Rutgers Reportedly Interested In Steve Addazio

Could he be heading to Piscataway?

Shortly after Clemson finished off Boston College 59-7, the Boston Globe published an interesting article by Julian Benbow that reported that Rutgers was interested in Boston College head coach Steve Addazio.  I have heard rumblings of big name Rutgers Alumni stumping for Addazio to become the next head coach, and apparently with Benbow's article those rumblings have legs to stand on. Would Addazio work in Piscataway? Let's discuss. 

Why Addazio To Rutgers Makes Sense

Rutgers has been a punching bag of a program in the Big Ten, and they really have lacked a culture for the past five years. Credit to Steve Addazio he can bring stability to a program. Say whatever you want about his on field product, Addazio developed a culture here at Boston College, and his players are loyal to him and for the most part loving play for him. A team like Rutgers who just had two of their biggest players explore leaving, Artur Sitkowski and Raheem Blackshear, could use a steadying force like Addazio to right the ship and bring some stability back to Piscataway.

Rutgers fans would love to get their program back to being bowl eligible year in and year out, and that is something Addazio has successful done during his time in Chestnut Hill. At Boston College he has had the Eagles make a bowl every year he has been there, minus 2015 and possibly this year. Getting Rutgers back to a point of seven wins a year, and getting those extra practices and bowl game would be a great start for rehabbing a program that consistently ranks near the bottom of every ranking system. 

Say what you will about Addazio's offensive gameplan, but I believe it would honestly work well in the Big Ten. If he could establish a big physical running game he could get Rutgers back to competing with teams and getting in slog fests with teams like Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Illinois. Rutgers doesn't have an identity, but if he could get them back to a "power running" team he could attract big backs to the school. And if he got Rutgers offensive line to the level of BC's, he get NFL ready talent back to the school. His system seems tailor made for the Big Ten. 

Finally, Addazio has become stagnant at Boston College. The Eagles are now at year seven, and still sit at a maximum of seven wins,. While Addazio hasn't been able to improve his stock as a slightly above average coach, maybe a change of scenery would be good for the coach. While he may enjoy cashing his paychecks, Addazio is a competitor, maybe trying his hand at jump starting his legacy by rebuilding another program might fire him up. And if the end of this year goes south, jumping to Rutgers could save him from a potential firing, which would keep his stock higher.

Why Addazio to Rutgers Doesn't Make Sense

Greg Schiano.  Greg Schiano is to Rutgers as Jeff Jagodzinski is to Boston College. He symbolizes the good old days, the days when the Scarlet Knights were relevant and a Top 25 teams. Boosters and Alumni are not going to forget that, and one rumor I read had Schiano, who unexpectedly quit his job as DC for the Patriots, has his heart set on the Rutgers job. Basically at this point it sounds like a "it's your job if you want it" situation for the former Scarlet Knights HC. 

Another reason it won't happen is that Addazio could get Rutgers back to bowl eligibility, but we have seen what his ceiling and limitations are. "Seven Win"  He has exactly one win against a Top 25 program in seven years, and his philosophy has topped out at seven wins for Boston College even with strong talent on both sides of the ball like in 2018. Would knowing that possibly seven wins ceiling run into the same problems in terms of fan excitement that Boston College has faced? Rutgers needs a homerun hire if they want to jump back in to the national picture, would seven wins be enough?

Finally, would Steve Addazio want to make this change as well? He has built a program and culture in his image, at 60 years old would he really want to pack up his family and move to Piscataway to rebuild a program that is in grave shape? He has a good thing going with the Eagles, he has received extensions after seven win seasons, and it seems like the administration has his back and supports him. Would he really want to throw that all away to take a shot at Rutgers? This move doesn't make much sense in my opinion. 

Conclusion

I still believe that Greg Schiano will be choice for head coach of Rutgers when the dust settles on the 2019 season. Addazio does make some sense, and I can see why he is rumored to be in the hunt. He would fill some of the needs that the Rutgers program needs and I believe get them out of the Big Ten basement. However, Schiano is a home run, a coach that knows the program and can jump right in and in the eyes of important decision makers, get them back to where they were when the program was relevant.