Rutgers Football's search for a defensive play caller has come to an end today, as Robb Smith will return to the staff for his third stint with the program according to a post on X from ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Smith is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native and will join the program as a Co-Defensive Coordinator and also be the defensive play caller according to the report.
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Smith was previously the Defensive Coordinator for the Scarlet Knights in Greg Schiano's first two seasons on the banks of his second tenure back in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, the defense struggled mightily as they ranked 83rd in the country allowing 32.1 points per game, but made the leap up to 56th in the nation the next season, while allowing 25.6 points per game.
After his two year stint with the program, he would not return and instead would take over as Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers coach down at Duke working for one of the best defensive minds in college football, Mike Elko. In his lone season with the program, the Blue Devils finished 31st in the country, only allowing 22.1 points per game.
Now as mentioned above, Smith is a familiar face for Scarlet Knights fans, but also has spent a ton of time working for Greg Schiano. He originally joined his staff back in 2009 and remained with him through the 2011 season as the team's Special Teams Coordinator. In that span, Rutgers ranked first in the country in blocked kicks (31 total). The 2010 Rutgers Football team led the nation in blocked punts as the 2011 team finished second in the country in the same category. His special teams unit during those three years also accounted for nine kick / punt returns for touchdowns.
After Schiano left for the NFL, Smith decided to stay in Piscataway and become Kyle Flood's Defensive Coordinator in 2012. In his lone year as DC under Flood, the Scarlet Knights went 9-4 on the year as the defense was fourth in the country in points against per game (14.2ppg) and managed to record 25 sacks, 18 interceptions, force three fumbles and score two touchdowns.
Since leaving Rutgers after the 2012 season, Smith spent one season as linebackers coach with Greg Schiano down in Tampa Bay before taking his talents down to the SEC to be the DC of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Although he crushed his first season, as the Razorbacks finished top 20 in the nation for points against, the next two years would be rough as they continue to regress each year.
After three years in the SEC, he would go onto to join PJ Fleck at Minnesota. He would then go on to be the Defensive Coordinator / linebackers coach. A role he maintained before getting fired after the 2018 season.
After that, Smith went own to Texas A&M for a season in an analyst role before rejoining Greg Schiano's staff in 2020 and 2021. However he was not retained following those two seasons and would go on to reunite with Mike Elko down at Duke for a year as DC / LBs coach before he left for A&M a year later. The past two seasons he's been with Penn State in an analyst role.
Stay tuned right here for more on Robb Smith being hired as Rutgers Football’s next defensive play caller right here on The Knight Report!
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE......
1999–2001: Iowa (GA/QC)
2002–04: Maine (DB)
2005: Maine (ST/LB)
2006–08: Maine (AHC/DC)
2009: Rutgers (ST/OLB)
2010: Rutgers (ST/CB)
2011: Rutgers (ST/LB)
2012: Rutgers (DC/DB)
2013: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LB
2014–16: Arkansas (DC/DB)
2017–2018: Minnesota (DC/LB)
2019: Texas A&M (analyst)
2020-21: Rutgers (DC)
2022: Duke (DC/LBs)
2023-24: Penn State (Analyst)
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