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| Jim Harbaugh |
Michigan fans are buying the hype – almost 50% of them think Jim Harbaugh will be the next Michigan head coach. Greg Schiano is ranked too high at 2%, though, people.
Other: 41%
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| Greg Schiano |
Greg Schiano
Age: 48
Current position: None
Head coaching experience: 68-67 at Rutgers (2001-2011), 11-21 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-2013)
History: Schiano grew up in New Jersey and attended Bucknell, a D-II school in Pennsylvania. He was a linebacker and named team captain as a senior. He coached defensive backs at Penn State in the early 1990’s under Joe Paterno before becoming an assistant for the Chicago Bears, then moved on to be the Miami Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator for the 1999-2000 seasons. Those defenses at Miami helped him earn the head coaching job at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights’ head job had typically been a black hole, but he took them from a 3-20 record in his first two seasons to a peak of 11-2 (and a win over Texas) in the 2006 season, culminating in a #12 overall ranking. His 9-4 season in 2011 launched him to the Buccaneers’ head job, but a slightly promising 7-9 season in 2012 turned into a disappointing 4-12 record in 2013, after which he was fired.
My thoughts: The job Schiano did at Rutgers was impressive because of how far he took them, but he never really showed an ability to get them over the hump. New Jersey does have a good amount of talent within the state, and while he did get some solid seasons out of guys like Ray Rice and Kenny Britt, nobody really developed into a huge star; the closest was Ray Rice, who – for reasons presumably unrelated to Schiano – would not exactly be a good reference when sitting in recruits’ living rooms with mom and/or dad. I might hire Schiano as a defensive coordinator, but he’s not head coach material for an elite program yet.
Likelihood of coming to Michigan: Schiano would probably jump at the chance to coach in the Big Ten at a place like Michigan. As a guy with roots in Big Ten country (or at least what is now Big Ten country), this could be a crowning achievement. He’s an Option B type of candidate with Jim Harbaugh, Les Miles, and perhaps others ahead of him, but Michigan ended up with a seemingly fringe candidate in 2011, too.
My wish list:
1. Bob Stoops
2. Les Miles
3. Greg Schiano
4. Mike Shanahan
