Rutgers football big board 2.0: Who will be the next linebackers coach?
The Rutgers football search for a new linebackers coach is set to enter its third week, and RutgersWire has updates to the coaching big board for the open position.
No hire has been made yet to replace C.J. Hetherman, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Minnesota. Hetherman will be tough to replace, given that he was a gifted coach and communicator and a strong recruiter.
That of course certainly doesn’t mean that Rutgers isn’t on the move and that head coach Greg Schiano isn’t trying to line up a coach.
Scroll down and check out who made the RutgersWire big board (2.0) to be the next linebackers coach with the Scarlet Knights. There are a few internal candidates for the role as well as a far-fetched name or two.
Charlie Noonan (Rutgers football quality control)
There are several people around the program who believe that Charlie Noonan is ready to take the next step and become the team’s linebackers coach. Currently a quality control coach, Noonan coached linebackers at Lehigh and was the Patriot League program’s run defensive coordinator.
Noonan is known as a hard worker and a solid recruiter. A former Rutgers player, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 as an undrafted rookie free agent. Nice bit of cache there on his resume.
He knows the system and knows defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak’s scheme, having coached in it for two years. Young and energetic, he would make for a seamless transition for Rutgers.
Jared Keyte (Rutgers football quality control)
Out of all the internal candidates, Keyte would have the most experience and perhaps, most importantly, the most experience coaching linebackers.
This past season, he stepped up at Rutgers and was the interim defensive line coach when Marquise Watson had to step away due to illness. Prior to returning to Rutgers in 2023, he spent seven seasons at the FCS level with Maine. In 2022, he was Maine’s defensive coordinator. He also spent two years coaching linebackers, perhaps giving him the inside lane for this position.
Keyte would be another hire who would provide a smooth transition for Rutgers.
Stephen Belichick (New England Patriots outside linebackers coach)
This one is admittedly a long shot, as Belichick will likely land in the NFL and potentially could be a defensive coordinator. He might even stay with the New England Patriots.
But the former Rutgers football long snapper could be an interesting hire. If he doesn’t end up getting hired or wants to branch out on his own (his father is a famous head coach, for what it is worth), could he land back at Rutgers for a season or two?
Having coached outside linebackers with the New England Patriots, a move to linebackers coach could be the path to being a defensive coordinator (which might happen soon in the NFL) or a head coach at the college level.
Again, a lot of things have to happen for this to happen. But the Rutgers connection is there and genuine.
Belichick would have to be available (which is likely to not happen) and he’d want to transition to a college job (which also is likely to not happen).
Kenny Anunike (defensive coordinator at Fordham)
Having just completed his fourth year at Fordham where he was the defensive coordinator, there are ties to Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano.
In 2018 and 2019, Anunike was a graduate assistant at Ohio State when Schiano was the defensive coordinator.
His familiarity with the region is a plus for recruiting. So too is the fact that he is from Ohio. Anunike was a standout edge at Duke. He spent two years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and then the New York Jets.
Dennis Dottin-Carter (Minnesota football senior analyst)
Rutgers has raided the Minnesota staff before (Joe Harasymiak, Kirk Ciarrocca most recently) so this could be an interesting angle to pursue.
Dottin-Carter spent one season at Yale as their co-defensive coordinator before moving to the Big Ten. As a position coach, he has focused on the defensive line but his time at Yale would give him familiarity all over the defense.
And his time at Minnesota would make him familiar with a scheme similar to Rutgers.
Has also coached at UConn, Delaware and Maine so he knows how to recruit much of the turf Rutgers covers.
Dave Wannstedt (Big Ten Network analyst)
The moustached one made this list last time and he makes it again, if only because it would be intriguing. Now working as a media analyst, Wannstedt was linked to a role with Northwestern this past summer in the aftermath of their own head coaching search.
Keep in mind that in 2013, Wannstedt was the special teams coordinator on Schiano’s staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Perhaps Wannstedt could be enticed with a dual role?
Would Wannstedt want to leave his role as an analyst to hit the road, coaching and recruiting? Not likely. But if he has the itch to coach again, he would certainly be over-qualified for the role (after all, he was twice an NFL head coach) and a fascinating hire who would impact the linebackers position and special teams.
Siriki Diabate (UConn linebackers coach)
Young and energetic, Diabate is on the trajectory to be a Power Five coach and coordinator someday, if not a head coach. He has done very well with the UConn linebackers unit since he joined the UConn staff two years ago.
From the Bronx, he knows the New York City area that Rutgers is recruiting more consistently under Schiano. He played his college football at Syracuse and was a captain.
Is Diabate ready to take the next step and become a Power Five assistant coach? He certainly has a strong resume and is a very solid recruiter (he recruits south Florida for UConn)
Drew Wilkins (former New York Giants linebackers coach)
Wilkins was recently let go by the Giants but he has a strong resume as a linebackers coach in the NFL Before these past two seasons in New York, he spent eight years as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens.
Former Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty landed at Rutgers last offseason, why not Wilkins this year?
From the outskirts of Philadelphia, Wilkins spent a couple of seasons in college with Maryland as a student assistant. There he worked on Ralph Friedgen, a former Rutgers offensive coordinator, and current Penn State head coach James Franklin.
