Greg Schiano, Big East Coach of the Year?

You can't deny it. Rutgers started out 1-5, with its only win over FCB Morgan State. Since the Knights' three-point loss to Cinncinati (Big East champs) on Oct. 11, they've won all six games since. That's right, a team that went 1-5 to start 2008, is now guaranteed a bowl bid, at 7-5.

Rutgers players were ready to kill each other during the bad start, and the fan base was calling for QB Mike Teel's head. Even head coach Greg Schiano was getting some heat.

Where is that program now? The Scarlet Knights crushed Pittsburgh and South Florida, and completely demolished Louisville last night on national television. Rutgers could end up going to the Sun Bowl–not a bad ending to what was looking to be a pretty dreadful season.

Oh yeah, and Mike Teel? He only went 21-for-26, 447 yards, no interceptions and SEVEN (7) touchdowns against the Cardinals. If Coach of the Year was based on which head man led his team to the biggest intra-season turnaround, my vote would go to Schiano. Remember, it's easy to lead a team that's happy, talented and benefitted from a few other teams flopping. I'm not saying Cincinnati's Brian Kelly doesn't deserve Big East Coach of the Year. I really like the guy, and think he's one of the best coaches in the game. But no one can say Schiano doesn't deserve consideration for what he was able to pull out of his team this season.

I'm just sayin...

More below the fold...

Schiano to PSU in 2009?

The whole 'Schiano might succeed Paterno' base is getting all riled up, with The Phanatic Magazine reporting that the final details are being worked out by the Lasch Building suits and Schiano. Uh huh, right...

For a detailed rundown of the situation, I'll send you over to BSD, where Mike has way more time than I do to get something out right away on this:

"[Schiano] took a position as a graduate assistant at Rutgers after college and one year later accepted a job as a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1990. One year later he was promoted to defensive back coach where he served under Paterno from 1991-1995. In 1996 he was hired by Dave Wannstedt as an assistant defensive coach for the Chicago Bears. Serving in that role for two years he was promoted to defensive back coach. One year later he accepted a position as defensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes. He was with the Hurricanes during the 1999-2000 seasons in which Miami was 12th and 5th in the country in defensive points allowed those two years.

In December of 2000 Schiano accepted the head coaching job at Rutgers where he has coached ever since. He took over a struggling program that had only appeared in one bowl games in their entire history. Schiano struggled his first few years failing to achieve a winning record. But several years of good recruiting started to pay off in 2005 when the Knights won seven games and an invitation to the Insight Bowl. Though they lost the game 40-45 to Arizona, everyone could tell progress was being made. In 2006 Rutgers experienced their best year since 1976 going 11-2, winning the Texas Bowl, and finishing the season ranked #12 in the country. An amazing feat for a program that only won one game just four years earlier. In 2007 Rutgers went to their third straight bowl game winning the International Bowl against Ball State."

In case you didn't go to BSD before reading this, I'll remind you that this is just a part of what Mike had to say. So go check it out, and then come back after dinner to check out what I have to say.

More below the fold...