PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Fourteen times before, Greg Schiano has run out the tunnel as head coach of the Rutgers football team. But nothing, Schiano said, can compare to what he is feeling this year.
In fact Schiano, usually a bit understated, said that this year he is more locked in than ever before.
This is the fourth year of Schiano’s second stint at Rutgers, a program that he is not just the face of but its very embodiment. And while last season’s 4-8 record was disappointing, there is no doubt that the program is improving and growing.
The roster is as deep as it has been since 2014, their first year in the Big Ten. That was, coincidentally, the last time Rutgers had a winning season.
“I’ve never been more focused than I am today. Never been more excited than I am today about this team. We have had some great teams here, some good teams, and some not so good teams,” Schiano said this week.
“I love coaching this team and our staff and being back here at Rutgers, in New Jersey, my home state. I always tell players, don’t wish away time. Use every second that you have to prepare –prepare and then prepare through the event. So I’m trying to abide by my own advice. But I’m really excited to get it started and to do it at home, as the only Big Ten game in the country, that’s fun.”
Sunday’s opener at SHI Stadium against Northwestern (12:00 PM ET, CBS) is certainly a unique kickoff time for a college football game. For Schiano, however, it is an opportunity to put his team squarely in the public’s eye.
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With being a nationally televised game, Schiano knows this is a chance to showcase his rebuild against a Big Ten opponent.
“I love playing at home obviously. Love playing at SHI Stadium. Love our fans. I’m sure they will bring a huge home-field advantage this week. Can’t wait. Can’t wait to get back there with them. I’ve been here a long time, a lot of years. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. But we have some very loyal fans,” Schiano said.
“And we’re going to provide what they are looking for. I believe that over time, it’s a steady growth and we are going to continue to grow, and like I’ve said before, we are going to get it back to where it needs to be and beyond but it’s a journey, and we’re all on that journey together, our fans, our team, the university, the state.”
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