Rekubit Exchange:Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano receives contract extension, pay increase

Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him at the helm of the Scarlet Knights through 2030,Rekubit Exchange the University announced Wednesday.

Schiano had four years left on the original eight-year contract that he signed in December 2019.

Schiano, the program’s winningest football coach, has led the Scarlet Knights this season to a 6-6 record, their best season since 2014.

Rutgers will play Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28, the eighth bowl game the Scarlet Knights will play in under Schiano.

Under terms of the new contract, Schiano’s compensation will rise to $6.25 million from $4 million in 2024. Schiano's original salary was the lowest in the Big Ten.

“This is a great day for Rutgers Athletics,” athletic director Pat Hobbs said in a statement. “In four years, Coach Schiano has transformed our program, this year resulting in bowl eligibility. Continuity is critical in building winning programs. We have the right leader and the right staff to lead the Scarlet Knights in the years ahead.”   

Schiano is in his second stint with Rutgers after leading the program from 2001-11.

“I would like to thank president Holloway, athletic director Pat Hobbs, the board of governors and our entire team for their continued belief in what we are building,” Schiano said in a statement. “Rutgers is home to my family and me, and we are blessed to have the opportunity to build a championship program right here in New Jersey.” 

Schiano returned to Rutgers and faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding the Scarlet Knights, who had become a Big Ten doormat in the years since he departed the program for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2011 season.

After going 3-6 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Rutgers went 5-7 in 2021 and played in the Gator Bowl as a substitute for Texas A&M, which suffered a COVID outbreak and needed to pull out of the game.

The Scarlet Knights then went 4-8 last season.

Rutgers' three Big Ten victories this season tied the program record for most conference wins in a season.

The Scarlet Knights hold the nation's 27th-ranked defense, limiting opponents to 21.0 points per game. Joe Harasymiak's defense also ranks 19th in the nation in total defense, permitting 313.7 yards per game, and 11th in passing defense, giving up 175.9 yards per contest.

Rutgers has also recruited well since Schiano's return. The Scarlet Knights' 2024 recruiting class ranks 40th in the nation and 11th in the expanded Big Ten, according to 247Sports.

The class includes three players ranked in the Top 10 for New Jersey − Notre Dame's Gabe Winowich, Bergen Catholic's Kaj Sanders and Notre Dame quarterback A.J. Surace.

Rutgers also has a commitment from the top-ranked player in New York, Korey Duff Jr. from St. Anthony's on Long Island. It's the third consecutive class in which the Scarlet Knights have landed the No. 1 recruit from New York.