Coaching Perspective – Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights are the birth place of football but that has not translated to sustained successes on the field.  In their tortured history they have just one official conference title and ten bowls.  Unlike most of these schools it is easy to identify a clear cut greatest coach but with Rutgers…your guess is as good as mine.  As Samuel L. Jackson says in Jurassic Park, “Hold on to your butt!”

Not In Consideration (Chronological Order)

• No Coach: 1869-1890, 1892-1894
• William A. Reynolds: 1891, 8-6
• H.W. Ambruster: 1895, 3-4
• John C.B. Pendleton: 1896-1897, 8-13
• William V.B. Van Dyck: 1898-1899, 3-15-1
• Michael F. Daly: 1900, 4-4
• Arthur P. Robinson: 1901, 0-7
• Harry W. Van Hoevenberg: 1902, 3-7
• Oliver D. Mann: 1903, 1905, 7-10-1
• A.E. Hitchner: 1904, 1-6
• Frank H. Gorton: 1906-1907, 8-7-3
• Joseph Smith: 1908, 3-5-1
• Herman Pritchard: 1909, 3-5-1
• Howard Gargan: 1910-1912, 12-10-4
• John Wallace: 1924-1926, 12-14-1
• John Stiegman: 1956-1959, 22-15 (8-4)
• Dick Anderson: 1984-1989, 28-33-4
• Doug Graber: 1990-1995, 29-36-1 (11-20-1)
• Terry Shea: 1996-2000, 11-44 (4-31)
• Kyle Flood: 2012-present, 24-16 (11-12)

Coach Flood’s mark includes Saturday’s win over Norfolk State

Did Not Place (7th to 4th)

• Harry Rockafeller: 1929-1930, 1942-1945, 33-26-1

To be honest, just having a winning record gets you in contention at Rutgers but I felt this list would be remiss without Rockafeller since he also served as athletic director.  In the strange days of being an independent and apart of the ‘Middle Three Conference’ his club was routinely factors in that strange collection of teams.

• J. Wilder Tasker: 1931-1937, 31-27-5

Much like Rockafeller, Tasker is above the rest of the riff raff but not very great.  His 1932-1935 teams went a combined 8-0 against ‘Middle Three’ foes and can be considered champions; however the official records of the school claim they are independents in this era.

• Harvey Harman: 1939-1941, 1946-1955, 33-26-1, 19-7

Tired of the ‘Middle Three’ yet?  I am.  Despite records saying they are independent they went undefeated seven times in that grouping.  He won seven games five times with one of them being an 8 win season (1947).  That was the most wins in a single season until 1961.

• George Sanford: 1913-1923, 56-32-5

Led the Knights to three seven-win seasons and until John F. Bateman beat him out, he held the record for most wins in program history at 56.  In fact, that total is still good enough for 4th all time at RU.

Bronze Medal

Greg Schiano: 2001-2011, 68-67 (28-48)

This was difficult for me to put Schiano this low because he undoubtedly oversaw the best run of Rutgers football (05-09) and was the head man for the second best season in school history (2006, 11 wins, 16th in final poll).  He has the most appearances and wins in bows (5-1) so if you have him ahead of me, I understand.  My reservation is the start of his tenure was woeful and he always lost at least two league games and never won a league crown.  The Big East was in so much flux at the time too and his clubs could never take advantage, clearly reflected in a whole 20 games under .500 in the league.

Silver Medal

John F. Bateman: 1960-1972, 73-51 (8-0)

Bateman has the second most wins in school history but pulled down two Middle Atlantic Conference – University Division titles going a combined 8-0 in those seasons.  He also got Rutgers to one of their few final poll rankings in 1961 with a final rank of 15th.  Indecently, that 1961 team is one of just two modern era Scarlet Knight clubs to go undefeated or untied, finishing 9-0.

Gold Medal

Frank R. Burns: 1973-1983, 78-43-1

Not only is he atop the list for wins he led the team to an impressive 45-11 stretch in the late 1970s.  His 1976 crew went 11-0 and finished in both polls at 17th.  In 1978 he led the long dormant program to their first ever bowl appearance.  I think consistency from his first season on sets him apart from Schiano and more wins in fewer season gives him the edge over Bateman.