Everything Greg Schiano said during 2026 Big Ten Media Day

Rutgers was present during the first day of Big Ten Media Days from Chicago.

On Tuesday morning, head coach Greg Schiano took the podium before joining the Big Ten Network, along with player representatives KJ Duff, Antwan Raymond, and Kwabena Asamoah.

Here is what Greg Schiano had to say during his appearances about the upcoming season.

On program changes people do not see:

“I believe strongly in protecting the football but also taking the football away. We did a great job protecting the football and I expect to do even better. It’s a programmatic thing that goes throughout our entire coaching staff, every player, our trainers, our equipment manager. Anyone is allowed to coach ball security within our program. What we need to do is get better at taking the ball away. We need to get better at defense period. That is why we hired Travis Johansen as our new coordinator. I am really thrilled and excited to see the chemistry between the players and the coaches.”

“I believe strongly in protecting the football but also taking the football away. We did a great job protecting the football and I expect to do even better. It’s a programmatic thing that goes throughout our entire coaching staff, every player, our trainers, our equipment manager. Anyone is allowed to coach ball security within our program. What we need to do is get better at taking the ball away. We need to get better at defense period. That is why we hired Travis Johansen as our new coordinator. I am really thrilled and excited to see the chemistry between the players and the coaches.”

On matchup with Indiana and Curt Cignetti:

“First of all, congratulations to Coach Cignetti and the entire Indiana program. We’re all very proud. Three different national champions, different programs. That’s what one of the things that makes the Big Ten the best conference in the country. I’m excited about the opportunity to coach against Coach Cig. I haven’t had that chance. Family relationships, I’ve worked with his brother so we’re familiar with each other. That’s just another great Big Ten football game that we expect to be competitive in.”

“First of all, congratulations to Coach Cignetti and the entire Indiana program. We’re all very proud. Three different national champions, different programs. That’s what one of the things that makes the Big Ten the best conference in the country. I’m excited about the opportunity to coach against Coach Cig. I haven’t had that chance. Family relationships, I’ve worked with his brother so we’re familiar with each other. That’s just another great Big Ten football game that we expect to be competitive in.”

On defensive scheme under Johansen:

“It’s going to be a little different. I think it’s going to be a mix of a lot of things. I think Travis has an understanding on what we need to do with the personnel that we have. That to me is coaching. Using the players, putting them in the best position to make plays. I think Travis is a really talented coach, not just in the X’s and O’s. Like I said earlier, he’s building relationships and chemistry. I’m excited about the course where we’re headed.”

“It’s going to be a little different. I think it’s going to be a mix of a lot of things. I think Travis has an understanding on what we need to do with the personnel that we have. That to me is coaching. Using the players, putting them in the best position to make plays. I think Travis is a really talented coach, not just in the X’s and O’s. Like I said earlier, he’s building relationships and chemistry. I’m excited about the course where we’re headed.”

On managing personalities to enhance culture:

“It’s becoming more and more of a factor as college football grows. To me, it’s about relationships. There’s nothing about relationships that are easy. It takes time, it takes investment. You have to be willing to do that. One of the things that thrills me about the vertical alignment at Rutgers is that I get to take more time to take interest in the players lives. My goal is to win a national championship at Rutgers, but my purpose is to make sure that every young person that’s put under my watch, that we’re developing them as husbands, as fathers, and being a productive member of society. To be able to do that because I’m not running all over New Jersey and New York to raise NIL funds, that’s what I mean when I say vertical alignment.”

“It’s becoming more and more of a factor as college football grows. To me, it’s about relationships. There’s nothing about relationships that are easy. It takes time, it takes investment. You have to be willing to do that. One of the things that thrills me about the vertical alignment at Rutgers is that I get to take more time to take interest in the players lives. My goal is to win a national championship at Rutgers, but my purpose is to make sure that every young person that’s put under my watch, that we’re developing them as husbands, as fathers, and being a productive member of society. To be able to do that because I’m not running all over New Jersey and New York to raise NIL funds, that’s what I mean when I say vertical alignment.”

On what needs to improve from 2025:

“We had an offense that I thought was good enough to win nine, 10, maybe even 11 games, but we were really poor on defense. It was no mystery on what we had to fix. We’ve been fixing it for the last eight months. We went out and hired Coach Johansen. It doesn’t mean that we start where we left off on offense. You have to adapt.”

“We had an offense that I thought was good enough to win nine, 10, maybe even 11 games, but we were really poor on defense. It was no mystery on what we had to fix. We’ve been fixing it for the last eight months. We went out and hired Coach Johansen. It doesn’t mean that we start where we left off on offense. You have to adapt.”

