Rutgers offensive line coach Pat Flaherty has been coaching for a long time -- since 1978 to be exact. After being an All-American at East Stroudsburg, he first coached at his high school, Delone Catholic, before going to East Stroudsburg, then Penn State, then to Rutgers, then to East Carolina, to Wake Forest, to Iowa, and then to multiple teams in the NFL for many years including the New York Giants where he won two Super Bowls.
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Flaherty has seen it all, and now he’s back at Rutgers coaching full time. He was with the program last year as a consultant, and he came back to Piscataway for head coach Greg Schiano.
“Greg Schiano. It really was,” Flaherty said when asked why he re-joined the Scarlet Knights. “I was with Greg last year. I was here in the 80s for eight years and then I left. When you’re at a place for eight years, it grows on you, and Rutgers grew on me. I loved it here. We were the underdog. I discussed it with my wife and we built a home in Bergen County in 2004. If there was anybody else here I probably wouldn’t have done it, but Greg asked and it was a no-brainer.
“I believe in him and his program. We were trained by the same type of people like Dick Anderson. It was such a natural fit. I wasn’t concerned if I believed what Greg was teaching or not. I know I would. That excited me.”
Flaherty is regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches ever. He has coached a slew of great teams, offenses, offensive lines, and individuals who have had tremendous success. His major claim to fame is his time with the New York Giants from 2004-15. Not only did he win two Super Bowls, his teams had 1,000-yard rushers, Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, high offensive stats, low sack numbers, and more.
Flaherty treats the offensive linemen at Rutgers just like Shaun O’Hara on the Giants.
“I coach these guys like any other player I’ve ever coached including Pro Bowl and All-Pro players. It hasn’t changed. The game of football is the game of football,” Flaherty said. “You have to execute your block, you have to be able to come off the ball, and have good technique. It’s the same technique as 40 years ago. In the NFL you’ll have a guy come in from another team and you talk to them and they have their stance. I won’t change it unless it’s not working. With college players, we teach the same stance. We coach it.”
Schiano has said on many occasions that in order for Rutgers to take the next step on offense, the line has to play better. It has to keep the quarterback upright and create lanes for the running backs. In order to better do that, Flaherty teaches the players the same things he coached 45 years ago.
“My dad was a high school coach and I coached in high school and then I went to Division II and then then Division I and then the NFL. I worked for some strong, good football coaches,” Flaherty said. “The way I was trained and brought up, I appreciate that every day. It motivates me to share that. The two-man sled is the same drill I’ve done in the NFL and we do it here. It’s no different. In the Big Ten, you practice like you’re a pro. The Big Ten is that. It’s not, but you better train because you’re going to play against men. We have young guys, but we’re going to coach them. The best thing is if you don’t see anything wrong out then, then we are playing together as a unit. That’s our goal.”
Rutgers brings back a couple starters from a year ago in right tackle Hollin Pierce, right guard Curtis Dunlap, and center Ireland Brown. Gus Zilinskas, Mike Ciaffoni, Tyler Needham, Kobe Asamoah, and others played a good amount and are back this year as well.
The unit is making progress during spring practice.
“We’re growing. We’re not there yet. If you talk to me at any time you won’t get a satisfactory answer. We’re always gaining to get better,” Flaherty said. “I’m pleased with the way they are working and how they correct fundamentals and assignments. It’s not about me, it’s about them. I’m leading them, but they have to do it. It takes five of them. They grew from Saturday’s scrimmage. They’re always talking to one another.
"As I tell the offensive line, we’re going forwards and not backwards. I’m excited about this group. The talent level here that coach has put together the last few years is what excites me. The group has a growth and maturity to them. They are locked in every day in the meeting room and they give everything they have out on the practice field. I tell them all the time, it still excites me all the time to come to work every day. I walk in the room and they want to learn and get better. We’re steadily improving.”
Pierce is a former walk-on from Trenton who at 6-foot-8, 340-pounds, is only scratching the surface.
“Hollin has unlimited potential,” Flaherty said. “His parents gave him the size and he’s athletic for how big he is. Last year I was watching tape and when this guy gets moving, he can flip his hips and keep his hips behind his shoulders as good as anybody and I’ve seen some good ones. He’s a young player in the past that has had a couple nicks and he’s missed the weight room. He’s a full-go in the weight room this year and it’s shown.”
To compete in the Big Ten, Rutgers needs more players like Pierce. But it also needs players who love football -- something Schiano always says -- and those who want to learn.
“You want big, fast, strong guys, and guys who are intelligent. It’s hard to get everything,” Flaherty said. “So the one common denominator is you want guys who are passionate. You want guys that will do what you ask them to do.We have a great group and as a coach, you want to strengthen that foundation. You want guys who work on their craft. If I feel like I’m not learning something every day, then I’m in the wrong business. As a player, you have to have that same attitude. We are working as coaches -- I have a team within a team -- and I'm fortunate.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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