PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano has named Robb Smith and Zach Sparber co-defensive coordinators. Smith returns to the Scarlet Knights with over 20 years of experience, including 12 as a defensive coordinator, while Sparber, who will also coach linebackers, is back in his home state after helping James Madison to a top-25 defense in 2024. The duo reunites after working together on the 2022 Duke staff.

"I am excited by the opportunity to work with Robb again," Schiano said. "He is one of the most intelligent football coaches I have ever been around. In Zach, we are hiring a rising star in the profession, who has proven to be a great communicator. Together, I am confident they will lead our defense to new heights. We are thrilled to welcome them both back to New Jersey."


ROBB SMITH
Smith, a two-time Broyles Award nominee, is set for his third stint in Piscataway, previously working on the staff in various roles, including as defensive coordinator, from 2009-12 and from 2020-21. He also worked on Schiano's staff at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. A native of Leechburg, Pennsylvania, Smith most recently coordinated the Duke defense in 2022, one of the top turnarounds nationally, and was part of Penn State's staff the past two years (2023-24).

Last season, Smith worked as an analyst for a Nittany Lion team that appeared in the Big Ten Championship Game and won two games in the College Football Playoff. In 2023, he also handled the role of co-defensive coordinator and play caller for the Peach Bowl.

After Duke recorded an 0-8 ledger in ACC play in 2021, Smith took over the defense and guided the Blue Devils to a 5-3 conference mark to match the best one-year improvement by a winless team in league history. In addition, the plus-six wins overall equaled the second-best turnaround in ACC history. The defense went from ranked 127th nationally to 31st in points allowed per game, while the team had an ACC-best and No. 2 national turnover margin of plus-16, claiming the Military Bowl over UCF for its ninth win of the year.

Under Smith's guidance as defensive coordinator in 2021, Rutgers held opponents to 52-for-162 on third down (32.1 percent), the 11th-best percentage nationally following the regular season. That mark included nine games allowing five or less conversions. The Scarlet Knights also finished the season holding their opponents to under 300 yards of total offense on six different occasions.

In 2020, Smith led a Rutgers defense that produced 19 turnovers, the most in a season since 2012 when he was previously RU's defensive coordinator. That included at least one takeaway in eight games, multiple in four games and at least four two times, highlighted by seven in the season-opening win at Michigan State. The Scarlet Knights also led the Big Ten and ranked No. 11 nationally with 7.8 tackles-for-loss per game and posted three contests in double figures with a season-high 13 coming in a win at Maryland. Rutgers posted 21 sacks, which are the most for the team in a Big Ten season.

Smith mentored nine players to 12 All-Big Ten honors those two seasons, including two-time recipients in linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, defensive back Christian Izien and defensive lineman Julius Turner. Fatukasi and Izien joined Tre Avery, Christian Braswell, Michael Dwumfour, Deion Jennings, Tyreek Maddox-Williams, Ifeanyi Maijeh, Max Melton, Avery Young and Brendon White as Scarlet Knights from 2020-21 on the defensive side of the ball who signed NFL contracts.

Smith spent the 2019 season as a defensive analyst with Texas A&M and prior to that, served as the defensive coordinator at Minnesota during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Golden Gophers allowed a total of 274 points in 2017, the fewest permitted by the team since 2004. Smith also worked with the linebackers and saw Thomas Barber earn All-Big Ten Third Team honors after posting 115 tackles.

Smith came to Minnesota from Arkansas, where he spent three seasons (2014-16) as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. A nominee for the Broyles Award, his defense ranked No. 10 in both scoring defense (19.2 points per game) and total defense (323.4 yards per game) in 2014. It was the first time since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992 that the Razorbacks finished in the top 10 in either statistic. In addition, Arkansas became the first unranked team in college football history to post back-to-back shutouts of ranked opponents when the Razorbacks blanked No. 20 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss in November of that season.

In 2013, Smith joined Schiano in Tampa Bay as linebackers coach. That included coaching All-Pro Lavonte David, who became the first linebacker and third player since the sack became an official statistic in 1982 to register at least 100 tackles with at least six sacks and five or more interceptions in a season.

Smith served in several capacities on the Rutgers staff during his first stint, including as defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 2012, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2011, special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in 2010 and special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2009.

The 2012 season saw Rutgers claim its first conference title since 1961 and the fifth in school history. The Scarlet Knights finished the year ranked fourth in the nation in points allowed per game (14.2), sixth in rushing yards allowed per game (95.2), 10th in total defense (311.6 yards per game) and tied for third in rushing touchdowns allowed (6). Smith claimed a spot as a Broyles Award nominee. Rutgers allowed just 91 points against seven Big East opponents, ranking as the eighth-lowest total in conference history. The defense held opponents to 95.2 rushing yards per game, only the third time in school history the Scarlet Knights kept the opponent average below 100 yards.

Under Smith's guidance, Rutgers became one of the best special teams units in college football. The Scarlet Knights ranked in the top 10 in blocked punts each of his three years coordinating the unit. Rutgers led the country in 2010 with nine blocked punts, tied for second in 2011 with nine and ranked eighth in 2009 with five. While Smith was at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights led the nation with 31 blocked kicks. They were also one of the best in the nation in punt and kick returns for touchdowns, tying for fifth with five punt return touchdowns and tying for ninth with four kickoff return touchdowns. Their nine combined special teams touchdowns tied for the fifth-highest total in the NCAA during that time.

