When Rutgers finally ended the Chris Ash era, the return of Greg Schiano brought a ton of excitement back to the program. Fans remembered some of the Scarlet Knights' best teams from the early 2000's, and hoped that Greg Schiano's return could bring Rutgers back to relevance in college football.
Instead, the second tenure for Schiano has seen the program constantly hovering around the .500 mark with a 31-41 record heading into the 2026 season. Thursday Night's season opener was supposed to be a great night for Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights were heavy favorites at home, showcasing their "revamped defense"
Season Opener proves Rutgers needs to move on from Greg Schiano
When Rutgers kicked off the season opener with 75 yard touchdown drive, it looked like the Scarlet Knights should win with ease. Instead, UMass caught fire, scoring 24 unanswered points, sending Rutgers into halftime in a 17-point hole. Even if the second half goes positively for Rutgers and they come back to win, the start is still damaging.
UMass did whatever they wanted in the 1st half as wide receivers were constantly open while running the ball at will. Add in that the defense held Rutgers to just 7 points, while forcing a turnover, and it's hard to find something the Scarlet Knights do well.
The UMass football program has been far from a powerhouse in recent years, making this showing far worse than meets the surface. The Minutemen entered the game with the longest active losing streak at 16 games. The last time UMass won a game was in October of the 2024 season, and they've won just 8 games over the last 7 seasons.
Greg Schiano entered the year with just a 31-41 record in his second season leading the program, and by the end of the year, those numbers are going to get far worse unless something drastically changes. This marks Greg Schiano's 7th season back in New Jersey, and it's clear he's never going to build a team capable of contending in the loaded Big Ten.
Greg Schiano's contract calls for the long-time Rutgers head coach to be paid 76.875% of his remaining base salary. If Rutgers were to fire Greg Schiano at the end of the season, it would cost roughly $17,296,875, which may be hard to stomach for one of the lowest spenders in the Big Ten.
Rutgers may not have the money to pull the trigger on Schiano, but it's clear he's never going to bring this program back to relevance.
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