Greg Schiano-Gap Rating 5/10

He is the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Rutgers University football team.

Schiano grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, and attended Ramapo High School. He then attended Bucknell University, and graduated in 1988 with a B.S. in business administration.

In his playing career at Bucknell University, he was a three-year letterman at linebacker. In his junior year, he led his team with 114 tackles and was named to the All-Conference team. In his senior year, he was named team captain, and was named to The Sporting News Preseason All-American Team.

He and his wife Christy currently have four children.

Schiano began his coaching career in 1988 as an assistant coach at Ramapo High School. In 1989, he served as a graduate assistant at Rutgers. In 1990, he took the same position at Penn State, and then served as the defensive backfield coach there from 1991 until 1995.

From 1996 to 1998, Schiano coached in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. For his first two seasons there, he was a defensive assistant, and then was promoted in his third and final season with the Bears to defensive backfield coach.

Schiano's next coaching stop was at the University of Miami, where he served as defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2000. In 1999, the Canes finished the year ranked 12th in the NCAA's Division I-A in points allowed per game (17.2), and in 2000 moved up to 5th (15.5 points allowed per game).

On December 1, 2000, Schiano was named to his current position as head coach at Rutgers. In the 2001 season, his first season as head coach, the Scarlet Knights posted a 2-9 record (0-7 in the Big East), followed by a 1-11 mark (0-7 Big East) in 2002. This was followed by a 5-7 record (2-5 Big East) in 2003. In 2004, Schiano took on defensive coordinator responsibilities as well, and the team finished 4-7 (1-5 Big East). Although Schiano was producing solid recruiting classes, especially by Rutgers standards, his 3-24 record in conference games and 4-17 record in road games in those first four years were a cause for concern for some fans.

But things finally started to turn around for the program in the 2005 season. That year, the team finished with a 7-4 record, including a 4-3 conference record, and a nationally-televised 37-29 upset win over Pittsburgh and their coach Dave Wannstedt, a long-time friend of Schiano's and one-time colleague in Miami and Chicago. At season's end, Schiano and the Scarlet Knights accepted a bid to play in the Insight Bowl against Arizona State University, their first bowl game appearance since the 1978 Garden State Bowl (which, coincidentally, was also against Arizona State - Schiano was also at that game). During preparations for the Insight Bowl, Schiano signed a new contract, extending his contract through the 2012 season.

In the 2006 season, Schiano's Scarlet Knights achieved their first Top 25 ranking since 1976. Following week four of the college football season, Rutgers with a record of 4-0 was ranked #23 in the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. They are now at #15 in the country with a 9-0 record with a historic win against the Louisville Cardinals, beating them 28-25.

The list of current NFL players who once played under Schiano at Rutgers includes Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Haw, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Nate Jones and defensive lineman J'Vonne Parker, and Philadelphia Eagles tight end L.J. Smith. Additionally, in 2006, five of the program's graduating seniors signed free agent contracts with NFL teams: wide receiver Chris Baker (San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets), defensive end Val Barnaby (Detroit Lions, New York Jets), offensive lineman Sameeh McDonald (Detroit Lions), wide receiver Tres Moses (Baltimore Ravens), and defensive end Ryan Neill (Buffalo Bills). Current fullback Brian Leonard is a highly coveted NFL prospect and is likely to be selected in the early rounds of the 2007 NFL Draft.

His salary for 2006, including incentives, will be at least $1 million -- twice the salary of the university's president.