Smith worked at Maine as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2006-08), special teams and linebackers coach (2005) and defensive backs coach (2002-04). Under Smith, Maine boasted one of the top defenses in the FCS, highlighted by the 2006 team that ranked first in rush defense, second in total defense, third in sacks and fourth in scoring defense.

A 1997 graduate of Allegheny (Pa.) College with a bachelor's degree in economics, Smith was a three-year letterwinner at strong safety. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa from 1999-2001 and earned his master's degree in communications studies from Iowa in 2002.

Personal
Hometown: Leechburg, Pa.
Alma Mater: Allegheny, 1997
Wife: Amy
Children: Sons, Charlie and Jack

Coaching History
2025-present: Rutgers (co-defensive coordinator)
2023-24: Penn State (analyst)
2022: Duke (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2020-21: Rutgers (defensive coordinator)
2019: Texas A&M (defensive analyst)
2017-18: Minnesota (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2014-16: Arkansas (defensive coordinator/secondary)
2013: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (linebackers)
2012: Rutgers (defensive coordinator/secondary)
2011: Rutgers (special teams coordinator/linebackers)
2010: Rutgers (special teams coordinator/cornerbacks)
2009: Rutgers (special teams coordinator/outside linebackers)
2006-08: Maine (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator)
2005: Maine (special teams/linebackers)
2002-04: Maine (defensive backs)
1999-01: Iowa (quality control/defensive graduate assistant)


ZACH SPARBER
A native of Norwood, New Jersey, Sparber returns to the Garden State after serving as linebackers coach and helping James Madison to one of the top defenses nationally in 2024. Overall, he has been to five bowl games and worked under notable defensive-minded coaches including Mike Elko, Bud Foster and Smith.

"I'm excited for Zach," former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "He has a bright football mind, is a hard worker and relates to the players. He will do a great job at Rutgers."

Serving as linebackers coach for the nine-win Dukes this past season, Sparber was part of a unit that led the Group of Five and ranked third nationally with 29 turnovers gained, while ranking first in the Sun Belt Conference in total defense (321.8), scoring defense (20.5), rushing defense (115.4), sacks (3.15), first downs defense (227), interceptions (17) and fumbles recovered (12). JMU, No. 21 nationally in scoring defense, capped the season winning the Boca Raton Bowl, the first bowl championship in program history. Linebacker Jacob Dobbs earned College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America status to add to Second Team All-Sun Belt and a spot on the Butkus Award watch list.

Sparber previously served three seasons on the Duke staff (2021-23), being promoted to linebackers analyst in 2023. That season saw the Blue Devils finish with an 8-5 overall record, highlighted by victories over No. 9 Clemson and Troy in the 76 Birmingham Bowl. Sparber coached Tre Freeman to Second Team All-ACC honors, and the Duke defense ranked 10th nationally in red zone defense (.744) and 16th in scoring defense (19.0), which led the ACC.

In 2022 under Elko and Smith, Duke posted a 9-4 overall record and defeated UCF in the Military Bowl. Sparber mentored Shaka Heyward to All-ACC honors, as the linebacker finished his Duke career tied for eighth in fumble recoveries (5), 12th in tackles-for-loss (32.5), 13th in tackles (339) and tied for 14th in sacks (11.5). Also an All-ACC linebacker in 2021, Heyward later signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after competing in the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

Prior to Duke, Sparber spent three seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Virginia Tech (2018-20), where he worked under Foster, a Broyles Award winner. While with the Hokies, Sparber helped the program win 19 games and make appearances at the 2018 Military Bowl and the 2019 Belk Bowl.

Sparber spent the 2017 season as an offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Bergen Catholic High School, his alma mater. During his one season with the program, the Crusaders finished 10-2, claimed the Group IV State Championship and were a top-25 team nationally, including a No. 1 ranking in the state of New Jersey. All five of Bergen Catholic's offensive linemen went on to play college football, including all-state tackle Bryan Felter, currently a member of the Scarlet Knights.

In 2016, Sparber served as the defensive line coach at Stonehill College. While on staff, Sparber's defensive unit led the Northeast-10 in fewest rushing yards allowed.

Sparber was a four-year letterwinner at Brown, earning Second Team All-Ivy League honors as a senior. He was also awarded the Lawrence Rubida "Iron Man" Award and "Bill Perry" Defensive Lineman Award during his time with the Bears.

Sparber graduated from Brown in 2015 with a degree in business entrepreneurship and organization. He also earned master's degrees in education from Virginia Tech in 2020 and management studies from Duke in 2022.

Personal
Hometown: Norwood, N.J.
Alma Mater: Brown, 2015
Wife: Alli
Child: Son, Brody

Coaching History
2025-present: Rutgers (co-defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2024: James Madison (linebackers)
2023: Duke (linebackers analyst)
2021-22: Duke (defensive graduate assistant)
2018-20: Virginia Tech (defensive graduate assistant)
2017: Bergen Catholic HS (offensive line/recruiting coordinator/assistant strength & conditioning)
2016: Stonehill (defensive line)

Photo credit: JMU Athletics

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