Rutgers promotes Ben McDaniels to offensive coordinator
Rutgers offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen has resigned and is being replaced by wide receivers coach Ben McDaniels, according to sources.
The moves, as reported by SI.com, were later announced Tuesday by Scarlet Knights coach Kyle Flood. McDaniels is Rutgers’ sixth offensive coordinator in as many years.
This past season was Friedgen’s first with the Scarlet Knights after not coaching for three years following his firing as coach at Maryland in 2010. The 67-year-old will remain a consultant for Flood, whose team had a surprising 8-5 record this past season in the program’s inaugural campaign in the Big Ten.
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McDaniels, 34, completed his first year at Rutgers this past season and is the younger brother of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The younger McDaniels was an offensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-13.
He was Columbia’s offensive coordinator in 2011 after two seasons with the Denver Broncos, the last of which was as quarterbacks coach. He was quarterbacks coach at Jackson High School in Massillion, Ohio, in 2008 after coaching the position the previous two seasons at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio.
McDaniels got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Minnesota from 2004-05 after a year as wide receivers coach at Warren (Ohio) Harding High School. He played quarterback for Kent State from 1999-01.
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Known as “The Fridge” for his hefty figure, Friedgen had a 75-50 record in his 10 seasons as coach at Maryland. With his pro-style attack, Rutgers was 73rd in the FBS in total offense this past season (390 yards per game) and 80th in scoring offense (26.7 points per game).
In addition to the Friedgen and McDaniels moves, recruiting coordinator Phil Galiano has been promoted to special teams coordinator. Anthony Campanile, who had coached tight ends, replaces McDaniels as wide receivers coach.
Flood has a 23-16 record in his three seasons with the Scarlet Knights and in September received a contract extension through 2018.
