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Rutgers Football Welcomes Two New Assistants

Ben McDaniels and Mike Teel are two young guns who are poised to help offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen turn around the Rutgers offense.

By Kevin Recio
Getty Images

Kyle Flood rounded out his coaching staff earlier last week when he hired former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel and Ben McDaniels, who most recently coached with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At 28 years old and 33 years old, respectively, Teel and McDaniels bring the sort of young enthusiasm that college players can relate to. Let's take a look at the tale of the tape for each assistant:

Ben McDaniels

Age: 33

Hometown: Barberton, Ohio

Alma mater: Kent State University

Will coach: Wide Receivers

Coaching experience:

School/Organization Coaching Position Year(s)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive assistant 2012-2013
Columbia Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 2012
Denver Broncos Quarterbacks/offensive assistant 2010 (QBs), 2009 (OA)
Jackson High School (Massilon, OH) Quarterbacks 2008
Canton McKinley High School (Canton, OH) Quarterbacks 2006-2007
Minnesota Graduate assistant 2004-2005
Warren G. Harding High School (Warren, OH) Wide receivers 2003


With Greg Schiano out in Tampa, it paved the way for Flood to poach some coaches looking for a home, and it seems Flood found a good fit in McDaniels. Ben is the younger brother of former Denver Broncos head coach and current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Ben will take over WR coaching duties with Matt Simon leaving for a coaching position at Western Michigan.

He shows a rare amount of NFL experience for such a young coach, which is always good. Recruits are always interested in a guy who has a sense of how the NFL works and whether they have what it takes to play on Sundays. The real question is if this guy can recruit. Besides his tenure at Columbia, his only experience in college was at Minnesota as a graduate assistant from 2004-2005. His age should help him out on the recruiting trail, but the key will be his ability to build relationships. He's an Ohio guy - born and raised in the Buckeye State and played quarterback at Kent State. If he can open up a pipeline to some midwest high schools, it'll make Rutgers' transition to the Big Ten much easier.

More than likely, McDaniels is simply trying to round out his resume. Based on his current career projection, it seems he has an eye for the NFL (although his connection to the Broncos was simply due to his brother). It might be that the best hope is that he gets a good couple of years in Scarlet coaching up some of the young talent on the roster. Leonte Carroo is a future star, and Carlton Agudosi and Andre Patton are waiting in the wings. If he can develop these guys into NFL Draft picks, it'll be a win-win situation for him and for Rutgers.

Mike Teel

Age: 28

Hometown: Oakland, NJ

Alma mater: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Will be: Graduate assistant

Coaching experience:

School/Organization Coaching position Year(s)
Wagner College (FCS) Quarterbacks 2012
Kean University (D-III) Quarterbacks 2011

Mike Teel shouldn't need any introduction to Rutgers fans, as he is very well-known on the banks. As the school's all-time leading passer in yards and touchdowns, and as the signal-caller for the magical 2006 squad, Teel is a figure that is sure to be forever known in Scarlet lore. While his resume is relatively short, he does have some highlights. In his one and only season at Kean, he helped QB Tom D'Ambrisi have a career year as a senior, a season that ended with the school's first NCAA tournament bid.

Teel's career at Rutgers draws many parallels with Gary Nova. Both were undefeated as high school quarterbacks at Don Bosco Prep, both had plenty of talent to be starting for Rutgers, and both were wildly inconsistent (Nova more so). Based on his history, if anyone can get Nova on the right track, it should be Teel.

You also can't discount his loyalty. Those who played with Teel say that Scarlet runs deep in his veins, and he wants nothing more than to see his alma mater succeed on the gridiron. It's easy to get excited when a former player comes back wanting to establish himself as a coach who can bring glory to his old stomping grounds, and there are countless examples of that possibility being too good to be true. However, his devotion is an intangible that can't be ignored, and it feels better to give the position to someone who will treat it like his dream job rather than someone who treats it like a stepping stone.

A Solid Offensive Staff

Ben McDaniels and Mike Teel round out an offensive staff led by Ralph Friedgen, a coach whose experience speaks for itself. Defense will always be what defines Rutgers, 2013 notwithstanding. However, it's nice to get excited about the possibility of a capable offense that legitimately scares opposing defensive coordinators. For years, Rutgers would rely on the defense to make up for the lack of offense. For the first time in quite awhile, offense might be a positive in Piscataway.

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