Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026
- Thread starter Tango Two
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Guess the team:
“But they were just not talented on defense last year. You turn on the tape, and they didn’t have anybody that could do anything. That’s a program problem. If you’re in the Big Ten, and you’re unable to recruit good players into your program, it’s gonna be tough.”
“But they were just not talented on defense last year. You turn on the tape, and they didn’t have anybody that could do anything. That’s a program problem. If you’re in the Big Ten, and you’re unable to recruit good players into your program, it’s gonna be tough.”
Guess the team:
“I get the sense that the school thinks they’re actually going to make this investment and give (head coach) Greg Schiano a chance to get it done because they have not done that yet. The people there know that he’s basically been fighting that fight with a hand tied behind his back.”
“I get the sense that the school thinks they’re actually going to make this investment and give (head coach) Greg Schiano a chance to get it done because they have not done that yet. The people there know that he’s basically been fighting that fight with a hand tied behind his back.”
I'm surprised that he didn't say that fans weren't donating enough and that we needed a fieldhouse. I guess we'll find out whether the defensive collapse last season was a talent problem or a coaching problem.
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And if the collapse continues/repeats, we must ll commit donating more to ensure that they build the fieldhouse ASAP.
Yep, fighting with one hand behind his back. Guess he should double the Football Staff from 100 to 200.
In summary:
The pro-Schiano people will highlight the positive comments
The anti-Schiano people will highlight the negative.
The pro-Schiano people will highlight the positive comments
The anti-Schiano people will highlight the negative.
"Schiano is an excellent coach. He works incredibly hard. But at some point, it’s a results business, so I would imagine that the rubber meets the road in the next year or so if they can’t make a turn.”
Basically, RU is a tough place to win. Excellent coach.
Basically, RU is a tough place to win. Excellent coach.
No, not really. More like the truth hurts the Schiano sycophants who bristle at the thought that he has many areas in need of improvement. The man himself will admit that.
Absolutely. Excellent as some things-absolutely. But as the other quotes state, it is a result-oriented business. And the defense being as bad as it was is 100% on him, the players recruited by him and his staff and the co-DCs he hand picked. That's not hatred. That's facts.
Also find it funny how some who continually try to defend or prop up Schiano will crap all over Pikiell, who, for at least two or three decent seasons before the nature of the game changed and he had an anti-NIL AD who was against the very thing that was needed to succeed.
The defense couldn't even line up properly. That wasn't a talent issue. That was a coaching issue. Schiano used to be a able to scheme. The game has passed him by now. The best thing he could do is forget creating a fiefdom cutting much of the staff. Use those funds to hire the very best coordinators and get the f out of the way.
Ego is a funny thing though.
Ego is a funny thing though.
I think Kirk is doing a pretty good job on the O side.
Let's see how the new guys do on the D.
between the 20s yes, but inside is a hard no
Schiano was fighting with one hand tied behind his back while Hobbs was here & then a whole year of basically no AD after Hobbs left.
Greg said it pretty plainly at the Keli Zinn welcome. He no longer has to 1. Recruit new players. 2. Recruit current players AND 3. Recruit for NIL money.
Hobbs was not interested in NIL at all. Didn't help the collective. Didn't try to raise money. Actively fought it.
Zinn & Tate have raised more money & put more effort into the system of NIL in 9 months than Hobbs did in 4 years.
However, Should Greg be on the chopping block of the team doesn't succeed this year? Absolutely
Hold up. You can’t put anyone on the chopping block if you haven’t given them the resources to succeed. How are you going to hire his replacement? What kind of coach is coming to a place that doesn’t have the resources to succeed?
Hiring his DC was a complete
show, because everyone knows this year is going to be a struggle going in, especially for the defense.He told you up front what he needed, even putting a fieldhouse into his contract. Later on, he told you he needed NIL support to succeed.
Fieldhouse is nowhere to be found, though designs are done. Football NIL has been Insufficient. Why is a top recruit going to come to Rutgers if they aren't going to get enough money or feel they will get a better experience elsewhere?
this is the reason our nj recruiting is in the toilet, so we have to fill in with Tier 2 kids from elsewhere, who mostly have to be developed, which takes time.
5 Wins is a Successful Season for this team. 6 Wins is a push. This year is a likely a reset season.
Please think a little more deeply. He was asked why Rutgers struggled last year. He gave a football answer, saying Rutgers doesn’t have enough talent, which is what I’ve been saying all along btw. He didn’t say anything about coaching, though we know it was a problem, just not as big a problem as talent.
if you ask the question, “why doesn’t Rutgers recruit better”, the Fieldhouse and NIL Support are at the top of the list.
lol at one hand tied behind his back. someone can find it but it looks like a direct quote from the RU office earlier this year.
much of these don't mean much but certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture of the view of Rutgers coaching and overall program when stepping away. not surprised there
need to get rid of Greg and move forward, simple as that. This program has no buzz, no real marketing effort, doesn't position itself well with our strengths. seeing good money being raised but not much else
much of these don't mean much but certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture of the view of Rutgers coaching and overall program when stepping away. not surprised there
need to get rid of Greg and move forward, simple as that. This program has no buzz, no real marketing effort, doesn't position itself well with our strengths. seeing good money being raised but not much else
I think what Keli Zinn is doing is wise--buyout too high--putting more $$$ into NIL efforts and supporting the current coach--he gets this year (and maybe next) to prove he can do it with resources. My concern is it does not appear RU did particularly well in getting defensive players from the portal, and we can hope they picked up some diamonds in the rough and the new defensive coaching staff can get them to perform at a high level. If they do, and we notch 7-8 wins before a bowl game, he gets a shot for 2027. But please, no silly extensions needed after this year. Wait 2 years, if he lasts that long. Best case scenario for us is for him to do well, as we don't have to spend any money on a buyout.
