano was the head coach at Rutgers from 2001 to 2011 and compiled a 68–67 record in his 11 years at the helm. He reached six postseason bowl games and won five of them. The Scarlet Knight's best season under Schiano came in 2006 when they finished 11–2, won the Texas Bowl and closed out the season with a No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press Poll.

In January 2012, Schiano was named the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but only made it through two seasons before being fired. From 2016 to 2018, he served as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for Ohio State.

Schiano drew interest from other teams for head coaching jobs including Tennessee. The Volunteers decided not to proceed with hiring Schiano following criticism from supporters and fans over how much he knew about Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse at Penn State. Schiano was an assistant on head coach Joe Paterno's staff from 1990 to 1995 but denied having any knowledge of the abuse.

Schiano's last coaching stint came earlier this year when he was hired as the New England Patriots defensive coordinator. He resigned about a month later to spend more time on his "faith and family."

Rutgers has also interviewed former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones for the job, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Kyle Flood and Chris Ash succeeded Schiano in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers has not had a winning season since 2014.