Can New Rutgers DC Travis Johansen Fix the Defense?

Finally... A Hire

Rutgers fans breathed a collective sigh of relief this week after the program announced the hiring of South Dakota head coach Travis Johansen as defensive coordinator for the upcoming 2026 season. The two-month-long search, which put Head Coach Greg Schiano in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as the transfer portal window closed, without Rutgers having a DC to help fortify the 2026 roster.

Schiano is known as a stubborn old ball coach who micromanages and is incredlby dificult to work for, so the logical assumption was that nobody wanted to come to the Banks to work under a coach who was likely to take over play-calling duties at the first sign of smoke, as happened in 2025.

Co-defensive coordinators Robb Smith and Zach Sparber were dismissed at the end of the season after the Scarlet Knights turned in one of the worst defensive seasons this century. Schiano stepped in to take over play-calling duties. The unit ranked 129th in total defense (473.7 yards) and 119th in scoring defense (35.2 points per game), allowing 289.5 passing yards (128th) and 184.2 rushing yards per game (105th).

Weekly game discussion threads became running jokes, as Rutgers defenders failed to set the edge game after game after game. A safety unit manned by Kaj Sanders and Jet Elad, who was considered one of the stronger portal pickups on defense in the Big Ten, appeared lost and unsure of their positions weekly, frequently looking at each other in confusion after a blown play, followed by another blown play.

Rutgers put their best offense out on the field in nearly 20 years, as defenses struggled to stop elite receivers KJ Duff and Ian Strong, and bruising running back Antwan Raymond. One can argue that if Rutgers had played halfway decent defense in 2025, wins over Iowa, Minnesota, and Penn State would have been almost certain. Instead, the unit finished with a 5-7 record, leaving so many plays unfinished on the field.

Why Johansen Can Fix the Defense

Quite frankly, can the defense possibly be any worse than last season? A cynical Scarlet Knights fan would tell you it definitely can be worse, but in Johansen, Schiano appears to have made a home-run hire. Here’s why.

Head Coaching Experience

First, he has head coaching experience at a premier FCS program. Yes, the South Dakota Coyotes aren’t as well-known as their in-state rival Jackrabbits, but the program is accustomed to making deep playoff runs. This past season, the Coyotes dominated Mercer on the road in a 47-0 FCS playoff victory on December 6, holding the Bears to 277 total yards, with the secondary picking off four passes and allowing only 148 yards through the air.

Position-less Approach to Defense

Second, Johansen favors a “position-less” approach to defense, utilizing players based on their athletic ability to move around the field, rather than being confined to traditional roles. Think of hybrid players who can fill multiple roles, with linebackers dropping into safety positions or moving up to the line of scrimmage as edge rushers, like current Miami player and former Rutgers star, Mo Toure.

A little bit of confusion goes a long way to tricking opposing offenses. That level of creativity was severely lacking on the 2025 Rutgers defense. For Rutgers fans, look no further than Michigan’s defense under Wink Martindale to get a sense of how Johansen may utilize players in hybrid roles in 2026.

The Best Personnel on the Field for the Situation

Johansen isn’t going to put out a personnel package that weakens the chance of success. Need a stop on 4th-and-short? You can rest assured that the players lining up on defense give the unit the best chance of stopping the run, instead of trying to defend against the run and pass, an approach that frequently leads to defensive breakdowns.

Big play Mikey ‼️#GoYotes https://t.co/fAhgjW5Cl0 pic.twitter.com/u4fPczOM9x
— South Dakota Football (@SDCoyotesFB) December 6, 2025

Highly Aggressive Units that Make Big Plays

Johansen’s Coyote squads frequently bring pressure and get after the quarterback, while still maintaining sound fundamentals in the secondary to prevent the big play over the top. Think Ohio State’s historic defense under Matt Patricia in 2025. A unit that constantly brings pressure yet has an elite, disciplined secondary that prevents the big play if the opposing team stops their pressure.

If Johansen can get Rutgers back to that signature defense with NFL-caliber talent in a highly disciplined secondary that Schiano’s teams have been known for, Rutgers will exceed expectations if their offense continues humming.

The Stats Don’t Lie Under Johansen

* 2021 (DC): Breakout season where the defense ranked in the top 25 nationally in three categories.
* Sacks per game: No. 21 (2.75).
* Rushing Defense: No. 24 (120.9 ypg).
* Scoring Defense: No. 23 (20.7 ppg).

* 2023 (DC): The defense was instrumental in a 10-win season (first in DI era) and a quarterfinal playoff appearance.
* Scoring Defense: No. 8 in FCS (17.7 ppg).
* Passing Defense: No. 18 in FCS (180.8 ypg).
* Total Defense: No. 25 in FCS (323.3 ypg).
* 2024 (DC):
* Scoring Defense: Top Ten in FCS (17.7 ppg).
* Rushing Defense: Top 20 in FCS
* Total Defense: Top Five in FCS
* 2025 (Head Coach):
* Scoring Defense: No. 7in FCS (17.6 ppg).

The stats don’t lie - Johansen was an elite defensive coordinator on the FCS level. How that translates to the grind of the Big Ten remains to be seen. For long-time fans of Rutgers Football, clearly, this is an out-of-the-box hire for Schiano, who is tapping into a new coaching tree under long-time coach Bob Nielson, who helmed the Coyotes program from 2016 to 2024 and now has two former coaches leading the defenses in the Big Ten. Current Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich (linebackers coach under Johansen at South Dakota) and Johansen, at Rutgers.