“It is the best part of the job for me. The fact that I get to see my sons everyday at work. They’re all spread out in different units but they’re learning from great coaches. They’re helping our program. I see how hard they work. You’re coach’s kids and your sons the head coach, you want to help anyway you can.”

“It is the best part of the job for me. The fact that I get to see my sons everyday at work. They’re all spread out in different units but they’re learning from great coaches. They’re helping our program. I see how hard they work. You’re coach’s kids and your sons the head coach, you want to help anyway you can.”

On quarterback competition following Kaliakmanis:

“This is a little different. He (Kirk Ciarrocca) has worked with AJ for two years and Dylan has come in and really  himself with the program. That’s how Kirk is. Kirk is gonna lock himself in a room with the quarterbacks and probably not unlock for a few hours. They both performed very well this spring so I was not ready to make a decision. We’ll make one at some point during camp.”

“This is a little different. He (Kirk Ciarrocca) has worked with AJ for two years and Dylan has come in and really  himself with the program. That’s how Kirk is. Kirk is gonna lock himself in a room with the quarterbacks and probably not unlock for a few hours. They both performed very well this spring so I was not ready to make a decision. We’ll make one at some point during camp.”

“It didn’t happen fast. I thought I had a guy picked right away and accepted then kind of backed out of it. Sometimes the best things that happen are the things that don’t. Once I got with Travis, I knew this was the right guy. I’ve been excited about what he’s done since he arrived. Organized, really fine technically fundamentally, and he builds relationships…I have all the faith in Travis. We’ll be a much better defense. It’s just how much better.”

“It didn’t happen fast. I thought I had a guy picked right away and accepted then kind of backed out of it. Sometimes the best things that happen are the things that don’t. Once I got with Travis, I knew this was the right guy. I’ve been excited about what he’s done since he arrived. Organized, really fine technically fundamentally, and he builds relationships…I have all the faith in Travis. We’ll be a much better defense. It’s just how much better.”

“Some of it was schematic. You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth. I felt sometimes we were down the middle and I’m part of that. I’m guilty as charged. I’m excited about fundamentally what we’re doing and I think that will lead to more takeaways. But mostly sound defense. If they’re going to score, they’re going to have to work for it.”

“Some of it was schematic. You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth. I felt sometimes we were down the middle and I’m part of that. I’m guilty as charged. I’m excited about fundamentally what we’re doing and I think that will lead to more takeaways. But mostly sound defense. If they’re going to score, they’re going to have to work for it.”

“You wish after that first scrimmage. I think our first scrimmage is practice 12. But if it’s not time yet, it’s not time yet but it better be the week after. I don’t want to go much more than that because right soon after that, you’re getting into your first game prep for UMass.”

“You wish after that first scrimmage. I think our first scrimmage is practice 12. But if it’s not time yet, it’s not time yet but it better be the week after. I don’t want to go much more than that because right soon after that, you’re getting into your first game prep for UMass.”

“I think it’s a big thing, especially in this league. The first four or five years of NIL, it was a one or two man shop in our building. To compete in this league is hard to do. When President Tate was hired, Keli Zinn got hired. Now, all of a sudden, the President, athletic director, and head football coach, we all saw winning at Rutgers the same way. We also saw the investment that must be made to do that. We don’t have to be at the top, we learn to do more with less, but you can’t be that much less. I think it’s in a good spot and it’s only going to get better.

“I think it’s a big thing, especially in this league. The first four or five years of NIL, it was a one or two man shop in our building. To compete in this league is hard to do. When President Tate was hired, Keli Zinn got hired. Now, all of a sudden, the President, athletic director, and head football coach, we all saw winning at Rutgers the same way. We also saw the investment that must be made to do that. We don’t have to be at the top, we learn to do more with less, but you can’t be that much less. I think it’s in a good spot and it’s only going to get better.

As long as we have vertical alignment, I think NIL and all those things will help Rutgers make a faster climb. I also thing when you have access and expand the college football playoff, that access will make for much more exciting games in November.”

As long as we have vertical alignment, I think NIL and all those things will help Rutgers make a faster climb. I also thing when you have access and expand the college football playoff, that access will make for much more exciting games in November.”

“I love going heavy offensive line in high school kids. It’s probably the position you hit on the least so throw your developmental money there, get guys in the program and develop them from there. By the time you have to pay them, you know if they’re good fits for your programs. I think the needs of your team are going to dictate that as well. You can have your philosophy but if a couple guys walk out the door, your philosophy is going to change quickly.”

“I love going heavy offensive line in high school kids. It’s probably the position you hit on the least so throw your developmental money there, get guys in the program and develop them from there. By the time you have to pay them, you know if they’re good fits for your programs. I think the needs of your team are going to dictate that as well. You can have your philosophy but if a couple guys walk out the door, your philosophy is going to change quickly.”