Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs on job vacancy for head football coach: 'It's one of the best jobs in the country'
Rutgers’ Chris Ash is no longer the head coach.
RELATED: Rutgers fires head coach Chris Ash
As of now, the Scarlet Knights have a vacancy for the position while Nunzio Campanile — the team’s tight ends coach prior to Ash’s firing — is taking over in the interim. Rutgers is currently 1-3 overall and is coming off a 52-0 beat-down to Michigan.
A change was necessary, and it finally happened.
On Monday, Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs spoke with the media. He talked a lot about different aspects of the decision and what’s to come next for the football program:
Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs is playing it coy when it comes to head coaching candidates, saying, "anyone who can be competitive and help Rutgers win conference championships" when asked about Greg Schiano and Nunzio Campanile by name.
— Matt Sugam (@MattSugam) September 30, 2019
"Is it an easy job? No, it's not an easy job. Is it a great job? It's one of the best jobs in the country." – Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs on job vacancy of head football coach
— Matt Sugam (@MattSugam) September 30, 2019
"I'm looking for a coach that's going to make us competitive on the field and win Big Ten Championships. I want to go to a Rose Bowl." – Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs
— Matt Sugam (@MattSugam) September 30, 2019
.@PatHobbsRU knew a change was needed shortly after the shutout loss at Michigan.
"I think we have more talent in this room, and on this team, than we were showing in the games." pic.twitter.com/UsBJf53rBy
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 30, 2019
What Hobbs is saying may surprise some people, or at least have an eyebrow being raised. A Rose Bowl for Rutgers? Big Ten Championships?
If you look back in time, these statements may not be as ridiculous as you think. Greg Schiano took over as head coach at Rutgers in 2001. The team went 2-9 overall. But by 2006, the team finished 11-2 and at one point was ranked No. 7 in the country.
But, let’s look at an even more recent Rutgers team. In 2012, the Scarlet Knights were at one point ranked No. 18 under Kyle Flood leading the program. The team finished 9-4 overall. And in 2014, the team went 8-5 and won its bowl game.
These last few years have been abysmal. Nobody can deny that. And that’s why a change has been made.
But don’t consider it to be an impossible task to make Rutgers a winning football program. Because from 2005-11, Schiano had Rutgers at 56-33 overall.