Rutgers coach Greg Schiano leaving NJ for Tampa Bay Bucs

Greg Schiano has coached at Rutgers for well over a decade. During that time he changed a disgraced football program into a respectable winning club that included five bowl victories, and his tenure was highlighted by a 11-2 season in 2006 that saw Rutgers compete in the BCS power rankings.

After leading Rutgers to a 9-4 record this year, and an emotional victory over Iowa State in the Pinstripe Bowl, no one would have guessed that Schiano would leave. Sure, he has flirted with Miami University and Michigan over the years, but nothing came of those opportunities. Schiano stayed in New Jersey and kept the Scarlet Knights legitimate in the Big East.

Now Rutgers will have have to start all over again. Schiano is gone. Reports surfaced Thursday that Schiano will become the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making the quantum leap from the NCAA to the NFL.

In what has become a very weird hiring season with NFL teams settling for lesser known coordinators, leaving the likes of veterans like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, and Steve Mariucci on the sidelines looking for work, this move by the Bucs is most surprising.

The Bucs tried to lure Oregon head coach Chip Kelly but to no avail. Schiano was apparently interviewing with the Rams before that club settled for ex-Titans coach Jeff Fisher.

Schiano went 68-67 at Rutgers. It will be interesting to see whether he can actually succeed in the NFL. Most college coaches come up snake eyes in the NFL. Bobby Petrino failed with the Falcons, Nick Saban failed with the Dolphins. Only Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson succeeded at the transition from college to the NFL, as both coaches led the Dallas Cowboys to Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.

Can Schiano bring the Bucs back to respectability? It remains to be seen, and it will be interesting to watch.