When Greg Schiano was hired back as the head Rutgers football coach, it brought instant optimism to a program that lacked it.
After having no Big Ten victories the last two seasons, the Scarlet Knights went 3-6 during an all-league schedule exceeding expectations along the way. Rutgers was just one of two teams in the conference to play all nine games and it did so in nine straight grueling weeks.
“I probably didn't have a schedule just because as crazy as things went,” Schiano said. “So usually what happens is you think you know a little bit about what you have. And before I took the job I really didn't know that much. I knew a little bit. Then you get around the guys but then it gets cut off in mid-March and you don't see him again until June. So you take the schedule if there is one and throw it out the window.”
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The three Big Ten victories against Michigan State, Purdue, and Maryland tied the most Rutgers has ever had in a campaign since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also took Illinois to the wire, went to overtime with Michigan, and played competitively with a much improved Indiana squad as well.
And Rutgers did all of this with no spring practice or a real training camp and having to worry about COVID-19.
“This season we won three and we lost six. There's people who want to say we could have been 6-3, but we also could have been 1-8 or 0-9, I mean, those are all close games,” Schiano said. “There was the Ohio State game that wasn't as close and the Penn State game that wasn't quite as close. So, I don't know. I kind of think that plus or minus one or two we probably ended up where (we thought). I think our coaches and our players did a really good job of trying to maximize what we could do in the limited time with no spring practice or no summer practice. I'm never pleased. But is it about how I thought after I got to know our team? Is it about where we probably belong? I guess. I don't know. It's hard to say that. I always think we could have done this better, this better, this better and win every game, but that's a coach's look and sometimes that's not realistic either.”
More wins will come as the program builds back up, but one thing that’s already been established is the culture. Family, trust, and chop’ were instilled into the players from the get-go and the players who stuck around bought in quickly.
“What I am certain of is I'm really encouraged, because what we did do, is we established our culture. We established how hard it is to do what we want to do. And you may say well they knew that. I'm not sure everybody knew that. This is really, really hard and we really worked incredibly hard and was incredibly focused and we ended up winning three games,” Schiano said. “The mountain we're climbing or whatever you want to call it, the tree we're chopping, it's hard, and it's going to take intense focus, and a lot of hard work to get to get where we want to be. I think everybody knows that now. They understand how we do our business, and now it's a matter of taking a break, and then getting back to work and understanding it is a year-round effort to get to go play those games and win them.”
From constant testing, to game planning, to signing day, to coaching, Schiano and players haven’t had a break in months. They finally get that now.
“I am certainly going to get with my family here for the holidays and look forward to that,” Schiano said. “I actually got a good night sleep one of these nights and I am looking forward to just spending time with my family. One thing that never stops is recruiting so that will continue every day. But other than that, I am going to get away from it for a little bit.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
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