Who is Robb Smith? Rutgers' new target to join Greg Schiano's coaching staff

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have improved since Greg Schiano stepped in before the 2020 season. Last season, the Scarlet Knights had their second straight winning season, going 7-6. They finished in the middle of the Big Ten and are looking to take another step forward.

Now, Schiano wants to add to his coaching staff. On Tuesday, insider Pete Thamel reported that the Scarlet Knights are set to hire Robb Smith as the school's co-defense coordinator and defensive play caller.

"Sources: Rutgers is set to hire Robb Smith as the school’s co-defense coordinator and defensive play caller. This will be his third stop as a defensive coordinator at Rutgers, and third time overall at the school. He’s been the DC at Arkansas, Minnesota and Duke," he tweeted.

Robb Smith is set to join Greg Schiano at Rutgers for the third time

With Robb Smith expected to join Greg Schiano's coaching staff at Rutgers, it will be the third time the two coaches have worked together as members of the Scarlet Knights. Schiano was previously the head coach of the Scarlet Knights from 2001 to 2011. After struggling the first five seasons, the team had winning records in all but one season from 2005 to 2011.

Smith joined the team as an assistant coach in 2009 and stayed until 2012. In the three seasons the two coaches worked together, the Scarlet Knights were 9-4, 4-8, and 9-4. This will be Smith's third stint with the school. He was also the team's defensive coordinator from 2020 to 2021.

In addition to those two stints at Rutgers, Schiano and Smith worked together in the NFL. Schiano was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and 2013, and Smith joined the team as the linebackers coach in 2013.

For much of its history, Rutgers has struggled to be any more than a middling team. Since the turn of the century, the Scarlet Knights have had 10 wins or more (11 wins in 2006) in only one season.

Schiano and Smith could take the team to the next level. This is their fourth time working together, so they should know how to function with different players.