99
HEAD COACH GREG SCHIANO A New Jersey native who returned to his roots to take over the reins of the Rutgers football program, Schiano has led the Scarlet Knights throughout his tenure with the energy, passion and boundless enthusiasm that have been the hallmarks of his career. Schiano's impact as head coach is evident in all aspects of the Rutgers football program. Schiano and his staff have continued to upgrade the level of talent by recruiting student-athletes with outstanding athleticism and great character, all part of the building process that continues to result in on-field success. Rutgers now boasts one of the nation's finest football complexes, highlighted by an expansive strength and conditioning facility, a state-of-theart training room and academic support facilities which include classrooms, study rooms and computer labs. With a state-of-the-art scoreboard and FieldTurf playing surface in place, Rutgers Stadium continues to be one of the most scenic settings for college football in the country.
leadership. Three Scarlet Knights captured All-BIG EAST honors in 2009, including First Team selections Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty. Both Davis and McCourty were first round draft selections in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Scarlet Knights continue to work towards their ultimate goal after five straight bowl appearances, including a sensational 2006 campaign. Rutgers ended the season with a ranking of #12 in the national polls. The success Rutgers has achieved on the field was something Schiano envisioned from the first day he became the leader of the Scarlet Knights. At his introductory press conference, Schiano stated “We're going to win at Rutgers and we're going to do it the right way.” The 2006 season was complete with a convincing 37-10 victory over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, the first bowl championship in school history. Schiano, the 2006 National Coach of the Year and BIG EAST Coach of the Year, has been the architect of transforming the Rutgers program into one of the nation's best. The Scarlet Knights earned their first national top-10 ranking in 2006 and won 11 games for the second time in school history. Brian Leonard was also the recipient of the Draddy Trophy in 2006. “All along we have said the same thing,” said Schiano. “What we're doing here, we're just scratching the surface. The sky is the limit here at Rutgers and we're going to do great things. We've recruited really great young guys in this program and this is home. The same things I said at this podium the first time in this room that were true then are still true now. This state and the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas have all started to come together here and that's only going to get better. It's something that's never been tapped, so to me, this is a great, great situation."
Schiano's arrival signaled a new era at Rutgers, and he continues to guide the program at New Jersey's State University to the elite of the Football Bowl Subdivision. His tireless work ethic, winning attitude and commitment to the University are pillars which generate excitement throughout the "State of Rutgers." Schiano, who grew up in Wyckoff and graduated from Ramapo High School, took over as the 27th head coach of the nation's oldest college football program on Dec. 1, 2000. On that day, Schiano proclaimed his vision of excellence for Rutgers football. "This program will be built on a rock foundation," he said. "It will take longer than building it on stilts, but when it's built, it will be built forever. This is where I started; this is where I was striving to get back to. I'm thrilled to be here. It's time." For the first time in school history, Rutgers had two players selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft as offensive lineman Anthony Davis went 11th overall to San Francisco and cornerback Devin McCourty was taken with the 27th pick overall by the New England Patriots. Ryan D’Imperio, who played linebacker at Rutgers, was drafted to play fullback in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings to round out the 2010 NFL draft picks for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers was the only school in the BIG EAST with two first round selections and the first league school since 2004 to have multiple first round picks. In the last four NFL Drafts, Rutgers is tied for the BIG EAST lead with 13 players selected. Four Scarlet Knights also joined the professional ranks following the draft as they signed NFL free agent contracts. Wide receiver Tim Brown (New York Giants), fullback Jack Corcoran (Houston Texans), offensive lineman Kevin Haslam (Jacksonville Jaguars) and defensive lineman George Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) joined the three drafted Scarlet Knights to give RU a total of seven players from the 2009 squad on NFL rosters in 2010. In three of the last five Super Bowls, a former Scarlet Knight has earned a Super Bowl ring. Gary Brackett was a captain of the XLI Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, Giants co-captain Shaun O’Hara won a ring in Super Bowl XLII with New York and Darnell Sta-