On Monday, January 16th, Rutgers head coach, Greg Schiano and the new offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca held a press conference to discuss the future of the program. Within the press conference, Schiano provided an update on how Ciarrocca will be given a large leadership role and gave some insight into what the hiring process was like. Most importantly, the Rutgers head coach describes Ciarrocca as “exactly what Rutgers needs” and here is why.
Rutgers Head Coach Discussion on New Offensive Coordinator
Ciarrocca was hired in December to be the new offensive coordinator for the Scarlet Knights football team. This was an important process that Rutgers had to go through, coming off a poor season. Many players from the 2022 season will be returning as of now, and a lot will need to be fixed.
According to Chris Nalwasky, Rutgers reporter for The Athletic, Sciano plans to give their new offensive coordinator a big leadership role. It was also noted during the press conference that the Rutgers head coach believes that Ciarrocca can design a system that works best with their current players. In the 2022 season, the Scarlet Knights had to rush the ball as much as they could due to a poor passing game. Ciarrocca stated in the press conference that he values a balance between offensive plays, and this will be something to watch for during the 2023 season.
Rutgers Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator QB Plans
The largest issue in the 2022 season was that Rutgers rotated between three quarterbacks, and there was nothing outstanding about that position. When a quarterback cannot make a big play, it is easy for the opposing team’s defense to make stops.
Schiano and Kirk have obviously discussed the vision of the offense. Schiano will give Kirk a lot of leadership of the offense and imprint of the offense.
Also says he is a good developer of QBs.— Chris Nalwasky (@ChrisNalwasky) January 16, 2023
One of the most important aspects of Ciarrocca’s job will be to find a way to get the Scarlet Knights the quarterback they deserve. In 2022, the Scarlet Knights only had a total of 1,847 passing yards along with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, all between three quarterbacks, according to ESPN. This will need to be fixed, and Ciarrocca spoke more about this today along with the Rutgers head coach.
Kirk also says he just wants to win and needs to get the ball in the right people to influence the game the right way. He’s excited to meet the players later today and find out the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
— Chris Nalwasky (@ChrisNalwasky) January 16, 2023
A lot will need to be fixed on the Scarlet Knights’ offense, and it appears that Schiano and Ciarrocca are working closely to fix the 2022 season’s mistakes. Ciarrocca is set to meet the current players later today to understand their strengths and weaknesses as a player.
This is not Ciarrocca’s first tenure with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, as he was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach back in 2008-2010. He was let go by the Rutgers head coach at the time, who was actually also Schiano. With experience coaching for other Big Ten teams, such as Penn State and Minnesota, as well as experience working with quarterbacks, Schiano trusts Ciarrocca to make a difference for this Scarlet Knights team.
The Rutgers Spring Game will take place on April 29th, per the Rutgers head coach. This could be the first idea of how different the offense will be with Kirk Ciarrocca taking the offensive coordinator role.
For More NFL Content:
Here is my most recent article on the Breaking News regarding the Penn State Nittany Lions. Check out this article on the 2023 Rose Bowl. Also, check out the top Rutgers game of the 2022 season.
Be sure to check out this 49ers article here, on their NFC West Wild Card win. Check out my most recent article on why their game came down to mentality over physicality. Also, check out this article on where defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans will coach in the 2023 season.
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