Rutgers Keeps Greg Schiano for 2027 Season
Rutgers will retain head football coach Greg Schiano for 2027 rather than pay a costly buyout after a 2-7 start.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Football
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Should Rutgers keep coach Greg Schiano for another season despite a 2-7 record?
Rutgers University will keep head football coach Greg Schiano for the 2027 season and will not buy out his contract. The decision comes as the Scarlet Knights stand 2-7 in the 2026 season.
Why it matters
A buyout would have cost the school about $18 million after this season, plus the cost of buying out the coaching staff. Speculation about Schiano's job status followed the team's struggles in 2026, and the decision gives him the chance to build a more competitive roster next year.
Rutgers stands at 2-7 in 2026 after a 31-10 loss at Wisconsin, with starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan and wide receiver KJ Duff both injured. A buyout would have cost roughly $18 million plus staff buyout costs, and the extraction does not specify those staff costs.
The players
Greg Schiano
Greg Schiano is the head football coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, a former head coach of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a longtime college program builder.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University is a public research university in New Jersey whose Scarlet Knights compete in the Big Ten Conference.
The details
Rutgers lost to UMass to open the 2026 season and fell 31-10 at Wisconsin, with injuries to starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan and wide receiver KJ Duff compounding the team's struggles. The Scarlet Knights next play Nebraska on Nov. 14.
Timeline
The 2026 season opened with a loss to UMass.
Rutgers plays Nebraska on Nov. 14, 2026.
Schiano is set to return as head coach for the 2027 season.
Season Trajectory
The decision keeps Schiano in place through a difficult 2026 campaign in which Rutgers has struggled with injuries at quarterback and receiver. Retaining him preserves the coaching continuity Rutgers would otherwise have traded for a costly buyout.
Schiano's retention means the same coaching staff will likely guide the 2027 roster, which fans and fantasy managers can track through the offseason. The buyout avoidance also means the school keeps the approximately $18 million it would have paid out.
The takeaway
Rutgers chose continuity over a costly reset after a 2-7 season. Whether Schiano can turn the roster around in 2027 will be the real test of the decision.
What happens next
Rutgers hosts Nebraska on Nov. 14, 2026, the next game on the schedule.
Further reading
Keep up with the Scarlet Knights in our Football coverage section.
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Should Rutgers keep coach Greg Schiano for another season despite a 2-7 record?
