http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/12/04/schiano.staying.ap/index.html From what I heard down South...Schiano was a lock at head coach. Not every-coach would want to walk into that mess. If the new coach dosent go 11-1 in his first year...they will be calling for his head in no time.
I can't help but think how things have changed. Miami offers its coaching job to the coach of RUTGERS!!! And.....he turns them down!!!! WOW!
Rutgers <r>You mean that things are so bad at the "u" that they won't get there first choice of coaches?...say it isn't so! Same for Alabama, I think they are on about their 5th choice now! Wow, I thought this only happened at ND. Isn't that what they were all trying to tell us a couple years ago? My, my, what comes around goes around doesn't it? In the case of Miami, I think they need an ex-prison guard not a football coach to keep all those convicts in line. <E></E></r>
It is interesting that he turned them down. This has been a magical season for Rutgers, and maybe he will have them with winning seasons and competing for Big East championships on a regular basis. But there is always that chance that he won't be able to do it and the next five years could be a struggle to ever even come close to matching this season. They don't have tradition, they are not likely to be able to out recruit Penn State, Boston College, Notre Dame, Maryland, Virgina, etc who come into the state with more attractive programs. It's not impossible that 5 years from now he could be fired. It's happened before at other schools where there was a big year and everybody assumed it was the program turning the corner but it was the high point instead. At Miami if he could get control of the situation, there is tons of talent in So. Fla that wants to play at Miami, they play in a conference that they could dominate and play for Nat'l titles, where when you are undefeated playing a big game you are likely playing for #1. It don't really care one way or the other of course, but it's surprising and in some ways refreshing. Either way though he's going to make a lot of money and this won't be his last chance to move to a big name program if he continues to do good things at Rutgers, who knows maybe he will outlast JoePa and move to Penn State!!
The story that turned out to be a non-story is a story again. 8) I think I read here or on another board a prognostication in advance of Coker's firing that Schiano would turn down the Miami job if it was offered as he was so committed to Rutgers that he had accepted land from the university for the construction of a house. Of course, that could be complete hogwash.
I think I remember reading about that land deal and some conservation ladies were upset with it because it was part of some nature area close to the University or something like that.