- Aug 24, 2001
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After coming within a 52-yard field goal of bringing Rutgers its first Big East title in school history, Greg Schiano has risen to the top of many schools' wish lists this holiday season. But his wish is to stay at Rutgers.
Schiano said at his weekly news conference Monday that he he talked with Miami in the last 24 hours about its vacant coaching job, but he told the school he's staying at Rutgers.
Schiano has a pre-existing relationship with Miami athletic director Paul Dee, having served as Miami's defensive coordinator from 1999-2000.
Rutgers struggled for years before its resurgence under Schiano, who on Friday was named Home Depot's coach of the year. This year, the Scarlet Knights won their first nine games and were ranked as high as No. 7 before going 1-2 down the stretch.
Despite that disappointment, Schiano said, his team won't let down for the Texas Bowl.
"Certainly, there's disappointment," he said. "We had an opportunity to be in the BCS, and more importantly to be league champions. To come close and not get it hurts.
SportsNation
"But in 137 years of football, we've only been to two bowl games, so we're thrilled to be going to another bowl game -- and for the first time in our history, to be going to back-to-back bowl games."
No. 13 Rutgers fell short of the Big East title and their first BCS berth with a 41-39, triple-overtime loss at No. 15 West Virginia on Saturday. The defeat gave Louisville the Big East's automatic bid as conference champion.
Rutgers' 10-2 season was its best since going 11-0 in 1976. On Sunday, the Scarlet Knights accepted an invitation to the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 in Houston, where they will take on Kansas State.
Miami has been in the market for a coach since the school fired Larry Coker on Nov. 24, a day after the Hurricanes beat Boston College 17-14 to salvage a 6-6 season. Coker, 59-15 with one national championship in his six years in Coral Gables, will coach the Canes in the MPC Computers Bowl on Dec. 31.