Rutgers Football dismisses three defensive coaches
Rutgers Football has made three defensive coaching changes — a long-expected move after the season came to a close.
Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Play Caller Robb Smith, Co-Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach Zach Sparber, and Defensive Line Coach Colin Ferrell have all been informed they will not return. FootballScoop’s John Brice was the first to report the news.
All three coaches were let go amid an ugly season for the Scarlet Knights’ defense, which was not only ranked the worst in the Big Ten Conference but among the worst in the country overall. The 7.8 yards per play mark ranked last in the FBS ranks, and also the worst in Big Ten play this century.
While Ferrell’s contract was set to expire following the season — February 28th to be exact — Rutgers will owe buyouts to Smith and Sparber.
Smith signed a two-year deal and will be owed $800,000 for his 2026 salary. Sparber, on the other hand, signed a three-year contract, and will be owed $1.5 million for the two years remaining on his deal.
Both co-coordinators also contain offsetting language, should they find new jobs.
The collective defense
This past season, the Scarlet Knights gave up 35.5 points per game, which was the tied for the second second worst in the Big Ten with Purdue and ranked 117th out of 136 FBS college football programs this season.
On top of that, they are ranked dead last in the Big Ten in opposing yards per game, giving up 432.8 yards per game. More specifically they gave up 222.9 passing yards per game (14th in the B1G) and 209.9 rushing yards per game (18th in the B1G). Last, but not least they were the worst defense in Big Ten Conference play this century, giving up 7.6 yards against conference opponents.
Overall the defense was clearly one of the worst in the Big Ten, but also one of the worst among power-four schools, only beating out Boston College, NC State, Arkansas, and Syracuse in average yards per game given up.
Smith returned to Rutgers for a third time, after working in multiple defensive and special teams roles from 2009-12, then as the defensive coordinator when Schiano first returned in 2020 and 2021, and this time, his tenure only lasts one year.
With the move today to relieve Smith and Sparber of their duties, Head Coach Greg Schiano and the Rutgers Football program will begin the search for a new Defensive Coordinator immediately. This will be Schiano’s third DC since his return to the banks before the 2020 season. The previous two were Robb Smith (2020-21) and Joe Harasymiak (2022-24).
Sparber
The Scarlet Knights’ linebackers coach is let go after just one year in Piscataway, especially surprising as Sparber was billed as a young and up-and-coming coach. He originally joined the program after a season at James Madison as the linebackers coach for one of the better Group of Five defenses.
Following a standout playing career at Bergen Catholic, he played at Brown for four years, and later moved into coaching. He spent a year at Stonehill as the defensive line coach, before returning to his alma mater at Bergen Catholic to coach the offensive line, along with serving as a recruiting coordinator and assistant strength & conditioning coach.
He then found the Power Five ranks, coaching at Duke and Virginia Tech from 2018-23, climbing from a graduate assistant to a linebackers analyst. He coached under Smith in 2022, when he was the Blue Devils’ defensive coordinator.
Sparber worked as the linebackers coach at Rutgers in 2025, while also earning the Co-Defensive Coordinator title, a showcase of his high ceiling as a growing potential coordinator.
Ultimately, the linebackers — similar to many of the defensive position groups — struggled, particularly in the run game. The Scarlet Knights ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in several defensive categories, in both the pass and run.
Letting go of both Sparber and Smith means the defensive coordinator position will get a completely clean break, though not realizing Sparber’s potential is certainly a disappointment.
Ferrell
Another New Jersey native, Ferrell played defensive tackle at Kent State from 2004-2007 after growing up in Hamilton. Following a short stint in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Ferrell rejoined the Kent State Football program in 2013 as a graduate assistant. He took on numerous coaching designations during his decade with the Golden Flashes, including serving as the interim head coach in 2017, and remained as the defensive line coach from 2019-2023.
Ferrell was brought in to join the Rutgers defensive staff following the 2023 season. The connections he had made at Kent State did contribute to the roster of the Scarlet Knights over the past couple of seasons. Most notably, he flipped defensive line recruit Farell Gnago, and played a role in the acquisition of defensive tackle Oliver Billotte via the transfer portal.
Pass rush production has been a struggle for the Scarlet Knights since Greg Schiano’s return, but over the past two seasons, the run defense has regressed amongst some of the worst in the nation.
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