Rutgers keeps Schiano despite 2-7 start
Athletic director cites a $78 million deficit as the primary reason for retaining the head coach through the 2027 season.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Rutgers University will retain head football coach Greg Schiano for the 2027 season, ending speculation that the program would join a recent wave of coaching changes. The Scarlet Knights begin the 2026 season with a 2-7 record, a result that places them near the bottom of the Big Ten conference standings.
Keli Zinn, the director of athletics, confirmed the decision in a written statement. She acknowledged that the current results do not meet the expectations set for the football and broader athletics programs. Zinn stated that the choice serves the long-term interests of the university rather than a lowering of standards. She emphasized the need to make meaningful changes to strengthen the roster and position the team to compete at a higher level.
Financial constraints played a central role in the decision. The Rutgers athletic department reported a deficit of $78 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Firing Schiano would trigger a buyout payment of $17,296,875. That figure would add a substantial cost to an already strained budget, leaving fewer resources available for roster improvements.
Schiano enters his eighth year in a second stint at Rutgers. This marks his 19th season in charge of the program overall. If the team fails to improve its win total this season, it will post its worst record since 2019. In that year, the Scarlet Knights went 2-10 just before Schiano returned to the coaching staff. A 2-7 finish would be his worst season at Rutgers since 2002, when the team went 1-11.
The athletic department plans to direct available funds toward bolstering the roster rather than paying the buyout and hiring new staff. Zinn indicated that this approach allows the program to focus on competitive improvements within current financial limits. The goal is to reach bowl eligibility and maintain a respectable standing in the conference.
Schiano received a contract extension after leading Rutgers to back-to-back 7-6 seasons. Those results defined the baseline for success at the university. Achieving six wins has become more difficult under new College Football Playoff regulations. Rutgers must now play nine Big Ten games and one other Power Four non-conference game to meet eligibility requirements.
The financial gap between top-tier programs and the rest of the Big Ten continues to widen. Some conference members have significantly deeper resources for roster spending. Rutgers must contend with this disparity while trying to secure enough wins to avoid finishing last in the conference.
Schiano’s buyout amount drops to just over $11.7 million after the 2027 season. If the team fails to show tangible improvement in the coming year, the financial pressure to make a change may increase. The coaching staff now faces the task of stabilizing a program that has struggled to maintain consistent competitiveness in recent years.
