Rutgers is keeping Greg Schiano for 2027, with an $18.6 million buyout hanging over the decision

Greg Schiano will coach Rutgers again in 2027, athletic director Keli Zinn announced Tuesday, even with the Scarlet Knights at 2-7 and out of bowl contention.

Firing him would have been expensive. Schiano's contract runs through 2029, and he would have been owed $18.6 million if he had been let go this year, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. Dismissing the whole staff would have cost close to $28 million. NJ.com reported that the buyout was a large part of the decision, citing multiple people with knowledge of it.

What Zinn said

Zinn's statement did not dress up the season. "Our results are not acceptable for the expectations we have for our football program," she wrote, adding that keeping Schiano "is not reflective of a lowering of standards or an indication that everything is fine. It is not."

She told ESPN the main reason was the plan she and Schiano reviewed together. She wants Rutgers to be "more aggressive in the portal" this offseason. Rutgers ranks 125th nationally in scoring defense, according to ESPN, and did not hire a defensive coordinator last year until Feb. 11, long after the portal window.

The bigger picture

Schiano is the winningest coach in Rutgers history and will be in his 19th season over two stints. His second stint included back-to-back 7-6 seasons in 2023 and 2024. This is the second straight losing year.

The timing is partly about recruiting. Announcing now tells signees and portal targets who will be coaching them.

Rutgers has three games left, starting at home against Nebraska on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on BTN.