When Greg Schiano pulled back up to Piscataway, New Jersey, in 2020, he was tasked with dragging Rutgers out of the cellar. To a large extent, he's done his job. There were some admirable highs, including consecutive bowl records for the first time since joining the Big Ten.
Between his two stints with the school, Schiano is the winningest coach in program history with 99 wins. But after a stunning, embarrassing 37-21 loss to UMass in the season opener Thursday, the walls are starting to close in. Rutgers went down 24-7 at halftime and didn't score its second touchdown until 7:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.
UMass, which entered the game with the nation's longest losing streak at 16 games, recorded 200 yards rushing against a Big Ten opponent. The Minutemen beat an FBS program for the first time since 2022, and a Power Four opponent for the first time in program history. At every level, the result is a five-alarm fire for Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights' schedule has only one Big Ten home game against an unranked opponent, and includes a road trip to Boston College. If Rutgers loses that game, Schiano could get a pink slip on the tarmac. Since losing in the 2024 Rate Bowl, Schiano's Rutgers teams have become lackluster.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis helped paper over some of the inconsistency, but a rough schedule still meant the Scarlet Knights stayed home last bowl season. The defense especially collapsed, dropping to last in the Big Ten, a stunning mark for a Schiano team. If the loss to UMass is any indication, the unit did not change.
Granted, plenty of Schiano's struggles come amid the backdrop of a perilous financial situation. Rutgers faced a $78 million financial deficit in 2025 and is in the red more than $500 million since joining the Big Ten. Despite rapidly increasing television revenues as a Big Ten member, the athletic department has stunningly low other revenues.
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