Greg Schiano: Big Ten is the 'ultimate conference in college athletics' | NBC Sports

coach you're five into the second sent with this program how far do you feel this build is well everything is a lot better than it was when we got here and uh you know whether it's the culture is maturing the pipeline full of talent is close to full U facilities much much better academically our guys you know in the weight room were more mature and developed so that's what you know we're a developmental program and that's what it takes it takes time to just build it step by step but uh I'm pleased what changes are different from your first scent with the program compared to when you came back well we started out at a much better place facilities wise and those things uh and we're playing in the Big 10 conference that's the biggest difference right uh the fact that you know being in what I believe is the ultimate conference in college athletics right it's the in football it's The Sweet Spot between elite football and Elite academics and uh no matter how much there's nil and transfer report all those things it's still college football so uh to have the academic institutions we have in this league yet play at the level that we do that to me is what it's all about what kind of changes and challenges does four new teams four big programs bring to this conference oh I think it brings a lot number one the biggest challenge is four really good programs right so just up the level again which I love um but then there's the travel right I mean you're talking about tipto tip New York to LA New York to to to uh Seattle so you're talking about you know spanning the whole country but I think it's great I think for football uh to have big 10 football on all day and all night that's that's awesome you're outpacing wins wise your first go around with this does that change expectations for you going into this season you know what I have a vision of what we're there to do and how we're going to do it and then from there I just kind of keep my head down you know we talk about chopping all the time and that Choop in the moment to me is the key right and I think you know there's two thieves there's the there's the past and there's the future and they'll steal from the present if you're not careful so we really work on programmatically keeping everybody in the here and now and that keeps it kind of simple too as much as it's two different seasons can you take a bowl game win and kind of push that momentum into a Following Season yeah I don't know there's so much time and activity that occurs in between I think what you you do though is you learn from every experience right we're all an accumulation of our experiences so to go through that experience be a traditional program like Miami in the game that was big uh again a lot of the coaches have done this before but these players haven't so it's a step in the direction that we need to go I got to ask you about Kyle manangi just a special Workhorse pack and obviously one of the top running backs in the Co in college football what does he bring for your offense when you have that guy that you can turn around and hand the ball to him 20 times a game and guaranteed get over a thousand yards well there's no guarantees first off but uh you know I think it starts with the offensive line um and Kyle will be the first want to tell you that they've improved and continuing to improve and then Kyle is just such a a violent Runner you know he's he's patient he's patient and then when he decides to go my goodness and he doesn't stop and uh you know Kirk Shaka our offensive coordinator and Kyle manong they're made for each other I mean what we do offensively and how how we do it and Kyle's just been uh you know doing a tremendous job and we need him to what about the growth and pass protection from him I think that's you know everybody knows how good of a runner he is but when you watch the games the block he makes it's just feels like he has a different DNA for the position well he came you know I be honest he came Dan Sabella his head coach at donbosco prep did a great job getting him prepared because he came to Ruckers understanding protection understanding how to he understood the scheme and he's just gotten better and better and better damir Shaw running back's coach does a great job of teaching everybody wants to carry the ball but that part where you got to go block that defensive end and especially in this league could be 290 pound defensive end um Kyle has has shown it time and time again on tape that he'll Stone him you get a transfer quarterback and Athan cak Manis what kind of playmaking does he bring to the table I know a younger more inexperienced quarterback but somebody that's had some big flashes in the conference already I think the fact that he's played in this league and won in this league uh that's important he's done a great job coming into ruter and assuming nothing learning everything um and slowly establishing himself as our quarterback and as our leader and one of the reasons I named him starter after you know right after the spring game was he earned it it was clear um and that gave him this opportunity this summer I really feel to to make this his team and I think he's done a good job of that having an established Run game what does that do for a quarterback especially his first year starting for this program I think it certainly takes the heat off a little bit right the fact of the matter is you know today's today's game some of this P game is just an extension of the Run game so he's very good at doing that he's he's shown the ability to throw the Deep ball I'm excited though about his leadership I'm excited about his mind for the game and uh but he's got to go do it you know and that's that's what uh we're all hoping and waiting and praying to see but I have a lot of confidence in in Athan he's he's our kind of guy the defense was Stout last year what kind of jump can you expect from them and how do they do it well coach Harris simc I mean he is he's a special coach I've never been more excited about our leadership you know with Coach Shaka and coach haris simc and Coach haris semc coordinates our defense does a great job we have a lot of returning guys a lot of guys that'll be NFL players so they need to go out and play and again that's again don't let the future steal you know and don't let that past steel stay right here and do it and and I think our guys really believe that they've bought into that and now we got to go do it you hinted at some of the changes in the college football landscape just what kind of new challenges does that bring and how much harder does that make coaching at the college level you know a lot of people love to talk about it it's not the same the kids are the same do they have a little more money in their pocket yeah my my parking lot at the facilities change I can promise you that it looks a little different um but our players you know one of the things about our program that we make very clear during recruiting and now we've been there for four years you know these guys have with the exception of a few have all been recruited by my staff is they understand exactly what they're coming to we're different we have to be different uh we don't have the the blue blood BigTime program you know we've been playing longer than anybody but it was at a lower level for a lot of years um so we have to be different and the guys choose recors I believe because they believe in the way they're going to be developed not just on the football field but as men and and academically and in life and when they get there it's it's hard and I want them to know it's going to be hard you know I don't I don't try to candy coat that but I think you know the payoff is Big did coaching at the NFL level help you a little more than maybe a college coach that didn't have experience with Pros as the game kind of changes and like you said you hinted at the nil and the transer portal and all this change I think a little bit you know uh unfortunately when I went to the NFL I didn't really understand the business side of it I learned on the Fly not a good idea Just for future reference but I think I learned a lot about the business side of it and then there's more of that in college football now right with with nil and now with the potential of the you know the revenue share so it's an interesting time but as I've said to a lot of people you know they say oh it's never been we've had upheavals I've been doing this 37 years we've had upheavals at different times at different segments and we'll have more uh but college football is still the greatest game there is and this stuff will settle down and college football will continue to be the greatest game thank you coach thank you