Well said Mrs. Screw...congrats on showing some folks that it is entirely possible to chew gum AND walk at the same time
I don't know why EVREYONE on this board doesnt agree with this balanced take.
and here is the first example of someone who has proven time and time again that they are simply incapable of chewing gum and walking at the same time.Hold up. You can’t put anyone on the chopping block if you haven’t given them the resources to succeed. How are you going to hire his replacement? What kind of coach is coming to a place that doesn’t have the resources to succeed?
Hiring his DC was a complete
He told you up front what he needed, even putting a fieldhouse into his contract. Later on, he told you he needed NIL support to succeed.
Fieldhouse is nowhere to be found, though designs are done. Football NIL has been Insufficient. Why is a top recruit going to come to Rutgers if they aren't going to get enough money or feel they will get a better experience elsewhere?
this is the reason our nj recruiting is in the toilet, so we have to fill in with Tier 2 kids from elsewhere, who mostly have to be developed, which takes time.
5 Wins is a Successful Season for this team. 6 Wins is a push. This year is a likely a reset season.
just...can't....do....it.....
Deflect as much as you want. One day when you grow up, you’ll realize a salesman is only good as the product he is offering. Exclude Coaching. Our product SUCKS ***.
that’s why we have to rely on kids that don’t have offers to go somewhere better, because they have to be developed.
FYI....that's Schiano's quote, making excuses in third-person speech. Might even have been interviewed in disguise @ Princeton library, a popular hangout for RU HC failures. Shelby is very familiar with third-person, Shelby is.
Consistently giving up explosion plays by being out of position is a coaching problem. Not adjusting to a change in strategy by the opponent is a coaching problem. Not being able to schematically defend the basic elements of modern college football offenses is a coaching problem. Not lining up properly is a coaching problem. It's amazing how much better recruiting looks when the fundamentals are executed.
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This is exactly why you are clueless. Anyone with half a brain knows that there are good salespeople and bad salespeople. We don't need sales people that can sell a great product. That's easy.
Again if you have an issue with "punching above your weight" being the new athletic directors mantra take it up with her, not with this board.
Mrs Screw was right to point out the balance. There are issues which continue to get addressed. Now the coach needs to do his part. Otherwise he's gone. That's the way it should be.
Schiano has sought to rectify this issue by hiring new coaches. So why are you still complaining about an issue which has been addressed? At least give the new coaches a chance.
The fact that:
- Our qb was drafted in the 7th Round not 1st Round like Mendoza
- No linemen or LBs were drafted
- Only O’Neil, Fletcher, Miller and Sheffield made teams 90 day rosters and will likely be cut
Speaks to our significant talent issues
Basically what several of us have been saying. For the record, I like Greg a lot and want to see him succeed. He knows what he needs to do, and hopefully, he puts it together this year and the years remaining on his contract. If not, as you said, he will be gone.
It seems like every year is a "reset season", especially now in the era of NIL, but it is certainly a reset year for the defense.
Kelly did a great job of keeping Duff, Raymond and a few of the OL players. We'll see how the new DC works.
However, 5 wins is never a successful season. For anyone, any team, at any time.
The Athletic Director knows where we’re at, and told me she’s going to provide the coaches with the resources he needs to succeed. That hasn’t happened yet so this is a reset year, not a make it happen year. Mrs Screw is entitled to her opinion.
You don’t understand where we’re at. This is Rutgers not fantasyland. There is not enough talent to win.
There’s no punching above your weight when facing the best players money can buy. There’s no punching above your weight when kids can’t execute fundamentals correctly because they don’t have the talent to do so. Coaches can’t turn chickenshit into chicken salad, despite the desire around here to do so.
we’ve been trying to punch above our weight for the last 150 years. With less than stellar results.
Few meaningful seasons in the last 150.
we either have the players or we don’t.
we don’t.
So now you're acknowledging that coaching was a problem. Schiano knew this. That's why there are new defensive coaches.
Always acknowledged defensive coaching was a problem. We didn’t have a coaching problem on true offensive side of the ball.
False, you spent all last season insisting it was lack of NIL when everyone, including multiple blind men, told you that many of the on-field issues were coaching.
rutgersal, can you keep this shít to your own thread please?
I will make this short and easy for you:
1)you are wrong
2) You've been wrong.. about practically everything... going on close to 30 years now on these message boards
3) see 1 and 2 above
Ps - punch above your weight. Look it up
The ability to make adjustments to Offensive play calling by his Defense seems to have passed Schiano by. Doubling the size of the Football Staff can’t correct this ineptness.
I really can't understand why people can't understand that multiple things can be true at the same time. Insufficient NIL and Schiano having to take on what Hobbs should have been doing effected (affected?) our ability to get talent. At the same time our defensive coaching was abysmal, Schiano's decisions are suspect and we lost to many guys to injuries which was an issue with S&C.Well said Mrs. Screw...congrats on showing some folks that it is entirely possible to chew gum AND walk at the same time
I don't know why EVREYONE on this board doesnt agree with this balanced take.
All can be true.
Because most don't want to have a fair and balanced conversation as it undermines what they want to rant about.
These are just empty platitudes. Sound good, until you have to consider the quality of the personnel and reality of our situation. There have been 2 instances where we punched above our weight.
Michigan 2014
Washington 2024
History shows it’s not likely to happen, though we are hoping it will happen when we face Penn State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
No adjustment was going to stop our DL from being driven into the ground by Oregon’s OL. Doubling the Football Staff could help us find better players so that this doesn’t happen.