Rutgers in the News

Topic: Greg Schiano, Head Football Coach for Rutgers University

Background Information:
With earnings in the range of $2.25 million, Greg Schiano is the highest paid public worker in New Jersey. In fact, he makes about five times the annual salary of the President of the United States; or about 12 times the annual salary of the Governor of New Jersey; or 25 times the median household income for New Jersey residents; or about 40 times the average annual salary for New Jersey public school teachers.

Many would argue that Schiano doesn't deserves to be paid so much, but that's not the issue I'd like to focus on today. I'd prefer discussing a recently developing news story about Schiano's salary for 2008--i.e. that it was increased from $2 million to $2.25 million through a sidebar agreement. The original Star-Ledger article can be found HERE on the NJ.com website.

Critics are claiming that a sidebar agreement for $250,000 "lacks transparency" because the additional wages were not made public. I agree that the deal sounds a little sneaky, but the key question is: Were public funds (i.e. taxpayer dollars) used for Schiano's supplemental wages? Rutgers has stated that Coach Schiano's additional compensation was paid by Nelligan Sports Marketing, a private firm. Barring evidence of money laundering or other illegal dealings through Nelligan, Rutgers is more than likely within its rights to supplement Schiano's wages--secretly or otherwise.

As of right now, I'm not convinced that Rutgers has done anything wrong by maintaining secrecy about private funds paid to Schiano. Of course, if it turns out that the funds were actually public, the situation changes entirely, but no such evidence has been presented whatsoever. Still, the situation is kind of messy. Secrecy just doesn't play well in the court of public opinion, and that's something Rutgers needs to seriously consider when it decides to engage in such dealings.

Check out Dave White's opinion of the Rutgers-Schiano dealings HERE.

Check out another article about Coach Schiano HERE.