Flood rises to top job at Rutgers

2:37 PM, Jan 31, 2012   |    comments
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Piscataway, NJ (Sports Network) - Rutgers has named Kyle Flood as its new head football coach to replace Greg Schiano.

Flood was given the job on an interim basis last week when Schiano decided to take the vacancy with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Flood has spent the past seven seasons on the Rutgers staff, including four as assistant head coach.

Rutgers reportedly looked elsewhere for Schiano's full-time replacement, as the New York Times on Monday said Florida International's Mario Cristobal turned down the Scarlet Knights -- in part because it was too close to Wednesday's national signing day. Cristobal was an assistant at Rutgers from 2001-03.

Schiano spent the past 11 seasons at Rutgers and posted a record of 68-67 at the New Jersey school. He turned around a Scarlet Knights program that had just one bowl appearance prior to his arrival into a perennial postseason contender.

Rutgers has been to bowl games in six of the past seven seasons, including a Pinstripe Bowl win over Iowa State in December that capped a 9-4 season. The Scarlet Knights have a record of 56-33 in the past seven years, with only one losing season in that span.

Flood joined the Rutgers staff in 2005 after spending three seasons as an assistant at Delaware. He was also the offensive line coach at Hofstra from 1997-2001.

Rutgers has promoted an assistant to the head coaching position for the first time since Frank Burns took over for John Bateman in 1973.

The Sports Network