The title may sound a bit funny, but by the end of this article I hope you understand what I mean.
Greg Schiano started his Rutgers coaching career after coaching at several other minor and major programs, and faced a tough task when hired at Rutgers.
Rutgers was one of the worst football programs in the nation, but Schiano promised to change that, and bring the school to National prominence. Schiano did that, then left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job.
Mike Rice was hired after Rutgers basketball finished below .500 for four consectutive seasons under Fred Hill. Rice promised to bring in great recruiting classes, pack the RAC, and soon enough bring the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament.
It took Greg Schiano until 2006, six years into his tenure with Rutgers to get "signature" wins, but Mike Rice got one in his first year over Villanova, and has two this season over Connecticut and Florida.
The difference between Schiano and Rice is that Rice took the program and immediately got going. Rice put together a fantastic freshman class, a year after almost finishing .500 in the best conference in the league.
Now, Rice is hoping to get to the NCAA Tournament, which does not seem too crazy for a goal for next season. Rice will likely get offers from other schools hoping to pry him away, but will likely say no, as Rutgers is a big enough school.
Greg Schiano was the face of Rutgers football for years. Mike Rice is now the face of Rutgers basketball, and if I am correct, he will be for many years to come.