Following a season where he took Rutgers football to a winning record and an impressive bowl win, Greg Schiano’s stock is on the rise.
In fact, in the ranking of college football head coaches from Power Four conferences by CBS Sports, Schiano’s strong season with Rutgers saw him make a big leap. Schiano moved up 10 spots this past year, due in large part to a 7-6 record and a win over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Schiano is now the No. 40 head coach in the Power Four.
The ranking puts him one spot above Maryland head coach [autotag]Mike Locksley[/autotag] and one spot behind Minnesota head coach [autotag]P.J. Fleck[/autotag].
Also noticeable in the ranking is Miami head coach Mario Cristobal at No. 35. The ranking gap is interesting since Schiano’s Rutgers beat Cristobal’s Miami this past December and the Hurricanes are a shell of their former glory.
Here is what CBS Sports college football insider Tom Fornelli wrote about Schiano’s jump of 10 spots in the ranking:
“Rutgers has never been an easy job, and it only became more difficult when it joined the Big Ten at a financial deficit to the rest of the league in one of the most difficult divisions in the country. But Schiano finds a way to build this program up, and the Knights enter the season as a wild card in the conference.”
Rutgers enters this season with a wealth of returning experience on both sides of the ball and continuity among the key positions on the coaching staff. Both coordinators are back, which is important for a still-rebuilding team.
[lawrence-related id=38129,38105]
Off the field, things are progressing for Rutgers, including a recruiting class that is ranked No. 29 in the nation.
Another winning season with a bowl appearance could see Schiano shoot up a few more spots in this ranking this time next year.
Lifetime at Rutgers, Schiano is 87-95.
