Rutgers to bring back coach Greg Schiano for 2027 season, sources say

Key Points:

• Rutgers will retain head football coach Greg Schiano for the 2027 season, marking his eighth season in his second stint and 19th overall with the Scarlet Knights, despite the team's poor performance this season.
• Athletic director Keli Zinn emphasized that the decision reflects long-term interests and is not a lowering of standards, acknowledging the team's struggles and the need for improvement.
• Rutgers is currently 2-7 and eliminated from bowl contention, having missed postseason play for two consecutive years and losing 12 of its last 15 Big Ten games.
• The decision to keep Schiano was influenced significantly by the high buyout cost of approximately $28 million over three years if he were fired, which would be the largest payout Rutgers has ever made to a fired coach.
• Schiano is New Jersey’s highest-paid state employee, with a contract running through 2029 and annual compensation increasing to $7.75 million by then; both he and Zinn have discussed plans aimed at improving the program’s future performance.