Greg Schiano
He resurrected a moribund college football program, turning Rutgers into a national story and a pipeline to the NFL.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American football coach·Birthday: June 1·Generation X
Biography
Greg Schiano’s coaching story is inextricably linked with Rutgers University, a place where college football was an afterthought before his arrival. Taking over in 2001, he embarked on a grueling rebuild, instilling a disciplined, hard-nosed culture that came to be known as 'The Chop.' His relentless work paid off in 2006, when he led the Scarlet Knights to a landmark season, an 11–2 record, and a top-10 national ranking—a feat that seemed impossible years earlier. Schiano’s tenure transformed the program’s facilities, expectations, and reputation, producing numerous NFL players. After a brief, tumultuous stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he returned to Rutgers in 2020 to attempt a second revival, cementing his legacy as the most significant figure in the school’s football history.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Greg was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Rutgers to its first bowl game victory in school history, winning the 2006 Texas Bowl.
- Guided the 2006 Rutgers team to an 11–2 record and a final ranking of No. 12 in the AP Poll.
- Coached and developed numerous NFL players at Rutgers, including Pro Bowl defensive back Devin McCourty.
- Became the all-time winningest head coach in Rutgers football history.
- Won three Big East Coach of the Year awards (2006, 2012 co-winner).
Did You Know?
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Rutgers in 1989 under head coach Doug Graber.
Schiano served as the defensive coordinator for the University of Miami's 2001 national championship team before taking the Rutgers job.
He is known for his intense, detail-oriented practices, often referred to as 'Schiano Time,' where being late is unacceptable.
His son, Joe Schiano, is a filmmaker who directed the documentary 'The Rutgers 1000.'
“The only way you can change a culture is you have to change the people, or you have to change the people.”
