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Rutgers legend Eric LeGrand pleads with Board of Governors to bring back Greg Schiano during halftime of MSU game
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Speaking at halftime of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ game with the Michigan State Spartans at SHI Stadium in Piscataway on Saturday, former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand made his opinion on the Scarlet Knights’ coaching search felt.
Mike Ashmore of The Trentonian (Trenton, New Jersey) shared LeGrand’s comments on Twitter:
Eric Legrand with a plea to the Rutgers board at halftime, saying "you know what you have to do."
That, obviously, is a plea to hire Greg Schiano…seen quite a few of the "that was supposed to happen by now" dates come and go for that, by the way.
— Mike Ashmore (@mashmore98) November 23, 2019
Judging by the reactions of the Asbury Park Press’ Steve Edelson and NJ.com’s Steve Politi, it looks like LeGrand’s plea to the Board of Governors is going over well:
As part of his inspirational halftime address to Rutgers senior athletes, Eric LeGrand just lobbied for Greg Schiano to be hired as the Scarlet Knights' next head coach. That's the highlight so far at SHI Stadium
— Steve Edelson (@steveedelsonapp) November 23, 2019
Eric LeGrand just called out the Rutgers Board of Governors during a halftime ceremony to honor him and, as the kids say, I am dead. 💀
— Steve Politi (@StevePoliti) November 23, 2019
Now 29-years-old, LeGrand played under Greg Schiano from 2008-10. Covering a kickoff in a game vs. the Army Black Knights in 2010, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury and was paralyzed. Fortunately, he and his team of doctors have noted increased movement and sensations throughout his body in the years since.
Currently out of coaching, the 53-year-old Schiano has extensive ties to Rutgers and the state of New Jersey. Beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Ramapo High School in the state in 1988, he first served on the Scarlet Knights’ staff as a graduate assistant in 1989.
Following six years with the Penn State Nittany Lions (1990-95), three years with the National Football League’s Chicago Bears (1996-98) and two years with the Miami Hurricanes (1999-2000), Schiano returned to Piscataway as the program’s head coach in 2001.
Then members of the Big East Conference, Schiano won 68 games and took the Scarlet Knights to six bowl games in 11 seasons before departing for the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While Kyle Flood won 27 games and took his teams to three bowl games in four years (2012-15), things have been downhill for Rutgers since Flood’s dismissal for alleged player mistreatment in November 2015.
Never posting more than four wins in a season, embattled head coach Chris Ash was let go after his team’s 48-7 loss to the Maryland Terrapins on October 5. Composing a total record of 8-32, Ash won just three of his 29 B1G contests.
Starting the season as the team’s tight ends coach, Nunzio Campanile has been serving as the interim head coach and offensive coordinator since the dismissals of Ash and John McNulty.
As for Schiano, he won just 11 games in two years with the Buccaneers, finishing in last-place in the NFC South each season.
After taking two years off, he joined Urban Meyer’s staff at Ohio State as the program’s co-defensive coordinator for three seasons (2016-18).
Michigan State (4-6) at Rutgers (2-8) is currently airing on FS1.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.